Boomplay streams added to Billboard charts

Billboard is an entertainment magazine published weekly by the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group, which is a division of MRC Media. The charts include Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200, The Artist 100 and Billboard Global 200, and Boomplay streams will reflect on those dated from 30 October. Boomplay data will also count towards all other Billboard US and global charts that include streaming data.

Boomplay streams are included in the ‘Others’ data bucket under Audio On-Demand, with data being visible for streams from 8 October. The music streaming platform’s activity on the Billboard charts represents streams from its subscription tier and logged-in streams from its ad-supported tier, with streams from each tier weighted appropriately.

Boomplay says the development forms part of its “dedication to helping the African music industry unlock its full potential” and to give African and international artists and their music an opportunity for more exposure on the global stage.

“MRC Data’s foundation is built on providing the music industry and our clients with the most complete view of music consumption,” Billboard said. “We are excited to announce additional data being captured from Boomplay.’’

Boomplay’s director of content and strategy, Phil Choi, said the addition of Boomplay data to the charts was “a significant step in ensuring African artists on the platform are fairly and equally represented where it matters and that they have access to similar opportunities available to their international counterparts. While this might have seemed far-fetched in the past, we now have one foot in the door already following our partnership with Billboard Charts.”

The inclusion of Boomplay’s streaming data on the charts could benefit many African artists on the platform by providing them with the opportunity for more exposure on the global stage.

Boomplay currently boasts a catalogue of more than 60 million tracks and over 60 million monthly active users. In March, the streaming service partnered with Universal Music Group on a licensing agreement expected to expand the label’s African and international repertoire to music fans across the continent.