FAQ: New Indie Retail Methodology

FAQ: New Indie Retail Methodology


When does the new methodology start impacting the Charts?
  1. Beginning on May 31, 2024 (Week 23), Luminate will apply a new modeling methodology to independent store physical sales data, which is designed to account for missing data from non-reporting stores. It will affect U.S. sales reporting ONLY.
  1. The modeled data will be added to Music Connect and reflected for Week 23 (May 31 - June 6, 2024), available in full on Monday, June 10, 2024.

How does the new methodology work?
  1. Designed by Luminate’s data science team, the new modeling incorporates several factors including, store type, store location, location type and population. When modeling non-reporting store data, the method models store data for non-reporting stores with data from stores of similar types in similar markets. The model is dynamic and will change based on the number of data-providing stores. As more stores report data, less data will be modeled.
  1. This new methodology is different from the old, “weighted,” methodology, as it is:
  1. Modeled by multiple store type
  1. Incorporates multiple store type variables
  1. Dynamic, incorporating less modeled data as more stores report 

Why is the new methodology being added now?
  1. The design and implementation of this new model arrives following the news of Luminate’s new partnership with StreetPulse. On Friday, April 19, 2024, Luminate began receiving daily data feeds from StreetPulse, increasing the number of independent record stores providing data to Luminate to more than 225 physical locations and 100+ online locations. The data from these stores had an immediate impact and provided valuable information to Luminate’s data science team for a more accurate methodology design.
  1. Click here for an FAQ on Luminate's partnership with StreetPulse

Will there be new modeled-data restated for previous weeks of 2024 in Music Connect?
  1. The modeled data will NOT be restated in Music Connect for previous dates.
  1. Eventually, at a to-be-announced date, the new modeled data will be added and restated in Luminate’s new platform, reflected from Week 1 2024 and on.

How will this affect industry trends?
  1. This change will cause an industry trend break in U.S. physical sales reporting, along with any metric inside of Music Connect that ingests indie retail data. This includes Total Album sales, Total Physical sales, LP / Vinyl sales, CD sales and Cassette sales. These physical categories are eligible for the Billboard charts and will likewise have an impact on any chart counting physical album sales.

Is there an update on Canada?
  1. We are in the process of adding indie retail data providers in Canada to implement a new methodology. We will share timing on that when we can.


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