who actually believes these 'opening' DVD/CD sales?

[gorcorps]

I'm constantly dumbfounded by how many people take certain statistics as a good method at telling whether things are good or not. The 'opening sales' for DVDs and CDs are the biggest culprit.

Here's how this shit works. Stores like Best Buy, Sam Goody, Target, Walmart, etc order DVDs and CDs from distributors based on name alone. So when you hear that Metallica set a new sales record that DOESN'T MEAN that millions of people bought that album. It means those stores bought how many million because of the band name alone. If the album sucks every copy can be sitting on the shelves but they still sold over 12 million copies opening week.

Why the fuck do people constantly think this means a fucking thing? Am I the only one who knows people who see those numbers and makes decisions on those alone?

 

[shortylickens]

Yeah, OK.
Be cool man. Just be cool.

 

[newb111]

Who actually cares?

 

[olds]

I spend 0.00% of my time thinking about it. One thing you learn as you get older is that most things are bullshit and nothing to get worked up over. Unless you are emo.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

of course you are TOTALLY wrong. Sales are based upon actual sales at the POS, internet order, or download transaction.

All sales charts use the entire Nielsen SoundScan panel, with the exception of the R&B/Hip-Hop charts which uses a panel of core stores that specialize in the genre. The Nielsen SoundScan system utilizes that same point-of-sale that music merchants use to track their inventory, so you can think of the itemized receipt from your last trip to the music store as a ballot cast for our charts.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom...t_us/bbmethodology.jsp

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
of course you are TOTALLY wrong. Sales are based upon actual sales at the POS, internet order, or download transaction.

All sales charts use the entire Nielsen SoundScan panel, with the exception of the R&B/Hip-Hop charts which uses a panel of core stores that specialize in the genre. The Nielsen SoundScan system utilizes that same point-of-sale that music merchants use to track their inventory, so you can think of the itemized receipt from your last trip to the music store as a ballot cast for our charts.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom...t_us/bbmethodology.jsp

It wouldn't be an OT post if the ranter didn't own himself.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
of course you are TOTALLY wrong. Sales are based upon actual sales at the POS, internet order, or download transaction.

All sales charts use the entire Nielsen SoundScan panel, with the exception of the R&B/Hip-Hop charts which uses a panel of core stores that specialize in the genre. The Nielsen SoundScan system utilizes that same point-of-sale that music merchants use to track their inventory, so you can think of the itemized receipt from your last trip to the music store as a ballot cast for our charts.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom...t_us/bbmethodology.jsp

That's awesome news for billboard, but not all those numbers are from billboard. Now if a sticker said:

over 12 million sold!
-Billboard

then things would be dandy, which some actually do. But a lot aren't quoting billboard.

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
of course you are TOTALLY wrong. Sales are based upon actual sales at the POS, internet order, or download transaction.

All sales charts use the entire Nielsen SoundScan panel, with the exception of the R&B/Hip-Hop charts which uses a panel of core stores that specialize in the genre. The Nielsen SoundScan system utilizes that same point-of-sale that music merchants use to track their inventory, so you can think of the itemized receipt from your last trip to the music store as a ballot cast for our charts.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom...t_us/bbmethodology.jsp

Yeah this is what I thought as well. Thanks for confirming.

 

[biggestmuff]

good story

 

[Inspector Jihad]

lock plz...stupid thread is stupid.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: gorcorps
I'm constantly dumbfounded by how many people take certain statistics as a good method at telling whether things are good or not. The 'opening sales' for DVDs and CDs are the biggest culprit.

Here's how this shit works. Stores like Best Buy, Sam Goody, Target, Walmart, etc order DVDs and CDs from distributors based on name alone. So when you hear that Metallica set a new sales record that DOESN'T MEAN that millions of people bought that album. It means those stores bought how many million because of the band name alone. If the album sucks every copy can be sitting on the shelves but they still sold over 12 million copies opening week.

Why the fuck do people constantly think this means a fucking thing? Am I the only one who knows people who see those numbers and makes decisions on those alone?

That's not quite how it works...

 

[randay]

LOL, you can always tell because it always starts off "heres how it works".

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
lock plz...stupid thread is stupid.

Then 90% of the threads here would be locked.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: newb111
Who actually cares?

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I spend 0.00% of my time thinking about it. One thing you learn as you get older is that most things are bullshit and nothing to get worked up over. Unless you are emo.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
of course you are TOTALLY wrong. Sales are based upon actual sales at the POS, internet order, or download transaction.

All sales charts use the entire Nielsen SoundScan panel, with the exception of the R&B/Hip-Hop charts which uses a panel of core stores that specialize in the genre. The Nielsen SoundScan system utilizes that same point-of-sale that music merchants use to track their inventory, so you can think of the itemized receipt from your last trip to the music store as a ballot cast for our charts.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom...t_us/bbmethodology.jsp

That's awesome news for billboard, but not all those numbers are from billboard. Now if a sticker said:

over 12 million sold!
-Billboard

then things would be dandy, which some actually do. But a lot aren't quoting billboard.

They may not attribute the source of the number, but that doesn't mean the source of the number isn't Nielsen. You got pwned, take it like a man.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
of course you are TOTALLY wrong. Sales are based upon actual sales at the POS, internet order, or download transaction.

All sales charts use the entire Nielsen SoundScan panel, with the exception of the R&B/Hip-Hop charts which uses a panel of core stores that specialize in the genre. The Nielsen SoundScan system utilizes that same point-of-sale that music merchants use to track their inventory, so you can think of the itemized receipt from your last trip to the music store as a ballot cast for our charts.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom...t_us/bbmethodology.jsp

That's awesome news for billboard, but not all those numbers are from billboard. Now if a sticker said:

over 12 million sold!
-Billboard

then things would be dandy, which some actually do. But a lot aren't quoting billboard.

Nielsen SoundScan is an information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Sales data from point-of-sale cash registers is collected weekly from over 14,000 retail, mass merchant and non-traditional (on-line stores, venues, etc.) outlets. Weekly data is compiled and made available every Wednesday. Nielsen SoundScan is the sales source for the Billboard music charts.

http://www.soundscan.com/about.html
I think that seals it.

 

[me123]

My favorite is the movie openings. This is the highest grossing comedy movie ever that opened on a full moon and starred a gay guy. Sometimes they seem that specific and silly.