Chartmetric data as of: Feb 1, 2019 | For music data on the go: Chartmetric podcast

Beyond the Billboard music charts as the single industry standard of success, there is now a plethora of platform-specific music charts out today that guides music business operators today.

From streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and SoundCloud to download marketplaces like iTunes and Beatport to music discovery applications like Shazam, all showcase their own take on the latest and greatest in new (and sometimes old) music.

“Our YouTube audience doesn’t necessarily follow up on Spotify,” Daniel Lee, Label Manager at NCS, told me. “We see YouTube, Spotify and SoundCloud as serving three really distinct audience segments.” — via Cherie Hu’s Forbes article (Oct 2017)

Before you let the data overload overwhelm you, there’s a lot to gain in treating each platform with a unique approach. The days of a one-size-fits-all chart system have long passed: every smartphone owner has their favorite apps that they use on a daily basis, and just because an artist does an exclusive, the listener may or may not care enough to force a behavior change.

So by learning the nuances of each platform’s charts, you can discover how they can inform your daily business decisions, and be more creative in how you market your music, plan a summer tour or maybe who to collaborate with next in the studio.