Can someone tell me how soundscan tracks sales? Is it through the barcode or other information.Also, how do they notify artists of sales or is it up to you to reference your own account. Also does it track all media or just audio releases. Also are there other benefits to registering with someone else

Hi Michael,

Soundscan works much the same as Nelson Ratings do for broadcasts, a sampling of national sales for a given products bar code is taken and an estimation of total sales is generated and reported. As for who tracks it, that all depends on the situation. Usually Record labels will track the soundscan reports so they can determine their accounts recieveable information relative to the stores in their distribution chain and generate the royalty statements for their artists. It is a good idea to have a subscription with soundscan as well so that you can make sure you are getting paid appropriatly.

As for regestering with someone else, I don't really know of another company that is "generally accepted" for reporting physical sales stats in the industry. In other words if you were to go to your label and say "I've got a sales report for Some Guy Media Inc that says you owe me for 10,000 units." YOur label will probably tell you to show them a soundscan report that supports your claim.

Hope this helps a little

RJ

Thanks RJ that explained it.

For R-J or anyone.Does it depend on who you enter as artist and writer in the application form for soundscan, who comes up more in record companies computer databases? Or is it the anonymous bar code number in the form