Mediabase is a

music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...

service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes

music charts A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include ...

and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and

satellite radio Satellite radio is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s ITU Radio Regulations (RR) as a '' broadcasting-satellite service''. The satellite's signals are broadcast nationwide, across a much wider geographical area than te ...

, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals. Mediabase charts and airplay data are used on many popular radio countdown shows and televised music awards programs. Music charts are published in both domestic and international trade publications and newspapers worldwide. Mediabase is a division of

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

History

Mediabase was founded in 1985 by Nancy and Rich Deitemeyer (a.k.a. Rich Meyer). Originally known as Mediascan, the company changed its name to Mediabase in 1987. Mediabase became the industry's first mass-airplay monitoring company in late 1987. After its inception, Mediabase was purchased by a private equity group based in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, then acquired by

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

-based

Premiere Radio Networks Premiere Networks, Inc. (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American Mass media, media company, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original Radio broadcasting, radio content distribut ...

, Jacor Communications,

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

, and ultimately, Bain Capital. In January 1988, Mediabase began publishing a trade magazine known as ''Monday Morning Replay'', featuring monitored airplay in the top 35 US radio markets. Mediabase then expanded its coverage to 180 US and Canadian markets. In 1992, Mediabase transitioned to delivery by data disk. In 1997, Mediabase moved its product to the Internet. Over the years, Mediabase has supplied data to numerous trade business-to-business (B-to-B) publications including

Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...

, Network Magazine Group, Gavin, Hits, and Friday Morning Quarterback. Mediabase charts appear every Friday (originally every Tuesday until during the 3rd quarter of 2015) in

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

's LIFE section. Mediabase serves as the official music chart provider for USA Today, the

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

, and numerous syndicated programs, such as ''

American Top 40 ''American Top 40'' (abbreviated to ''AT40'') is an internationally radio syndication, syndicated, independent song countdown radio programming, radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, and Ron Jacobs (broadcaster), Ron Jaco ...

'' with

Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American television presenter and producer. Seacrest is the host of '' Wheel of Fortune'', having hosted since replacing long-time host Pat Sajak in September 2024. Seacrest co-hosted and ser ...

Charts and data

Mediabase produces song charts and airplay analyses of radio airplay in more than two dozen radio formats based on the monitoring of more than 1,800 radio stations in the US and Canada. Mediabase also monitors HD formats, video channels, and satellite radio. Published charts are used on popular business-to-business (B-to-B) and consumer websites including AllAccess, Friday Morning Quarterback, Country Aircheck, and

Hits Daily Double Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

. Music and entertainment industry executives gain access to in-depth charts and analyses through B-to-B exclusive access. Mediabase owns and operates Rate the Music, a service that allows consumers to rate music on a scale from 1 to 5 and whether or not they are tired of hearing the song on the radio for the radio and record industries. As of November 2022,

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

started using Mediabase to make calculations for the Radio Songs chart, which is one of the components that is used to determine chart positions in the Hot 100 charts in the United States and Canada.

Use in radio programming

Countdown

Mediabase charts are the source for the following radio countdown programs: *

with

(Top 40 and Hot AC shows) * Bob Kingsley's

Country Top 40 ''Country Top 40 with Fitz'' (sometimes abbreviated as CT40), formerly known as ''Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40'', is an American country music radio countdown show created by former '' American Country Countdown'' host Bob Kingsley, who hosted ...

Bobby Bones Bobby Estell, (born April 2, 1980) known professionally as Bobby Bones, is an American radio and television personality, best known for hosting the nationally syndicated '' The Bobby Bones Show'', originating from the iHeart Studios in Nashvill ...

Country Top 30 * Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton *

American Country Countdown ''American Country Countdown'', also known as ''ACC'', is a weekly internationally syndicated radio program which counts down the top 30 country songs of the previous week, from No. 30 to No. 1, according to the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard ...

with Kix Brooks (from 2009 to 2017) * Crook & Chase Country Countdown * iHeartRadio Countdown with JoJo Wright (Top 40) and

Mario Lopez Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''S ...

(Hot AC) *

Nikki Sixx Nikki Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr.; December 11, 1958) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and radio personality, best known as the co-founder, bassist, primary songwriter, and only constant member of the hea ...

Active Rock and Alternative Radio Countdowns *

SiriusXM Hits 1 ''Sirius XM Hits 1'' is a Contemporary hit radio, Top 40 radio station on Sirius XM Radio channel 2 and Dish Network channels 6002 and 099-02 (099-02 is only for Hopper users). Like most Sirius XM stations, it plays no commercials. The channel wa ...

Weekend Countdown * Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown with Allen Kepler

Other

Mediabase is the primary programming tool for nationally syndicated programs like Open House Party, After Midnite, and Nighttime with Delilah.

Detailed description of data

US Radio

Formats monitored

* Mainstream adult contemporary * Hot adult contemporary *

Mainstream top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

* Rhythmic top 40 * Urban top 40 * Urban adult contemporary * Country *

Alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

Active rock Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...

Mainstream rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...

* Adult alternative * Rhythmic adult contemporary * Adult hits * Dance *

Classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

Smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...

* Christian top 40 * Christian adult contemporary * Classic hits *

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

* Regional Mexican * Spanish contemporary * Tropical * Christmas (seasonal)

Canadian radio

* Top 40 * Hot Adult Contemporary *

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

* Country * Active Rock * Alternative

References

External links

*
USA Today
— weekly charts by format
America's Music Charts
— weekly charts
AllAccess.com
— radio and music industry online community {{iHeartMedia Audience measurement Market research companies of the United States American music websites American record charts American companies established in 1985 IHeartMedia Companies based in San Antonio