Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

Statistical monkeys

I've been researching for some time the data needed to explain the apparent rigging of gold/platinum CD sales figures by the Australian music industry, but never before have I been presented with such a wonderful summary of the deceit:

"The leaked first-week sales figures brought to light a little-known fact about the charts: while chart rankings do reflect actual sales, the gold and platinum gongs that accompany them do not. The latter are based on the number of CDs shipped to stores, meaning a singer or band could theoretically be hailed as multi-platinum without selling a single copy.

The big record companies and the Australian Record Industry Association, which compiles the charts, guard actual sales figures like nuclear secrets. ARIA cites "commercial confidentiality" and says the figures are not released publicly because its business is selling the data to clients."

ARIA's response was to lamely offer that "the sales of most CDs eventually matched the awards" - that's right, awards first, actual sales following by a long margin.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 9:58 am ::