Key terms and acronyms used in CONNECT.
Combined total activity, starting from the earliest year for which CONNECT has complete data and ending with the selected time frame. Read more here.
CONNECT tracks four types of music consumption activity: Streams, Song Sales, Product Sales and Airplay (Spins and Audience). Read more here.
Streams from any DSP (Digital Streaming Provider) that offers a free product with ad breaks.
See also: Breakout View
Measurement of song performance on terrestrial and satellite radio. We track two metrics: Airplay Spins (number of plays) and Airplay Audience (number of listeners). Read more here.
See Release / Release Group.
Indicates the type of credit given to one or more artists on a song or album: Main Artist, Featured Artist or Remix Artist. Every song and album in CONNECT must have at least one Main Artist. There can be more than one Main Artist, which may or may not be a true Collaboration (see below).
Metadata field on Artist Dashboards indicating whether an artist is a solo or joint performer. There are four Artist Types: Solo Music Artist, Musical Group, Collaboration and Podcaster. (We use Podcaster to tag performers for non-music content erroneously submitted to our database).
Number of people that heard a spin on terrestrial or satellite radio. Airplay Audience is determined by station reach and time of day.
See ICPN.
Musical genre designated by Billboard for use in official Billboard charts.
Subgrouping within a Luminate Song of ISRCs that are eligible for tracking as one “merged” song on certain Billboard Charts.
Optional segmentation within an Activity Type, such as:
Streams Commercial Model (Premium / Ad-Supported)Service Type (On-Demand / Programmed / Interactive)Content Type (Audio / Video)Product Sales Distribution Channel (Physical / Digital)Purchase Method (Online / Storefront)Store Strata (various)
See all breakouts and definitions here.
Musical work ID code assigned to compositions and other creative works as an alternative to ISWC. Read more here.
See also: ISWC
Refers to Songs and Release Groups that are more than 36 months old. CONNECT defines musical releases as Current (released 0-36 months ago), Catalog (36-72 months) and Deep Catalog (72 months+).
See also: Release Age
Billboard and Luminate chart weeks are Friday-Thursday. Time views and date ranges in CONNECT are divided by chart weeks, not calendar weeks.
See Market.
A collaboration is an Artist Type category indicating that two or more artists are fully co-credited on an album or single. Collaborations must be credited as Main Artists. Featured or Remix artists are not true collaborations.
See also: Artist Type, Artist Role
Streaming breakout that segments Premium vs. Ad-Supported streams. Premium streams are from commercial-free DSPs such as Apple Music or Spotify Premium.
Divides Releases and Release Groups into Compilation or Non-Compilation. A Compilation collects songs from multiple sources (artists and/or releases).
Single Artist Compilation = Songs from one artist that have appeared on other Releases (Greatest Hits, Live, etc).
Multi Artist Compilation = Previously released songs, i.e. “Greatest Hits of the 80s,” “Now! That’s What I Call Music.”
Thematic Multi Artist Compilation = Original music performed by various artists, as for a soundtrack. These compilations are new creations recorded or curated with intent by the artist(s) or creator(s). They can be chart-eligible.
See also: Release Group
Type of chart ranked by Equivalent units (as opposed to raw, unweighted streaming or sales units). We create Album Consumption charts and Song Consumption charts.
Breakout View option that segments Audio vs. Video streams.
Defines UGC or non-UGC streaming content.
Official streams come from a valid artist or provider channel. Only official streams are chart-eligible.
Song UGC comes from an unofficial source, but includes the entire song and associated metadata.
Non-song UGC does not fall into the above categories (i.e. uses a partial or altered track, does not include metadata, is not from an official source).
Creation Category is an optional filter. Open Data Controls and go to Activity Options:Streams > Creation Category.
Airplay-specific categories designating a song’s release age as well as its relevance to a station format.
A song's CRG designation changes based on chart position and length of time on an Airplay chart. CRG thresholds vary between formats: it takes 52 weeks below #10 for Current music to become Recurrent on the Mainstream Rock chart, but Current songs below #15 become Recurrent after 20 weeks on the Top 40.
