How do you get on the billboard charts?

Answer 1

An artist can get music on the Billboard charts by receiving a relatively higher amount of sales and/or airplay compared to other artists data tabulated for said chart in a given reporting week.

There are various Billboard Charts (i.e. Singe Sales Chart, Hot 100 - see full list at Billboard.com/charts) and the data for each chart is typically compiled from sales and/or radio play data reported to Neilsen Soundscan (also known as "Soundscan").

Radio play data used in tabulating certain Billboard chart standings is reported to Soundscan by Radio stations. The Sales data is reported by outlets in the following three categories:

1. Retail Sales
2. Online / Digital Sales (by digital retailers)
3. Venue Sales

Retail sales are reported by music retailers like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and independent stores, both via brick-and-mortar outlets and via physical sales via their online websites. Some of the same sites report Online / Digital sales, along with popular digital retailers like iTunes and Rhapsody.

Venue sales are typically reported by Record labels or National Distributors who handle independent artists and indie labels.

Unsigned or independent artists, who are often by definition artists without a Record Label or Distribution deal, are able to report Retail Sales via consignment deals and Online / Digital Sales via various music agregators (CDBaby, etc). These same artists are typically only able to report venue sales to Soundscan through services like IndieHitMaker.com. You could also try www.dittomusic.com who register unsigned artists with the Billboard charts.