Billboard Updates Chart Rules to Combat Shady Sales Tactics

Written by Trey Godsey

When it comes to music charts, Billboard is king. Billboard is also no stranger to constantly  evolving alongside the ever-changing music industry in order to keep the charts as fair as  possible. From the era of going to record stores to buy vinyl and CDs to the streaming era of the  modern age, Billboard has to take changes in the industry into consideration. The chart giant  announced that changes would be implemented throughout 2025 in order to stop chart  manipulation.  

What is “chart manipulation”? Simply put, the term refers to any tactics in which artists and/or  their labels use dubious marketing strategies to boost their work and reach a higher position on  the charts. Examples include selling multiple versions of the same album or single with a  different cover photo, releasing different deluxe editions of the same album, and discounting  album/song prices to achieve more sales.  

Artists like Taylor Swift have been called out online in recent years for selling multiple different  variations of the same album. Fans of other artists have also accused Swift of releasing deluxe  editions of the same album in order to block their favorite artists from reaching the coveted  number one spot on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. 

According to one X user (formally Twitter) by the name @AskPerplexity, “Taylor Swift has  released a total of 36 versions of her album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ including various  physical formats like CDs, vinyl, and cassettes, as well as digital editions. Some of these editions  feature bonus tracks, live recordings, and acoustic renditions, contributing to the album’s  extensive success.” 

While rabid fans are happy to see their favorite artist reach the top spot at any cost, others aren’t  as happy with the blatant display of manipulation tactics. 

Another X user named @NanFan5670 writes, “Well with 100+ versions that you Taylor Swift  fans buy and don’t realize is just a cash grab and chart manipulation...I would expect her to [top  the chart]!”  

It isn’t only fans on social media voicing their concerns. Industry professionals and artists have  also been outspoken. In 2018 Nicki Minaj sparked controversy after calling out Travis Scott for  his tactics used to sell more albums. For context, Minaj’s “Queen” album debuted at the number two spot while Scott’s “ASTROWORLD” sat at number one. “ASTROWORLD” received a  boost in sales due to copies of the album being bundled with purchases of his clothing  merchandise and tour passes. The rules pertaining to album bundles were changed by Billboard  back in 2020.  

In response to the news of her album debuting at number two Minaj tweeted, “I put my blood  sweat & tears in writing a dope album only for Travis Scott to have Kylie Jenner post a tour pass  telling people to come see her & Stormi. Lol. I’m actually laughing...” 

Minaj later went on The Ellen DeGeneres show where she clarified her stance saying, “It’s just  what’s right and what’s wrong and what’s fair. I’ve had a number two album before, and I’ve never cared. It’s just when you have a number two album to someone that’s selling shirts, and  merch, and selling passes for a tour that’s not even announced yet then it feels like you’re being  tricked. It feels like someone is beating you at a game as opposed to just selling music.” 

So how will Billboard’s new rules combat shady tactics like these? Billboard issued new rules  pertaining to albums being sold on an artists’ website, false streaming data, minimum prices, and  restrictions on digital versions.  

Firstly, Billboard enforced a rule stating digital purchases via an artist/label website must be  redeemed in order to be chart eligible. In addition to this, users must verify that they aren’t a  robot by completing a Captcha. This rule went into effect on Feb. 28.  

Billboard placed a limit on direct-to-consumer (D2C) exclusive versions with only four versions  (including deluxe versions) allowed per album. Billboard also stated that D2C exclusive versions  may not be put up for sale during the middle of a tracking week and new versions must be  available for pre-order or applied to a separate sales week. This will put an end to artists  releasing multiple website exclusive versions throughout the debut tracking week in order to  boost their first week sales numbers. This rule went into effect on April 4.  

When it comes to streaming, Spotify is not the only company cracking down on false numbers  and bots. Billboard’s next rule targets D2C stores reporting false numbers. Billboard stated any  D2C store with three cases of reporting falsified data within a one-year period may face a 90-day  suspension from chart eligibility. This rule also applies to items that are physically shipped  which fall outside of “established sales trends”. These items will require the reporting store to  provide enhanced tracking data like geolocation data and if a VPN was used when purchasing. 

Lastly, Billboard implemented fixed prices for physical and digital copies of music on April 4.  For songs/albums to count towards charts they must meet the new prices minimums. Albums  being sold as CDs and cassettes must cost $7.99 or more, while vinyl records must be priced at  least $15.99. This extends to singles as well with prices being set at $2.99 for CD versions and  $6.99 for vinyl singles.  

With all of these rules now in effect, music lovers can look forward to a more authentic chart  experience.