New Americana Radio Chart Hopes To Add More Transparency / Accountability to Format
As the Americana genre continues to expand market share for the independent industry, and is aided by the success of big stars such as Jason Isbell, so expands the need for better infrastructure and accountability in the format. In 2016 we saw Billboard revamp their folk chart to included the Americana designation for albums, and recognize the increased importance of Americana as an influential music format, and an emerging economic force. Now the way the radio chart for Americana operates is about to be recalibrated as well.
The method Americana radio has been ranked heretofore has been a bit unreliable, labor intensive, and with a likelihood for either error or manipulation, making it an interesting footnote for the format as opposed to a true barometer of the rising and falling nature of artists or songs. Strictly tabulated off reports from DJs and program directors at Americana stations that must be physically filled out, it allowed for mistakes to be made, spins to be overlooked, or even the possibility of “paper spins” to enter into the tabulations—meaning plays that didn’t actually happen on the air, but were still reported for whatever reason. Though few believe fraud is rampant in Americana radio reporting, it’s certainly a possibility under the current format, while some stations don’t report their Americana spins at all due to the clerical burden.
Also making the current format of the Americana radio chart a bit confusing is the fact that it’s not tabulated via the songs radio stations play, but albums from where the songs originate. For example, the current #1 on the Americana Radio Chart is Jason Isbell’s most recent album The Nashville Sound, not a specific song off the album, like “If We Were Vampires.” This leaves the public, the Americana industry, and other DJs guessing at the most popular songs being played on radio as opposed to verified info.
But all that is set to change on January 1st when Americana will implement an automated system to digitally count all the songs played in the format, and report it in a proper radio chart. Powered by the technology company CDX which has been servicing songs to radio for years, their system will use the online streams of Americana radio stations and their proprietary song identification system to track plays of Americana songs in real time, and aggregate them into weekly charts. The company is currently is operating a similar system in the Texas Music space, and offers a similar service for mainstream country.
Called CDX-Traction, the system listens to at least one minute of each song (one minute just in case a snippet of a song is used in a commercial or intro), and through song identification technology, logs the play into the system. Along with populating the radio chart, CDX will allow industry professionals access to that data, including artists managers, record labels, and booking agents, to help artists in multiple ways, and determine the traction of a song.
Managers, booking agents, journalists, and artists themselves can see what songs and artists are being played, where and when, and how those songs are behaving in certain markets, or with certain stations. This can be invaluable information in many fields of the music industry. For example, if an artist is wondering how to route a tour, they can use the information in the CDX system to see what markets are playing their music, and where there may be more familiarity with listeners in a given location. It can also be an invaluable to gauge the appeal of a certain song. The new approach could also allow artists to have a more singles-based approach to releasing music if they so choose.
Though the new system will make great strides in eliminating errors and the effort DJs must go through to report their spins, it does come with its detractors. Some are worried that going away from an album-based chart and focusing more on songs is an encroachment of the short attention span/Spotify approach to music as opposed to the cohesive narrative of an album that most Americana artists adhere to. There will still be an Americana album chart to track the performance of cohesive projects as well.
Another concern—and one that has cropped up in Billboard’s Americana Albums Chart—is how AAA, or Adult Album Alternative spins within the format might bury some of Americana’s true artists under the plays of acts such as Ryan Adams, Jack Johnson, Ed Sheeran, and others that are currently being found on Billboard’s Americana chart for their acoustic, folk-style approach compared to the rest of pop music.
Just like the current Billboard Americana Albums Chart, there will probably be the need for tweaking the chart once it is launched. The public implementation of the chart has already been delayed to make sure when it does goes live that it will be accurate and useful for the Americana community. Joe Kelly of CDX spoke at length about the new system on Thursday, September 14th as part of 2017 AmericanaFest, giving a presentation of how the system works, and answering questions from DJs and radio promoters within the Americana industry. The Americana radio chart is published by the Americana Music Association.
Charlie
September 22, 2017 @ 8:56 am
I like it. Between this one and the Texas radio one that’s about all you need.
Scotty J
September 22, 2017 @ 10:17 am
How many stations are they going to monitor? How many stations are there that would be considered Americana?
