Canada Gets Its First-Ever Streaming Report

August 18, 2014 Alan Cross 5 Comments

For the last couple of years, Nielsen SoundScan has been releasing data on who is listening what from the various streaming music in the US. But because the idea of streaming had yet to penetrate deeply into Canadian space–and because there weren’t enough clients willing to pay Nielsen for this data–no similar numbers were ever released in this country.

Until now.

BDS–part of the Nielsen empire–monitors Canadian streams on YouTube, Rdio, Google Plus, Slacker, Nokia and Xbox. (What? No Songza? No Deezer? Weird.) For their first-ever report (for the period ending August 10), they found that Canadians streamed

“Dark Horse” by Kay Perry 795,800 times
“Fancy” with Iggy Asalea f/t Charlie XCX with 653,100 listens
“Chandelier” from Sia at 527,900 streams.

These numbers are tiny compared the US–“Fancy” has routinely hit 8 million-ish streams in a week–but it’s early days in this country. But watch these numbers grow. Fast.

And they’d better. The mid-year report on the Canadian music market makes for some pretty dire reading. There are declines in digital albums, tracks, combined catalogue and current album sales, and retail store sales. Overall, sales are down 8.6% from last year.

(Via FYI Music News)

5 thoughts on “Canada Gets Its First-Ever Streaming Report”

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markosaar

August 18, 2014 at 5:52 pm

Oh so that’s why Charli XCX is blowing up. Her album’s pretty damn good.
anon

August 18, 2014 at 6:46 pm

Oh look, another tease about the ‘coming soon’ streaming services that never come.
What happened to iTunes radio?

Going to check those numbers against the new streaming rates, see if Sia will get a cheque worth cashing.
- Alan Cross
  Post author
  
  August 18, 2014 at 8:55 pm
  
  Apple hired some people for iTunes Radio Canada, but then delayed everything once talks to buy Beats started. The service is available in the US, but we still don’t know when it might launch here. And yes, Songza will launch in the next month or two. They’re already started hiring staff.
anon

August 18, 2014 at 9:39 pm

So Sia would get a cheque for $538.46, based on the Canadian rate of 10.2 cents per thousand plays, minus the collection cut, label, etc.

I’m wondering, with streaming services offering free trials for new subscribers, are plays under a trial offer exempt from royalties? (thinking of the old Columbia House and BMG model).
I’d also like to know numbers for streaming plays conversions to purchase of a track.