a.rodin
10th December 2002, 07:52
Remember payola? (A label pays the radio station manager some coin and gets their songs played.) It still happens today, although illegal. Now the following is a fantastic way for everyone to benefit. The end consumer wins, the record store, the label, the artist- another bit of info that isn't necessary for public consumption. :)
In an article in the New York Post, journalist Tim Arango has alleged that Def Jam and a number of other leading labels, have systematically been manipulating Soundscan - the music sales reporting standard which is designed to provide weekly, point of sale information from all of America’s major retailers including Tower Records, Blockbuster Music and more.
In the article, Arango states…“It's not clear who is behind the scheme, which involves shipping boxes of albums for free to some independent retailers, according to well-placed sources. The retailers reap all the profits from the sale of the extra albums, and in exchange report bogus figures to Nielsen Soundscan, the standard reporting agency for the record industry, the sources say.
The record labels do not receive any income from the sale of the albums shipped free, nor do they profit directly from the bogus figures reported to Soundscan. Labels could benefit from the bogus numbers, however, if they served to propel a record up the charts, boosting radio play and sales.”
Def Jam have vigorously denied the claims, and in a statement to the New York Post, said…“We do not respond to such unfounded speculation and innuendo... Claims of this type degrade the hard work and accomplishments of our artists and we will protect them from such erroneous claims."
In an article in the New York Post, journalist Tim Arango has alleged that Def Jam and a number of other leading labels, have systematically been manipulating Soundscan - the music sales reporting standard which is designed to provide weekly, point of sale information from all of America’s major retailers including Tower Records, Blockbuster Music and more.
In the article, Arango states…“It's not clear who is behind the scheme, which involves shipping boxes of albums for free to some independent retailers, according to well-placed sources. The retailers reap all the profits from the sale of the extra albums, and in exchange report bogus figures to Nielsen Soundscan, the standard reporting agency for the record industry, the sources say.
The record labels do not receive any income from the sale of the albums shipped free, nor do they profit directly from the bogus figures reported to Soundscan. Labels could benefit from the bogus numbers, however, if they served to propel a record up the charts, boosting radio play and sales.”
Def Jam have vigorously denied the claims, and in a statement to the New York Post, said…“We do not respond to such unfounded speculation and innuendo... Claims of this type degrade the hard work and accomplishments of our artists and we will protect them from such erroneous claims."