My Internship Experience
By Greg Capra
Nielsen SoundScan
• January 1991 - A sales data tracking system titled
SoundScan created by Mike Fine & Mike Shalett
• March 1st 1991 - Sales data first tracked for
• November 30, 1991 - First debut of hot 100 chart
with SoundScan system
• Sales data collected from 14,000 retail, mass
merchant, online outlets
• SoundScan Clients - All major & various indie
labels, artist managers, booking agents, concert
promoters, venue owners, online retailers & digital
delivery companies
The Nielsen Company – The History
• 1923 - Est. of A.C. Nielsen Co. & Nielsen Media
Research by Arthur C. Nielsen
• 1930’s - Audience Studies– Extension of retail
food and drug purchase
• 1931 - A.C. Nielsen writes first Nielsen Code
• 1936 - Acquisition of the Audimeter or “The
Black Box”
The Nielsen Company – The History
• 1950 - The Audimeter
expanded for Television
ratings
• 1954 - AC Nielsen introduce
the Recordimeter
• 1987 - AC Nielsen introduce
the Peoplemeter
The Nielsen Company – The History
• 2001 - AC Nielsen Co. acquired by VNU
• 2006 - VNU acquired privately via six private
equity firms
• 2007 - VNU becomes The Nielsen Company
• Present - AC Nielsen considered one of largest
businesses in The Nielsen Company
• Publicly Traded Companies: Nielsen Television
Index (NTI), Nielsen Station Index (NSI), Nielsen
Syndication Services (NSS), & Homevideo Index
(NHI)
Nielsen Entertainment
Products & Services
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SoundScan
BookScan
RingScan
VideoScan
• GameScan (LA
Office)
• BDSRadio.com
• BDSExpress.com
• Encore
Official SoundScan Homepage
Nielsen SoundScan & Christian
Nielsen BookScan & Spain
Nielsen RingScan
Nielsen Video Scan
Nielsen GameScan
Canadian SoundScan & Insight
Nielsen International Tracks
BDSRadio.com &
BDSExpress.com
Beta Websites
SoundScan Data Access by Category
National Retail Sales
- Retail categories, Geographic Region & Place
DMA Sales
Chart & Sales History
Title Compare
SoundScan Database Lingo
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YTD - Year-To-Date
RTD - Release-To-Date
RK – Rank
TW - This Week
DMA – Designated
Market Area
BDS – Broadcast Data
Systems
Holding onto the old model of music
sales is INSANE!!!
Brick and Mortar is now just
one way we do business…
Music Retail Chains:
The Remaining Few..?
Mass-Merchants currently retain the
remaining brick-and-mortar sales…
“Big Box Stores” (ie. stores that
sell goods other than prerecorded music) increased from
15.6% of all music sales in 1989
to 52.8% in 2003.
Traditional music
stores have declined
from 71.7% of total
sales in 1989 to 33.2%
in 2003.
Significant Music Industry Impacts
Innovative Media:
When, Where & How You Want It
Released in October of 2005
Released on June 29th, 2007
Released on November 16th, 2006
Introduced by Apple on January 10th, 2001
@ Mac World Expo
An Online Revolution Some Just
Can’t Live Without
Possible iTunes-based Myspace Music
store
Nielsen in the 21st Century
• Nielsen GameScan will contribute to the
success of SoundScan with the integration of
both indie & mainstream artists’ music
marketed into video games resulting in
potential increased CD & digital sales
• Nielsen RingScan continues to maintain a
successful clientele based on the popular &
profitable success in ring-tone sales,
exceeding the .99-cents iTunes market
Nielsen in the 21st Century
• Considering all of the technological
advancements in the past 5-10 years,
musicians especially, have the independence
to potentially record their music, self-promote,
market, and arrange distribution deals without
relying on a major label. Although, some artists
still believe mainstream success is predicated
on signing with a major or indie label
Acquired Knowledge & Experience
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Goldmine Application - Learned to make & update
Master Client files including their SS ID, Account
Manager, specific account type & level of access
Acquired Knowledge & Experience
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Made contact database for former Navarre clients offering
reduced SoundScan account
Made record label marketing report spreadsheet indicating
their retail market shares in %’s
Learned how to access SoundScan info via dev.vnureig.com
Learned to fill out Client Information Change forms
Given opportunity to display my writing skills in putting together
a NARM Valued Clients letter -w- Trudy Lartz’ assistance
Furthered my communication skills (Contacting clients
via telephone & fax, Internet websites & email)
Learned the weekly Sunday-Saturday process with clients
sending text document-based sales information input no later
than Tuesday evening & officially displayed Wednesday morning
via SoundScan website
Notable Points
KOCH Records acquisition of Navarre Publishing & Distribution
Based on the current direction of the music industry, some
mainstream record labels have offered unprecedented advances
to artists in exchange for a % of their touring revenues. This may
impact the amount of CD’s distributed and sold, resulting with a
lower amount of record sales.
Between Internet access & relatively low-prices for recording
programs & equipment, artists have opportunities to selfpromote and market themselves w/o the assistance of an indie
or major label. Hence, SoundScan may lose indie and/or major
label clients due to this ‘technological independence.’