Spain Halted Their Album Chart Due To Coronavirus, Promises Changes

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Spain's Top Albums chart, which reflects the top-selling albums and downloads in the country, has been halted due to the coronavirus crisis.

Promusicae, the music industry association which has compiled the national charts since 1986, has taken the unprecedented decision to cease publishing the charts while the state of alarm, declared on March 13, continues in Spain, a Promusicae spokesman confirmed in an email to Billboard.

The decision to temporarily cease publication of the chart, which reflects physical sales and downloads, but not streaming numbers, comes after the country has been shut down for almost a month. While all record stores and other retail outlets are closed, physical music sales "by mail or messenger could almost serve as testimony to the fact that records are not essential items," a statement from Promusicae said, adding that physical sales are currently "almost irrelevant."

The recording industry organization has estimated that the economic impact on physical sales in Spain will amount to at least 40 million euros (just over $43 million), about half of the total earnings from albums and CDs in 2019.

While the Top 100 Albums chart is on hiatus, Promusicae will continue to publish its Top 100 Streaming Albums chart, which will be the reference for "the behavior of the Spanish music market" in the current climate.

Promusicae is planning to reboot its Top 100 Albums chart upon its return to include physical sales, downloads and streaming. That new chart is expected to debut after the Spanish government declares an end to the confinement period, a Promusicae spokesperson tells Billboard.

 

Full article at Source:

https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/news/international/9352762/spain-top-albums-chart-paused-coronavirus-promuscae-sales-downloads

 

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