Ask CDS: "How Do Plays Get Calculated?"

So I received some questions about how plays (spins) are calculated on this chart. Because this is a personal chart (based on my thoughts), I do not factor in points earned on any other charts (Billboard, other personal charts, worldwide charts, etc.). I do however submit my weekly data to Top Hits Online which measures the most popular songs worldwide based on nearly 400 charts from around the world (personal charts and country related charts). My data helps create a better representation of worldwide listeners on that chart. On my personal chart, I use a few simple tools to help calculate my favorite songs each week. Songs get played by me get 2 points per play and songs that I hear on the radio receive 1 play. The reason that I give 1 point to a song on radio is because I didn't pick the song but I did choose to listen to it when it came on. Additionally, each song has to played at least half way through (on both formats) to receive play credit. This prevents songs that are played on the radio that I don't like from charting on my top 50. I adopted this rule because I believe that it is logical. For example, this summer I really disliked "Holy Grail" by Jay Z and Justin Timberlake (you can read my rant about this song and others here). I briefly heard a few seconds of the song when scrolling through channels and waiting for a song I disliked more (at the time) to finish on another station. If I counted a play every time I was forced to hear that song, it would likely have been my #1 song, which isn't a good representation of my thoughts and tastes.

Recently, I also started a Twitter based voting system for my followers. Dubbed as "Voter's Choice" I allow only my followers (non follower voting doesn't count) to vote for up to two songs a week to be a candidate for getting more points. At the end of the week, the top 3 most voted songs get 1 point for every vote received. While the top 3 are usually pretty close in votes, I have seen a few rare cases in which one song blows the other two out of the park. In this case, that one song would be identified with a large blue stripe running across it on the chart.

If you have more questions please contact me by commenting below (you may be featured in another "Ask CDS") or asking me questions on Twitter.

Also, if you have a chart that you create, I'd love to see it. Just comment your link below. And if anyone has song suggestions I'd love to hear them.

-CDS