Billboard
The authoritative music industry publication tracking charts, news, and business developments since 1894.
Definition
Billboard is the preeminent music industry publication, known globally for its music charts that define commercial success. Beyond charts, Billboard covers industry news, artist features, executive profiles, and analysis of music business trends.
Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200, and genre-specific charts set industry standards for measuring success. The publication's coverage influences industry perception and provides essential business intelligence for music professionals.
Why It Matters
Billboard chart position directly impacts careers, determining radio play, playlist placement, and industry opportunities. Chart performance validates commercial appeal in ways that define artist trajectories.
For industry professionals, Billboard provides essential intelligence on market trends, executive movements, and business developments that inform strategic decisions.
Examples in Practice
A Billboard chart entry transforms an independent artist's negotiating position, with labels and publishers who previously ignored them now initiating contact.
Billboard's coverage of streaming strategy reveals approaches that inform a label's release planning, with data showing optimal timing and playlist tactics.
Executive profiles in Billboard provide intelligence on label priorities that inform artist managers' pitch strategies.