See also: Format
Refers to Songs and Release Groups less than 18 months old.
See also: Release Age
All view options, filters and breakouts available to help you adjust your data visualizations in CONNECT, from time frame to genre to purchase method and more. Open the Data Controls menu from the top menu bar on most pages.
CONNECT creates a Dashboard for every musical entity in our database. Dashboards combine topline information, visuals and numerical data to help contextualize performance based on Activity Type. There are three Dashboard categories: Artist, Release Group and Song.
See also: Release / Release Group
Direct to Consumer (D2C or DTC) purchases are made directly from artists and music labels, not through another retail entity. Artist official stores are D2C retailers. Other D2C retail providers include Bandcamp, Famehouse, etc.
See also: Store Strata
Product Sales breakout option that segments Digital vs. Physical sales.
“Distributor” in CONNECT refers to the rights holder(s) that can reproduce and distribute a musical product for sale, streaming and/or download. Distribution rights may depend on time frame, location and format. Read more: Musical Rights
See also: Owner / Ownership rights
See Market.
Any platform that allows subscribers to stream paid or ad-supported music (ex. Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify).
Describes online retailers with no (or negligible) physical presence, e.g. Amazon and Music Direct.
A 13-digit product identifier used on European barcodes; comparable to a UPC. Also known as an International Article Number. Some ICPNs listed as External IDs on Release Group, Release and Product Dashboards are EANs.
See also: External ID, ICPN
An EP (short for extended play) is a type of album release that’s longer than a single and shorter than an LP (long play album). An EP may have no more than 6 tracks.
See also: Release Type
Weighted streaming, digital and physical sales figures converted to 1 album or song unit on the Billboard charts and in our consumption modeling. Equivalent ratios vary based on chart type and purpose. Read more here.
Any alphanumeric identifier (other than a Luminate ID) attached to a musical entity in our database, including ISRC, ICPN and ISNI. See all external IDs by clicking MORE DETAILS on a Dashboard. Read more here.
Describes the type of programming on a radio station. Formats are often based on a combination of genre, release age and intended audience. Common formats include variations on categories like Adult Contemporary, Top 40, Mainstream [Genre], Alternative and/or Regional (e.g. Latin [Genre}, Canada [Genre]). See all formats here.
A nationwide sample of radio stations used to determine song popularity for Airplay charts. Panels combine nationwide station activity to create a representative snapshot of Airplay consumption within a format.
See also: Station
Chart type that ranks top songs and albums at the country level. Go to Charts and set Location to a non-U.S. country to see the Luminate Global Hits chart.
Every Activity pane with a graph displayed on a Dashboard, in Charts or in Analysis can be viewed and exported as a table instead. Click [...] and select Grid View to see data in a customizable grid.
Umbrella term for various product barcodes including UPC (12 digits) and EAN (13 digits). In CONNECT, an ICPN designates one Product.
See also: Product
Unique personal identifier attached to artists and musical groups. Can help differentiate artists with the same name, tie artists to their work and ensure proper attribution. Read more here.
Unique identifier assigned to a recording. ISRCs are used to register songs with CONNECT and track them in our database.
See also: Song
Unique identifier used to attribute and reference an original musical composition, called a Musical Work. An ISWC is linked to a composer/songwriter; an ISRC is linked to a performer.
One ISWC can be linked to many ISRCs (ex. the musical work “Landslide,” composed by Stevie Nicks / the many recorded performances of “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac and others).
The brand entity, business unit or marketing “label” under which a product is released. An imprint may or may not be a record label or distributor; most aren’t independent companies. They typically operate under the umbrella of larger labels and are used for branding and marketing.
Historically, an imprint was printed or “stamped” on a physical album. That stamp could be the logo of a label like Def Jam, but it could also be a name created for marketing, like “Cash Money.” Imprints usually stay the same after release, even if ownership and distribution change hands. If a new label acquired the rights to the Cash Money catalog, the original imprint would remain on the albums.
