Locating Sales Numbers Online
Most recording industry information regarding sales is proprietary and difficult to find in any detail. An effective way to find some of this information is in books about music history, performer-related biographies, bibliographies, and discographies.
Top Picks
- Entertainment IDProvides data on historical film boxoffice and media sales and rankings from Nielsen, as well as music sales rankings from several different providers from around the world.
- Music Industry Statistics (Baker Library, Harvard Business School)Suggestions for finding data on the music/recording industry.
- Entertainment & Media Research Guide (Baker Library, Harvard Business School)Search suggestions for industry and career overviews, statistical sources, and industry news. Note: some resources may require a trip to the Baker Library, or only be available to Harvard Business School users.
Additional Sources
- Recording Industry Association of AmericaNote: RIAA tracks nothing under 5,000 sales units. The most recent 2 years of statistical information are publicly available. Students working on academic projects can receive limited access to data dating back to 1973; contact shipments@riaa.com with your name, school and program, and a brief description of your project.
- Billboard Official Website - ChartsBillboard's charts website. Select the chart you'd like to see, then use the Archive Search box to find historical data.
- BillboardFull-text access to Billboard magazine. Contains chart data in a variety of genres (based on sales, streaming, radio play, etc.).
- The Official Charts CompanyMusic and video charts for the United Kingdom (1950s-present)
- Statistical AbstractsVery broad U.S. Census Bureau statistics. Within each year's abstract, select Information and Communications > Motion Picture and Sound Recordings Industries.
- Music Index Online (1970-present)An index of music periodicals, especially strong on popular music. Pre-1970 volumes are available in print. (HOLLIS record). Try keywords like:
Recording industry statistics
Recording industry United States
Sound recordings sales & prices
[Performer/Album] sales
Copyright Resources
Find out who owns the publishing rights for a song (and sometimes who has recorded it) by searching the databases maintained by these performing rights organizations. Since they all license different music, it's important to check all three.
Finding Sales Numbers in Print
The Loeb Music Library has a selection of key sources available in the Aldrich Reading Room, including many of Joel Whitburn's Billboard chart compilations.
The Baker Library at the Harvard Business School owns both current and historical sources, such as:
- Print and online publications from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) (HOLLIS search results).
- Record Retailing Yearbook. New York: M & N Harrison, [1946] Baker Business; Historical Collections -- Baker Old Class; Call Number: SVSK R31
- Hung, Michele and Esteban Garcia Morencos, ed and comp. World Record Sales, 1969-1990: A Statistical History of the World Recording Industry. London: IFPI, 1990. Baker Business; Stacks -- LC Books; Call Number: HD9697.P562 W67 1990
