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Billboard Shifts Website to Lure Listeners, Buyers

Billboard.com ties MP3 and ticket sales to its famous charts

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 22, 2009 5:49 PM CDT

(Newser) – As circulation of its print magazine continues to fall, Billboard is looking to transition to the digital age with an overhauled website designed to be a one-stop shop for pop music, USA Today reports. Billboard.com now allows all visitors, not just subscribers, to look at its 51-year archive of sales charts, and it has integrated those charts with links to artist information, MP3 downloads, and concert tickets.

The added features come from elsewhere—the artist information from AMG, the streaming and downloadable MP3s from Lala.com, and concert tickets from Ticketmaster. But Billboard hopes the combination of the services with its famous charts will give the site an edge among music listeners. For instance, "you can plug in any date you want and we'll show you all the charts and you'll be able to create a playlist," says Billboard's publisher.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Billboard's logo. (Billboard)

Will.I.Am and Fergie the Black Eyed Peas at a concert in Portugal July 11. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

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We're taking our charts and putting them on steroids. You'll be able to use the chart to discover everything about the artists, their discography and every chart position they've ever had. - Billboard Publisher Howard Appelbaum

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Billboard Shifts Website to Lure Listeners, Buyers