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Norway joins Sweden in including streaming data in album chart compilation

By | Published on Wednesday 6 November 2013

IFPI

It’s no secret, of course, that streaming services have made more of in impact in the Scandinavian markets than anywhere else so far, so it’s perhaps no surprise to hear that both the Swedish and Norwegian record industries are now including streaming data in their official album charts.

Sweden, where streaming platforms now account for about 70% of recorded music revenues, and which started including streaming data in its singles chart back in 2010, started doing likewise with its albums chart in September. And as of the start of this month, the Norwegian record industry – where streaming revenues likewise bring in more than two thirds of the revenue – has followed suit.

When announcing the inclusion of streaming stats in his album chart earlier this year, Ludvig Werner, the boss of record industry trade body IFPI Sweden, said: “The change is completely natural because so much of Swedes’ listening is done through music streaming services. The new charts provide a better picture of the reality that is the mix of ways – physical, downloaded and streamed – that Swedes consume music today”.

Meanwhile Marte Thorsby of IFPI Norway said this week: “We’ve been working on a model for a combined album chart for a long time now. We’re very happy to finally present a new and revitalised album chart. Of the total music sales in Norway, streaming accounts for nearly 70%, which is one of the largest streaming shares in the world. The time is right to include streaming in the album chart”.

In most other territories, even where digital revenues now exceed physical product income, usually the download stores like iTunes are still generating by far the most monies for the record labels. Though the US industry does now include streaming data in its main Billboard 100 singles chart, but not in the official albums countdown. In the UK streaming data is yet to be incorporated into the main charts for either single tracks or long players.



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