Billboard Annexes Pandora Data

Billboard and Pandora yesterday announced an exclusive agreement that will now add Pandora streaming data to the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which is currently determined by a formula blending track sales, radio airplay and streaming, as measured by Nielsen Music. Pandora’s info will also impact several streaming-based charts, and Hot 100 formula-based genre rankings such as Hot Country Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot Rock Songs and Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, among others.

Pandora says the inclusion of its data positively impacts nearly 40 titles on the Billboard Hot 100, including nine songs that improve in rank by five or more places if compared to the chart without Pandora data, including Rihanna‘s “Sex With Me,” Bebe Rexha‘s “I Got You,” Jason Aldean‘s “Any Ol’ Barstool” and “Chill Bill” by Rob $tone featuring J. Davi$ and Spooks. That Rob $tone track is among Pandora’s Top 10 most-streamed songs of the week, which helps it place more than 10 spots higher on the Hot 100 had Pandora data not been added. And there’s more — two songs enter the Hot 100 thanks to Pandora’s influence — Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons,” which re-enters the list, and newcomer Callum Scott, who makes his first Hot 100 appearance with “Dancing On My Own.”

“We’re thrilled to bring Pandora aboard as a contributor to our songs charts,” said our buddy Silvio Pietroluongo,‎ VP of Charts & Data Development for Billboard. “The music tastes and listening habits of Pandora’s large and influential user base is something that we’ve longed to include as a measure of song popularity in the Hot 100 and various other Billboard charts.” Pandora data will be incorporated into the Billboard charts and revealed on Billboard.com later today for charts dated February 11.