Soundscan is a company that tracks and publishes data from the sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Billboard uses SoundScan to create its album charts each week for album sales in the U.S.
The New Formula for Success in the Music Business
The old method of promoting a new act in the music business was for a record company to invest at least $500,000 in studio time with a good producer, the cost of a good video, the advertising budget, and the cost of the first promotional road tour.
