In response to industry feedback, Billboard is revising the policy regarding ticket/album bundles. Going forward, such sales will count only toward chart sums on those occasions when the consumer has a choice of whether the album will be included with the ticket transaction. SoundScan has agreed to track such sales accordingly.

The new policy states that customers “must be given an option to either add the CD to the ticket purchase or forgo the CD for a reduced ticket-only price,” with the CD price “comparable to reasonable and customary retail pricing.”

A complete copy of the revised ticket/album policy is available from either SoundScan (contact Chris Muratore, chris@soundscan.com) or Billboard (contact research@billboard.com).

Prince’s album is grandfathered from the new policy. Thus, CDs sold with his tickets will continue to count toward the album’s chart performance. Billboard chart editor Geoff Mayfield said it would be unfair to “change horses in the middle of the stream,” but other artists who may have been eyeing Prince’s strategy might be impeded.

“Musicology,” now No. 16 on the Billboard 200, has sold 633,000 copies since its April 20 release, with about 25% coming from the ticket/album bundles.

Credit: Billboard/MTV