Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart Among Those To Incorporate TEA, SEA

Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart is among its genre charts set to consider not only traditional album sales but track equivalent albums (TEA), equating to 10 digital track sales for one album, and streaming equivalent albums (SEA), equating 1,500 on-demand song streams to one album sale.

As reported by the publication Thursday (Jan. 26), the new metrics will be put in place for the Tuesday, Jan. 31 chart (dated Feb. 11, for the week ending Thursday, Jan. 26).

Additionally, Billboard will continue publishing pure album sales charts for the genres but the move will ensure the top-ranked titles each week on the genre albums charts will align as the top titles of those genres on the Billboard 200.

“We’ve been thrilled with the reception to the Billboard 200 album consumption methodology and how it reflects album popularity in today’s world, where music is accessible on so many platforms,” says Silvio Pietroluongo, VP of charts and data development at Billboard. “The conversion of genre album charts to consumption reinforces how this approach has become the accepted measure of album success.”

“Nielsen Music is committed to setting the industry standard for music measurement and reporting,” continues Erin Crawford, SVP entertainment and GM music at Nielsen. “Music Connect recently introduced genre album consumption charts and we’re excited to work with Billboard as they further adopt this methodology. As the leading music measurement service on the market, Music Connect will continue to present all of Billboard’s consumption, streaming, sales and airplay charts.”

Sales and streaming data is compiled by Nielsen Music. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Soundcloud, Slacker, Napster, Google Play, Groove Music and Medianet will all comprise the on-demand services reported.

This follows a successful 2014 move of the all-genre, Billboard 200 chart to a multi-metric ranking.

Billboard charts with updated consumption methodology:

Top Country Albums

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, plus:
-R&B Albums
-Rap Albums

Top Rock Albums, plus:
-Alternative Albums
-Hard Rock Albums
-Americana/Folk Albums

Top Latin Albums, plus:
-Latin Pop Albums
-Regional Mexican Albums
-Tropical Albums
-Latin Rhythm Albums

Top Dance/Electronic Albums

Top Gospel Albums

Top Christian Albums, plus:
-Christian/Gospel Albums

Soundtracks

Top Catalog Albums

Holiday Albums