Sep 6, 2019

Billboard tops its charts by adding Nielsen data

Dan Primack

Modi Wiczyk, co-CEO of Valence Media and Media Rights Capital, speaks on a panel at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 29, 2019. Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Valence Media, the parent company of Billboard, agreed to buy the music industry data and analytics business of Nielsen Holdings, per Bloomberg.

Why it matters: This would reunite the music industry's top publisher of sales charts with the company that supplies its data. It also could let Billboard expand its data offerings, including possible subscription products.

Bottom line: "Billboard began publishing charts based on Nielsen’s data in 1991. The company had previously tracked sales by calling record stores across the country, a laborious and slow process. Nielsen, in contrast, captured sales by scanning the bar codes at retail checkout counters. Nielsen began monitoring digital downloads... in 2003 and has since adjusted the charts to factor in streaming." — Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg

Add Axios on Google

Billboard tops its charts by adding Nielsen data

What to read next