Though imprint is an important piece of metadata, it doesn’t dictate musical rights attribution in CONNECT. Musical rights — and Market Share — are based on Owner and Distributor claims.
See also: Label, Owner
See Online Physical Sales.
Store strata breakout category within Product Sales. Independent or indie retailers are physical retail locations focused on album product inventory, like small music chains and record stores, that control their own stock, pricing and store policies.
We model some independent retail data. Read more about indie sales modeling here.
See also: Store Strata
Interactive streaming refers to on-demand audio from interactive (gaming) platforms that allow users to choose their own music and engage with songs as part of the experience (e.g. Fortnite). Qualifying events and actions are known as musical gameplay experiences. Interactive streams can be ad-supported or premium.
Unlike traditional on-demand audio streaming services, Interactive providers:
Carry a limited selection of songs
Don’t offer full-length albums to stream
Allow users to participate in or engage with music in-game
Ex. Competitive rhythm games
Ex. Musical gameplay experiences that are part of larger games, such as Fortnite Festival
Ex. RPGs that permit simulation of singing, dancing or playing along with a track
See also: Breakout View, On-Demand Streams
The record label that owns, markets and/or distributes a title. The label may or may not be the owner or distributor; many labels and sublabels release material under the umbrella of a major-label distributor.
See also: Imprint, Owner, Distributor
We use location to mean “country” and market to mean “metro area or ZIP code.” CONNECT offers country-level data for 60+ countries, plus the option to select Worldwide for a combined view. Market-level data is also available for 250 U.S. markets and over 70 markets in Canada.
Unique identifier generated for each entry in our database. Note that the Luminate ID for an entity appears in its CONNECT Dashboard URL.
Every entity in CONNECT is assigned at least one genre. Entries with multiple genres have only one designated Main Genre; any other associated genres are Alternate Genres.
One of the 250 U.S. and 70+ Canadian cities and regions available to view in market-level location breakouts. Market areas are assigned by ZIP code and identified by the nearest metro. All ZIPs in the U.S. and Canada are included in a market.
Mass Market (sometimes called Mass Merchant) describes large chain stores that sell a variety of products both online and in-store, e.g. Target and Walmart.
N.E.A.R.S. or “NEARS” is an acronym for Nature, Noise, Effects, Ambient, Relaxation and Sounds. We apply it as a genre category for non-music or "functional music": white noise, shushing, rain effects, whale sounds, sleep sounds, washing machine noises, etc.
NEARS content can be consumed through music distribution channels, but this category does not share the rich characteristics of composed music. Composed music is publicly performable, able to be interpreted and translated by other artists, created within a specific country and authored by a composer responsible for a tangible form of expression. NEARS is none of these.
ISRCs classified as NEARS are not chart-eligible. We also exclude NEARS content from market share reporting.
Non-traditional retailers focus on other product categories (not music) but may sell album products, e.g. pharmacies, Urban Outfitters, Cracker Barrel.
On-Demand activity refers to on-demand audio (ODA) or video streaming via DSPs that allow users to choose their own music (vs. Programmed Streams).
See also: Breakout View
Online Physical Sales describes the fulfillment method for physical product sales that are placed online. These are reported to Luminate on ship date by the distributor that handles shipping; CONNECT logs that activity +3 days from ship date to account for the time it takes products to reach listeners.
Online Physical Sales are categorized as Activity Type:Product Sales / Distribution Channel:Physical / Purchase Method:Online.
See also: Internet Mail Order/IMO
In CONNECT, ownership generally refers to the right to license a musical product for reproduction and distribution. "Owner" describes the business unit or rightsholding entity that claims ownership of an asset. Read more: Musical Rights
See also: Distributor / Distribution rights
Any area of the CONNECT interface enclosed by a box that displays unique data (ex. Activity Over Time, Discography, Artist Details).
See Format Panel
Streaming from DSPs with a paid subscription model.
See also: Breakout View, Ad-Supported Streams
Streaming consumption via DSPs that don’t allow users to choose their own music and instead push curated content to listeners (vs. On-Demand Streams).
