While French rappers regularly dominate the charts in France thanks to sales figures recorded on streaming platforms, as proven by the record certifications of Jul and Ninho’s gold singles, the SNEP is making a significant change in the counting of streams, likely to further benefit French rap.
The best-selling music rankings are changing!
Indeed, after having reduced the number of sales per listening a few years ago (in 2018), the National Union of Phonographic Edition (SNEP) partially reverses its decision and once again adjusts its method of counting streams. This modification specifically concerns the accumulation of “free” streams (freemium, or streaming financed by advertising): from July 1, 2024, 7 free streams will now be equivalent to 1 paid stream.
This measure should have a significant positive impact on album and single sales in France, particularly for rap artists. By aligning with the practices of other European countries in counting streams on streaming platforms, the SNEP aims to more accurately reflect the real popularity of artists and musical genres.
This change should therefore favor artists who generate a large number of free listens on streaming platforms, which is particularly the case for rappers in France.
In summary, the increase in the value of free streams should stimulate music sales in France, particularly for rap, a very popular musical genre on streaming platforms.