I don’t know how many Americana stations are in major markets but aren’t they monitored by Nielsen just like other major market stations? Of course I guess even if they are if there is no umbrella chart to report to it’s just out there with no structure to understand what is going on.
Trigger
September 22, 2017 @ 1:21 pm
I don’t know that the number of reporting stations has been determined yet. Part of the reason for the delay in implementation might be to bring more stations on board.
Many Americana stations are in small markets. Many are Americana shows on bigger stations. CDX is doing a ton of work in the mainstream too because even in the mainstream, data is sparse on stations. Any station with a live digital feed can be monitored by CDX, giving it great advantage over the current way radio charts are aggregated.
Fred Boenig
September 22, 2017 @ 10:42 am
Well, imagine that-no more “phantom spins” wow- to think a station would actually have to add more programming or actually play it to count as a spin. This could be revolutionary in the Americana Format, maybe soon someone will sell some CDs because someone might actually hear a song or two. I’m 100% behind it- with a Level Playing field and no more fake numbers- there is a better chance for indie artists. Thanks, Joe Kelly @ CDX
Chris
September 22, 2017 @ 10:54 am
There is a new JD McPherson? Sweet.
Josh
September 22, 2017 @ 11:20 am
Right! That by itself made the article worth reading.
Trig, is there some place that keeps track of new releases? Often, I only hear about a new release from a review of it or a spotify suggestion. For those of us not in the business, it’s hard to keep up
Luke the Drifter
September 22, 2017 @ 12:26 pm
How about a monthly article that just lists out new releases of interest? I think that would be helpful. Not to put more demands on you Trigger – you do a great job. Just an idea.
Trigger
September 22, 2017 @ 1:23 pm
I used to put the new releases in the news crawl at the top of the page. They were the least-clicked items, making folks ignore the crawl so I stopped. Perhaps I’ll try to figure out a way to do that. In know in Americana, if you subscribe to the Americana Music Association’s weekly newsletter, they usually run down all the new releases every Friday.
Mike Blackwell
September 22, 2017 @ 2:41 pm
Everything I’ve heard from the new J.D. album, both recorded and live a few months ago, is solid. He’s staking out some new territory and deserves a much wider audience. His live show is a rockin revelation.
JB-Chicago
September 22, 2017 @ 11:54 am
Not to point out the obvious…..lol ok I will. Great article on New Americana Chart gets 6 comments. Thomas Rhett’s scathing album review and all of us hating (the album, not the review) gets 80+
I personally love reading both. I’m a big chart info guy so this was very interesting to me. Thanks Trigger.
Adrian
September 22, 2017 @ 11:48 pm
Yeah kind of the nature of things. People love to hate
jtrpdx
September 22, 2017 @ 12:51 pm
Hate to be off-topic, but if anyone wants to throw up in their mouth a little, read this recent Rolling Stone article about Midland. http://www.rollingstone.com/country/features/midland-on-bar-band-roots-new-album-on-the-rocks-w504844
They name drop Sturgill when referring to their sound, and half the article talks about how much of an authentic honky tonk / dive bar band they are.
Justin S
September 22, 2017 @ 4:03 pm
I don’t mind there sound and the writing isn’t to bad for radio, but it feels like there making a mocumentary titled,This is midland. They’d be fine if they weren’t jamming it down are throats with how hard core they are.
Cool Lester Smooth
September 22, 2017 @ 4:32 pm
I mean…they do “name drop Sturgill” and they do “refer to their sound”…when they say that they like to think they hue closer to Sturgill, but they’ve “intentionally chased down” a poppier sound because they “wanted it to be accessible” for commercial audiences.
jtrpdx
September 25, 2017 @ 8:42 am
True. The Sturgill comment isn’t the worst part about it. The most annoying and disrespectful part is the whole premise of the article……that they are some road-worn, hardcore honky tonk / dive bar dudes who slogged it out and are now just reaping the rewards of all that hard work.
Peter Fan
September 22, 2017 @ 5:18 pm
Midland is so bad I’ll no longer buy a Dodge. I’m dead serious.
