How does SoundScan work to calculate the number of albums sold?
SoundScan is an electronic network that collects weekly retail figures from over 17,000 music stores in the U.S., including chains like Tower, Wherehouse, and BestBuy. It’s owned and operated by a company based in White Plains, New York, called VNU Marketing Information. This company sells their information to corporate subscribers like record labels and concert promoters for lots of money. Since 1991, the Billboard charts have been based on SoundScan data. How does SoundScan scan all those sounds? Barcodes. Subscribers can track sales figures for artists in particular regions, compare sales figures within genres, and monitor the efficacy of the tiniest indie promotional effort or the biggest Britney blowout. Needless to say, VNU also offers BookScan and VideoScan services. The switch to SoundScan data more than a decade ago drastically altered the Billboard charts. Whereas
