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FAQ

Fun Awesome Questions


Graphs & Data

  • What is Next Big Sound?

    Next Big Sound measures the popularity of bands online. Everyday millions of fans interact with music online and Next Big Sound tracks these interactions. Read on to learn more.

  • How are fans, plays, views, and comments defined?

    Artists add a fan when someone becomes their friend, follower, or fan; a play when a song is listened to or streamed; a view when their page or profile is looked at; and a comment when someone leaves a comment on the page of an artist.

  • How far into the past does Next Big Sound go?

    It depends on the artist and network you're looking at. The start date for data collection can be any date on or after June 6th, 2009, when we first started tracking data. The date a network was added for an artist is displayed below their graph when they're not being compared and it looks like this: Date Added

  • How reliable is this data?

    We're consistently tracking over 700,000 artist profiles across more than 15 networks. Data quality, accuracy, and reliability is our highest priority. If you're curious about the status of Next Big Sound see status.nextbigsound.com.

  • What do the percentage change increases and decreases mean?

    Increase/decrease percentage change is calculated by comparing the current time period to the previous time period. Example: If you're looking at a month of fans data it's compared to the month before.

  • Why is the percentage change negative?

    Next Big Sound graphs show the number added rather than the total number. Having a negative percentage change doesn't usually mean anything was lost, just that less were added than during the previous time period.

  • Is it possible to have a negative number of comments or fans?

    Yes. Comments can show a negative value after a lot of spam comments are removed, or if comments are removed in general. Fans can show a negative value if spam friends are deleted by the network or if the friendship, following, or fan relationship is removed by either the fan or the owner of the page.

  • What causes huge spikes and dips?

    There's a lot of things that can cause spikes and dips. Many time events like album releases and press mentions are the cause. If you see a spike or dip you're not sure about you can report it to us and ask for clarification by clicking the "help" button on the right side of the screen.

  • What causes a graph to flatline to zero or say "no data"?

    When a network is added that doesn't have any historical data and it's compared alongside networks with historical data it shows zero. This is a known limitation of our current graphing package that we're working on a fix.

Artists & Networks

  • What networks are tracked? What's tracked from each?

    Check out a complete guide to the networks Next Big Sound tracks and what's tracked at nextbigsound.com/track.

  • Can I suggest additional networks for Next Big Sound to track?

    Sure thing! Just email feedback@nextbigsound.com with the network name.

  • How are the networks that show up below each graph chosen?

    Not all networks track the same metrics. Example: imagine you're looking at an artist with a Twitter and MySpace profile tracked on Next Big Sound. For twitter their number of followers is tracked. On MySpace their number of Fans, Plays, Views, and Comments are tracked. If you're looking at the fans graph for this artist you'll see the combination of fans from Twitter and MySpace. And if you look at plays you'll only see plays from MySpace since twitter doesn't have plays.

  • Can I see that status of a particular network?

    Check out our status page for any important changes to the networks tracked: status.nextbigsound.com

  • Can I add an artist to be tracked by Next Big Sound?

    Sure thing. All you need is their name and the address of at least one of their pages. Add artists at nextbigsound.com/add. After they're added their graphs will start showing up about three days later.

  • Can I edit the profiles being tracked for an artist?

    Yes. If you're logged in you can edit the profiles for any artist except ones that are verified by other users. Edit a profile by searching for the artist then clicking "edit profiles" below their name midway down the page.

  • Why are certain profiles locked?

    Profiles are locked when we know they're correct. If you see an error with a locked profile please email support@nextbigsound.com. If you're an artist or work with an artist and would like to restrict access to editing profiles please verify your account: nextbigsound.com/verify.

  • How do I remove duplicate entries for a band?

    Email support@nextbigsound.com with the band name and we'll remove it. If the duplicates are both legitimate bands we won't remove either.

  • How come when I try to add a profile it says "Not Found"?

    Not Found shows up when we're not able to find the data we're looking for at the URL entered. This generally happens for specific reasons depending on the network.

    Facebook: Make sure you're trying to track a Fan Page and not a profile page or group. If your band doesn't have a Fan Page you can create one here: facebook.com/pages/create.php

    ReverbNation: ReverbNation has an option to hide your stats from public view and if they're hidden Next Big Sound can't track them. You can change the stats privacy setting when you're logged in to ReverbNation. Click "Control Room" at the top of the page, then click the Profile button, click "Customize" and make sure "Stats" is an active module on the left side. If you needed to switch it, try adding the artist's profile back on NBS afterwards and it should work.

    MySpace: Make sure the page you're trying to track is an artist profile and has a song player on it.

    Last.fm: Make sure the profile you're trying to track is an artist page.

    OurStage: In order to track your profile you need to have at least one fan.

    If "Not Found" comes up for any other networks or you have trouble with the network listed above email support.

  • How do I change the name of an artist if it's incorrect?

    Email support@nextbigsound.com with the currently listed band name on Next Big Sound and the correct band name. We'll change it for you.

  • Can I track my bands .com website?

    Not currently. But email us if you're interested.

  • How do I change my artist's photo?

    We get artist photos from last.fm. If an artist's last.fm profile doesn't have a photo or isn't associated with a Next Big Sound page it won't show a photo or will show our best guess at a photo. You can associate your last.fm account by clicking "edit profiles" on your artist page and adding your last.fm address. After a few days your photo will show up. If you don't have a last.fm profile you can create one at last.fm/uploadmusic

Subscriptions & Emails

  • How do I subscribe to an artist's stats?

    Click the star next to any artist’s name for free weekly email updates on their stats. First search for the artist you want to subscribe to, then click the star next to their name midway down the page below their graph. It should look like this: Subscribe

    Unsubscribe by clicking the star again or going to your settings page.

  • Can I change when and how I get subscription emails?

    Choose between daily and weekly emails on the settings page. Weekly emails are sent every Monday. You can also choose what time of day you would like to receive your emails.

Signing-up & Logging-in

  • How do I reset my password?

    You can reset your password by entering the email you signed up with on this page: nextbigsound.com/login/reset_password

  • How do I activate my account?

    After signing up you should receive an email to activate your account. If you don't receive it check your spam folder. If you still can't find it send an email to support@nextbigsound.com from the email you signed up with and we'll help you active your account.

  • How come the page refreshes when I try to log-in?

    Please make sure you have cookies enabled.

Verification

  • What's a verified account?

    Verified accounts give you early access to new features, exclusive control over your profile URLs, and a verified badge. You can verify your band's account at: nextbigsound.com/verify

  • How long does it take to verify my account?

    It normally takes about a week.

  • How do I edit my profiles after my account is verified?

    Make sure you're logged in and go to the artist's page you want to edit. Choose "edit profiles" below your artist's name, midway down the page. You can also edit profiles from the settings page.

  • Can my profiles change even if my account is verified?

    Normal users can't edit your profiles after you're verified. Occasionally Next Big Sound will update your profiles during our routine checks if we see missing or incorrect profiles.

  • Who can verify an account for an artist?

    Verified accounts are for artists and industry professionals representing artists. It is possible for multiple people to be the verified account holder for a single artist (i.e. the manager, agent, publicist, etc.) so long as they are legitimately connected to the act.