Gina
September 22, 2017 @ 1:34 pm
Great news! I was talking with a musician friend in Nashville last week about how the tide is turning. Cody Jinks just sold out Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. Chuck Berry used to have his residency there. Nice to see people seeking out good music.
Gabe
September 22, 2017 @ 4:09 pm
Kudos to mainstream for recognizing how huge Americana is
James Hooker
September 23, 2017 @ 2:26 am
I’m getting cranky and terminally cynical in my old age, I guess. But in my half century or so years in this circus, if you give them one-half inch of chance, they will take nineteen miles of fuck up.
Here’s to hopin’ I’m wrong.
CountryCharm
September 23, 2017 @ 6:56 am
Trigger can you one day do a break down for us on what Americana Is? If Ed Sheeran is Americana then surely Mumford and Sons fall into the genre as well? To me Americana is Avett Brothers, Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown.
Trigger
September 23, 2017 @ 10:23 am
Honestly, the arguments of what Americana is are so tiresome and redundant at this point, I’m not sure I want to even broach that subject. Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown are basically the same thing, and Whiskeytown has not been around for a long time. Both Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers have been nominated for Americana Awards, so they fall within the distinction. The point is Ed Sheeran already has enough support. Just because he plays an acoustic guitar doesn’t make you Americana. It should be for artists and music falling through the cracks of other radio formats such as AAA.
Benjamin
September 24, 2017 @ 7:13 am
While I do agree with this point about Ed Sheeran already having enough support, this does bring up a point is like to talk about. Everyone acts like success is a bad thing. Ed Sheeran literally does his concerts with just him and an acoustic guitar, that doesn’t seem like a pop show to me. The Lumineers get criticized all the time for getting radio play, but they’re about Amaricana as it gets. Just because you appeal to the mainstream doesn’t mean your music doesn’t have value. My point is, it’s almost as if once you “make it” people discredit you just because you’re well known now, and I don’t think that’s fair.
Kent
September 24, 2017 @ 7:28 am
Mumford & son’s latest album fail the “authenticity test” then the first UK Americana chart was launched. It was a discussion in UK media as to why FAK’s “Stay Gold” did qualify as americana while Mumford & son’s “Wilder Mind” didn’t.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/mumford-and-sons-fail-authenticity-test-as-first-uk-americana-chart-launches-a6842291.html
It will be interesting to see if Mumford & son’s next album will pass this “authenticity test”, and if FAK’s upcoming will pass, (wich I doubt)…
CountryCharm
September 24, 2017 @ 10:30 pm
I feel the same about Ed Sheeran. I don’t know I always just assumed Americana was you now reserved for American bands with a certain sound.
Mumford to me is folk but having them included in Americana categories con
Bear
September 25, 2017 @ 12:42 am
I always felt like Americana was the place real country artists went to try and have a career since mainstream country is shunning them left and right.
eckiezZ
September 23, 2017 @ 8:06 am
any chart that has isbell, allman, lynne, earle and hubbard at the top of it is alright in my book. i’ve never looked at a chart where i’d already heard most of the albums on it. good stuff. now let’s talk the americana awards into adding more categories, like best instrumental album or best covers album.
Jared S
September 23, 2017 @ 8:38 am
I’m a little confused. Don’t all radio stations have to report everything they play anyway, so they can pay the labels and artists for their spins? I don’t understand how this info isn’t already widely available.
alice
September 23, 2017 @ 3:03 pm
Great article, thanks. It clears up a big point of confusion for me — why Ed Sheeran is on the Billboard Americana/Folk album charts. And Jack Johnson is currently #1. I hadn’t heard of Adult Album Alternative format and I didn’t realize its spins contribute to that album chart. So is it a sure thing that the new American radio chart will draw from AAA stations, too?
OlaR
September 25, 2017 @ 3:01 am
Mixed feelings.
For me the americana format is a “little bit of everything”. Former country stars, adult-pop artists, folk musicians, southern this & Texas that.
It will take some time but in a couple of years the format will find a defining sound with a new generation of artists.
Nashville labels will open americana imprints sooner or later. Guys like Scott Borchetta can smell the $$$ & this will change the landscape. I don’t like the idea of Big Machine dominating the format…time will tell.