BDSradio subscribers were notified early this morning that the service will shut down on November 1 with all subscribers transferred to the iHeartMedia owned RCS’ Mediabase.
The MRC and Penske Media owned Luminate (formerly MRC Data and P-MRC), which has operated BDSradio since it acquired it Nielsen’s music data business in late 2019, states that “Effective November 1, 2022, Mediabase’s radio tracking data will fuel Luminate’s reporting on radio’s music activity in the U.S. and Canada and BDSradio will be retired.”
The note continues, “As a current BDSradio customer, your account will be moved to MediaBase. A MediaBase rep will be contacting you to give you access to the complete MediaBase Radio Play dataset via their platform for the remainder of your BDSradio contract. Additionally, you will also have access to Metro Streaming/Airplay in Luminate Music Connect where you can continue to compare airplay and streaming data side by side.”
The public FAQ sheet for the deal notes that it is not a merger of the two brands, but “a partnership to provide mutual clients with the best data and product offerings possible”. It does not provide information on whether stations which are monitored by BDSradio, but not Mediabase will be added noting that the stations should reach out to Mediabase for information.
Luminate states that it will continue to integrate radio airplay into its broader music consumption offerings with details on specific products and features in the near future. It also notes that the Billboard charts will continue to utilize different panels than Mediabase’s charts, however there may be an adjustment period within Billboard based on the stations that are currently monitored.