Billboard is changing its rules on “bundling,” The Wall Street Journal and Billboard report. Bundling is the practice of selling merchandise along with a download of an album (typically for free) in order to boost sales numbers. Under the new rules, which go into effect January 3, 2020, the merchandise/album bundle must now cost at least $3.49 more than the merchandise because $3.49 is the minimum price of an album to qualify for the charts. In practice, as WSJ notes, that means a $40 piece of apparel (with a download) must now cost $43.49 in order to count for the charts as an album sale.
Along with the $3.49 price increase, bundled items must now “be available for purchase concurrently and individually on the same website.” In addition, merchandise/album bundles can be sold only via “an artist’s official direct-to-consumer web store and not via third-party sites.”
Over the last couple of years, multiple major artists have criticized Billboard’s incorporation of merchandise/album bundles into sales numbers. This past spring, for example, Tyler, the Creator’s IGOR debuted at No. 1 and was boosted by sales of clothing, buttons, and “VOTE IGOR” lawn signs. That same week, DJ Khaled’s Father of Asahd debuted at No. 2, falling roughly 29,000 equivalent units behind IGOR. Khaled fell short, in part, because he had many bundled sales disqualified due to partnering with a third-party website.
Last year, Nicki Minaj called out Travis Scott after her Queen debuted at No. 2, behind his ASTROWORLD. Nicki criticized Travis’ ability to sell “season pass” bundles to his tour before specific dates were announced and “with no requirement of redeeming the album,” according to her tweet. Under the new rules, artists can still bundle concert tickets with albums, but “only the albums that are redeemed count toward Billboard’s charts, indicating a desire by a consumer to receive the album.”