See also: Breakout View, On-Demand Streams
A unique UPC/ICPN/barcode.
See also: Release / Release Group
Activity Type that tracks sales of albums, EPs and singles. Product sales may be digital (digital album downloads) or physical (CDs, vinyl, etc). All product sales are reported with a barcode/ICPN. Read more here.
Physical (or digital) form of the product sold. One product = one ICPN = one format.
Product Format is available as a filter from the Data Controls menu on some CONNECT pages. See all categories and definitions here.
A platform that reports retail or streaming consumption data to Luminate. As in, Activity by Provider (all DSPs).
See also: DSP
Breakout option for Product Sales that divides Online and Storefront (brick and mortar) sales.
Type of report that can be created in the Report Builder. A Ranking Report is a list of artists, releases or songs, with the list order determined by your selected activity metrics.
A unique recording of a song, identified by an ISRC.
See also: ISRC
“Release” can refer to an album, EP or single. In CONNECT, a Release Group comprises every version and format of a release: digital, physical, deluxe, reissues, remasters and more.
Within a Release Group, CONNECT offers options to see data at the Release level (ex. original vs. expanded, remastered and other “alt” editions). The Product level displays every barcode/UPC associated with a release (ICPN).
A filter available in Analysis that describes the age of a musical product relative to the current date. By default, CONNECT segments release ages into Current (released 0-18 months ago), Catalog (18-60 months) and Deep Catalog (60 months+).
Release age spans can be customized throughout CONNECT. See Industry Analysis FAQ for more.
Classifies Releases based on length, number of tracks and format. Can be a single, EP, album or playlist. See all categories and definitions here.
Release Type is available as a filter from the Data Controls menu on some CONNECT pages.
See also: Release / Release Group
Breakout that designates On-Demand / Programmed / Interactive Streams.
Release Type that usually contains 1-4 tracks and can be purchased, downloaded or streamed in the same manner as an album or EP.
“Single” and “Song” are not interchangeable terms in CONNECT. Single refers to a kind of product. Song refers to a track (see below).
See ICPN.
Category that comprises all released versions of the same track, known as Recordings. Individual Recordings of a song are identified by ISRC codes. A Song Dashboard lists all the Recordings/ISRCs that qualify for merging into one song.
One song playback on terrestrial or satellite radio = 1 Airplay Spin.
A radio station is a licensed facility or entity that broadcasts audio signals. Stations tracked by Luminate include terrestrial analog broadcasters (AM/FM), terrestrial digital broadcasters (HD radio) and satellite radio operators (SiriusXM). Most stations are associated with at least one radio format.
See also: Format
Product Sales breakout option that segments retailer categories: E-Commerce, Mass Market, Independent, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Venue and Non-Traditional.
See all store strata definitions here.
Activity metric that tracks number of streams for a musical entity. Release Group streams may be calculated as Album or Stream Equivalents.
See also: Activity Type, Equivalents
See Song.
AAA = Adult Album Alternative. Triple A is a radio station format that covers a broad and sometimes eclectic range of pop, rock and alternative genres. The expansive playlists can include non-singles or “album cuts;” hence the name.
See also: Format
A 12-digit product identifier used on barcodes to designate a unique product. Some ICPNs listed as External IDs on Release Group, Release and Product Dashboards are UPCs.
See also: ICPN
Venue sales cover products sold at touring venues where artists perform. Venue sales data comes to us through approved providers.
A musical work is the registered musical composition (both words and melody), identified by an ISWC, that is licensed to be performed or recorded. One work/ISWC may be linked to numerous recordings/ISRCs.
The author of a musical work may also be credited on a recording of that work, but these credits (and associated musical rights) are distinct. “Landslide” as a work is credited to Stevie Nicks, but there are many recordings of “Landslide” performed by other artists and owned by various rights holders.
Data Controls: Activity Types, Breakout Views and filters
Methodology FAQs: Formulas, data sources, and eligibility criteria
Feature reference: Music Connect to CONNECT