Melon overhauls charting system to fight zombie streaming tactics

The changes will take effect on August 9.

Melon will switch things up again.

 

On August 2, Melon Company revealed that they would be making changes to their charts. Soon the current 24 Hits and Recent 24 Hits charts will be replaced by the TOP 100 and Recent charts. According to a company representative, these changes reflect user feedback and the state of the Korean music industry.

 

In order to determine a certain song’s rank, the new TOP 100 chart will take into account usage data from the past day and usage data from the past hour in a 50-50 ratio. However, during the wee hours of the night—from 1:00 AM to 7:00 AM, to be specific—the chart will be based solely on usage from the past 24 hours.

 

All the songs on the new TOP 100 chart will have the number of listeners from the past day, past five minutes, and past hour revealed through the Chart Report. There will also be a Chart Board where listeners can track the chart changes of songs they like, as well as new entries on the chart.

 

Melon—whose company name happens to be a portmanteau of the phrase “melody on”—has also launched a new department dedicated to its chart. This new department will focus on chart analysis and monitoring, in a bid to crack down on chart manipulation.

 

Some fans welcomed this news. One wrote, “Melon should be commended for these reforms because they will prevent streaming during so-called ‘zombie hours.’ Some fandoms usually mass stream their idols’ songs from one to six in the morning, while the general public is asleep. Melon’s new reforms will nullify the effects of zombie streaming, so their charts will show the songs that the general public really likes.”

 

Another observed, “Artists’ new releases will have an easier time topping the new charts since there’s a basis for the last 24 hours.”

 

Melon’s new chart system will be implemented starting on August 9.


Juan Leonardo Mauricio

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