Ad-financed streams are now also counted
In addition to physical sales, downloads, premium music streams and radio plays, streams from the ad-financed, free music offerings of audio and video streaming services are now also taken into account when determining the most successful songs in Germany.
According to the announcement by the German Music Industry Association (BVMI), the first singles charts under the new rules will cover the sales period from December 30, 2021 to January 6, 2022. Another new feature in 2022 is that YouTube will now also contribute data to determine the singles charts; this applies to both free and premium streams. The Official German Charts are determined by GfK Entertainment on behalf of the German Music Industry Association.
The charts are revenue-based and are not only based on the number of sales and streams, but also on the price achieved for a product and the value of a stream. The average value of a free stream used to determine the singles charts is calculated and regularly reviewed by the BVMI on a fiduciary basis using data from BVMI member companies.
