Chart FAQs
How is the ARIA chart calculated?
ARIA collects recorded music
sales data from the majority of Australia's music retailers, including online retailers. The data
from each store or site is matched with the ARIA database and the sales figures
are extrapolated to achieve a 'best estimate' of the actual overall
sales of each title. Titles are ranked according to their 'weighted'
sales figures.
For more information relating to the Chart calculation process, read How are the ARIA Charts prepared each week?
How often is the ARIA chart
calculated?
The ARIA charts are calculated
once a week on Saturday. They are based on retail recorded music
sales within Australia for the week from the preceding Saturday to the
Friday prior to calculation. The new charts are usually uploaded
to the website on Sunday night Eastern Australian time.
How many sales does it take to reach .
No.100, 50, 40, 10, 1..?
There is no fixed number of sales required
to achieve a certain chart position on any given week. A rough guide
can be drawn by looking at the average accreditation over a number
of weeks. For example, if a title goes Gold in 7 weeks it could be
assumed that it has sold an average of 5,000 copies per week (35,000
sales/7 weeks).
Sometimes I see a gold release debuting
higher on the charts than a platinum title released in the same week.
How does this happen?
The ARIA accreditations are based on sales
from the record companies to retailers, while the charts are based
on sales from the retailers to the public. Sometimes a title purchased
in great quantity by stores in anticipation of massive retail sales
may sell more slowly than expected and a less highly anticipated release
may exceed expected sales. Please review the Gold and Platinum ARIA Accreditation Awards page of this site for more information.
Every now and then a single or album will
rise in most or all state charts, but fall nationally. Is there an
error in that week's chart?
While it is not common,
this happens every now and again. The ARIA chart is based on recorded
music sales across Australia. Titles are ranked according to their
sales in each state and the national position is determined by ranking
the summed sales totals across the five ARIA state charts. However,
titles don't always sell consistently across the country.
Here is a simplified example
to illustrate the concept. Assume that there are only four titles
competing for positions, titles A, B, C and D.
On the first week, the titles
charted and (sold) as follow:
| TITLE |
NSW |
VIC/TAS |
QLD |
SA |
WA |
(TOTAL SALES) |
POSITION |
| A |
1 (10) |
3 (4) |
3 (4) |
1 (6) |
1 (6) |
(30) |
1 |
| B |
2 (5) |
2 (5) |
2 (5) |
2 (5) |
2 (5) |
(25) |
3 |
| C |
3 (4) |
1 (8) |
1 (7) |
3 (4) |
3 (4) |
(27) |
2 |
| D |
4 (1) |
4 (1) |
4 (1) |
4 (1) |
4 (1) |
(5) |
4 |
On the following week, the scenario changes
to this:
| TITLE |
NSW |
VIC/TAS |
QLD |
SA |
WA |
(TOTAL SALES) |
POSITION |
| A |
1 (10) |
10 (1) |
10 (1) |
1 (6) |
1 (6) |
(24) |
4 |
| B |
3 (8) |
3 (6) |
3 (5) |
3 (4) |
3 (4) |
(27) |
1 |
| C |
10 (2) |
1 (8) |
2 (6) |
2 (5) |
2 (5) |
(26) |
2 |
| D |
2 (9) |
2 (7) |
1 (7) |
10 (1) |
10 (1) |
(25) |
3 |
From this scenario, it can be seen that title B, despite falling
from No.2 to No.3 in every State actually climbs to No.1 nationally,
while title A suffers almost the opposite fate. Of course, the order
of the weeks could be reversed and title B's national fate would also
be reversed.
How are the bullets on the ARIA chart determined?
The bullets attached to
both the ARIA Singles and Albums charts are determined by upward chart
movement over the previous week. The number of places that a title
needs to move to qualify for a bullet is less towards the top of the
chart.
It is more difficult to move up five places
in the top 10 than it is to move 20 at the lower end of the top 50.
Titles do not qualify for bullets below position 70 on the chart.
I'm looking for a chart from the past and
can't find it anywhere. Are past ARIA charts available anywhere on
the website?
ARIA is in the process of reviewing and redeveloping
its web presence to increase the interactivity of the chart and include
some access to archival chart information.
Can ARIA provide me with old chart related
information, for example a chart history for a specific artist?
The ARIA charts date back to the middle of
1983 but our database only goes back to mid 1988 when we started calculating
the charts in-house. Accessing information for ad-hoc chart enquiries
can be quite time consuming and may incur a charge. If you would like
to know how much your request will cost, email us your requirements.
I've heard a song on the Radio (...it's
about 'love' and it goes like this...) What is it?
As good as our musical knowledge is, it can
be difficult for us to identify songs you've heard on your local radio
station. Make a note of the station that played the song and the date
and time that you heard it, then contact the station directly. Most
stations should be able to give you the information you need.
Are you able to give me song lyrics?
No. We do not have them.
I'd like to buy some of the titles listed
on your site. Can you sell them to me?
We do not sell music on our site. If you wish
to purchase any of the titles listed on any of our charts, contact
a music retailer. A non-exhaustive list of retailers can be found
at our ARIA
chart stores page.
I'm independently releasing a CD. Do I
need a barcode?
No, but a barcode can provide
a unique way of identifying your product. The ARIA chart is calculated
from sales data gathered electronically from computerised stores across
Australia.
These stores provide ARIA
with sales figures for all of their recorded music sales in any given
week. The product is identified to ARIA through either catalogue number
or barcode or (preferably) both.
If there is no barcode, accurate identification
is impossible. You should at least ensure that the catalogue number
you choose is unique to your product.
I'm independently releasing a CD. What
has to happen for it to chart?
First and foremost, it must
be eligible for inclusion in the chart. For more information on the eligibility rules, Data Rules and other rules for the ARIA Charts, please review the ARIA Charts Code of Practice (PDF).
Please contact
the ARIA Chart Department if you have any queries in relation to the
eligibility rules or any other requirements.
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