Let's write History!
Every time Stray Kids achieve #1 on Billboard 200, it’s a moment of celebration but for this admin, one of the most anticipated highlights is seeing @billboardskz’s iconic graphic announcing the milestone. These graphics have become synonymous with Stray Kids’ Billboard history, spreading across social media platforms faster than any other announcement. They’re even picked up by smaller news outlets and online platforms, a testament to their impact.
Now, with just a few days left until Stray Kids’ SKZ HOP HIPTAPE ‘合 (HOP)’ release, we eagerly await to see if there will be a 6th addition to this legendary series. We’re hoping it will include a new historic title: "THE FIRST ACT IN HISTORY."
The pressure is on for USA and PR STAYs, but they can’t do it alone; this is a global effort and they need your help. For the first 72 hours, they will work tirelessly, driving all areas of Billboard criteria; making mass digital purchases, streaming across multiple platforms, and even making last-minute trips to Target or Barnes & Noble to clear the shelves of physical albums. All of this is done to break records, celebrate new achievements, and help Stray Kids reach even greater heights.
As iconic as these graphics are, this isn’t just about another image; it’s about solidifying what we already know: Stray Kids are unlike any before them. They’re not just making history in K-pop—they are redefining the narrative of the entire music industry. We are watching history in the making, and STAYs will one day look back with pride, saying, "We were a part of that. We helped make it happen."
To STAYs all around the world, we’ve made the impossible possible before; are you ready to do it again, together!
Let's Go!
USA & PR STAYS
ALL USA & PR STAYS SHOULD BE FOLLOWING THESE BASES, THEY ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE FLOW OF INFORMATION NEEDED FOR BILLBOARD:
All USA & PR STAYS should also have the following websites bookmarked and familiarize yourselves with the information they provide!
https://sites.google.com/view/billboardskz
… https://skzonradio.com (the team at Skzonradio is in the process of redoing their site so bookmark it and check back later)
You can also find information about how to help with Billboard at https://straykidscomebackguide.com/usa-pr-stays
3) DIRECT IMPACT
There are several ways for STAYs to get involved and help!
5) DIGITAL SALES
ISTAYS can donate to help purchase Digitals after release, @skz_usa
is preparing USA & PR STAY volunteers to focus on mass digital purchasing and Downloads and even just $1.30 can make a difference!
You can find their form and donation information HERE!
FOR USA & PR STAYS
AFTER release, Purchase the digital versions of WALKIN ON WATER on:
iTunes | Guide
Qobuz | Guide
7Digital | Guide
Amazon Music | Guide
or through Stray Kids Shop
Once it's available purchase through our official Stationhead Channel run by
@SKZshradio, they will announce as soon as it's available so be sure you are following them!
When purchasing focus on the title track FIRST and if you can, then purchase the other tracks one by one; do not purchase the entire album unless its a platform that does not have individual track sales like Stray Kids Shop!
AFTER purchasing be sure you check your email and download all purchases, your sales will NOT count if you do not download them from your emails.
USA & PR STAYs that need funds for purchasing @skz_usa can help, there is more info in on their site and you can always reach out to them with questions.
7) RADIO AIRPLAY
The final way STAYs can directly impact Billboard Charts is radio play, also known as airplay! Follow @SKZonRadio143, this account is dedicated to helping STAYs request Stray Kids' songs on the radio.
They regularly share updates about open requesting opportunities and provide easy-to-follow guides to make participation simple and effective.
Be sure to engage with their posts to boost visibility within the fandom. Spread the word during comeback to get more STAYs involved.
8) RADIO AIRPLAY CONTINUED
Radio play is a team effort, and every request counts! Supporting @SKZonRadio143 is one of the most impactful ways STAYs can contribute to Stray Kids' success on Billboard charts! You can also find additional information about Radio request on @skz_usa's site.
9) INDIRECT IMPACT
User Engagement on Music Platforms & Social Media Every time you engage with official content posted by Stray Kids' channels during comeback promotions, you’re indirectly contributing to their charting success and overall visibility. Here’s how your engagement can make an impact is Social Media Engagement.
Social media plays a huge role in shaping public perception of a song or artist. Active engagement helps generate buzz, increases visibility, and attracts new listeners.
11) SHAZAM
Why is Shazam important? Shazam is a mobile application that allows users to identify songs, movies, TV shows, and advertisements by capturing a short sample of audio. The app uses audio fingerprinting technology to analyze the sample and match it against a vast database of audio recordings. Once a match is found, Shazam provides information about the identified media, including details such as the title, artist, album, and sometimes lyrics.
For artists, Shazam can be a valuable tool for gaining exposure and potentially influencing music charts. When users Shazam a song, it indicates a high level of interest in that particular track. Shazam collects data on these interactions, including the number of times a song is Shazamed and where it's being Shazamed, which can provide insights into its popularity and audience demographics.
This data can be valuable for artists, record labels, and music industry professionals for several reasons:
• Discovery: Shazam can help artists gain exposure to new audiences who discover their music through the app. If users Shazam a song they hear on the radio, in a store, or in a movie, it can lead to increased visibility and potentially attract new fans.
• Trend Identification: The data collected by Shazam can indicate emerging trends in music consumption. Artists and labels can use this information to identify which songs are gaining traction and adjust their promotional strategies accordingly.
• Chart Performance: Shazam data can influence music charts, as it reflects real-time listener engagement. Many music charts now incorporate Shazam data alongside traditional metrics like sales and radio airplay to determine rankings. A high number of Shazams can contribute to a song's success on these charts.
• Marketing Insights: Shazam provides demographic information about users who Shazam a particular song, including their location and age group. This data can help artists and labels target their marketing efforts more effectively.
• Radio stations use the Shazam count & charts to determine the popularity of a song. It's a big part of deciding whether they want to play it on their station. Radio play is a requirement for Billboard Hot 100. USA radio stations have access to data for both national and worldwide Shazams. Radio stations all over the world consider Shazam data before playing a song, and some even play countdowns of songs from Shazam charts.
Overall, Shazam can be a powerful tool for artists looking to increase their visibility, understand their audience, and potentially improve their performance on music charts.
SHAZAM GUIDE
1) BILLBOARD BASICS
Some quick basic Billboard info to help make sure STAYs are informed about the differences and the criteria and why it's important!
2) IMPACT ON CHARTS
Music charting can be affected either directly or indirectly, depending on how an artist’s success is measured and influenced. Direct impact involves measurable actions like sales and streams, while indirect impact encompasses broader strategies that shape an artist’s overall chart trajectory. Both aspects work together to determine an artist’s position on music charts and all STAYs can help in all these areas!
4) PHYSICAL SALES
ISTAYS can donate to purchase projects that help with Physical Purchases in the USA & PR: You can sponsor physical albums by Sending a DM to @skz_usa
FOR USA & PR STAYS:
PREORDER HOP THROUGH VERIFIED RETAILERS WHOSE SALES ARE COLLECTED BY LUMINATE AND USED TO CALCULATE BILLBOARD CHART RANKINGS!
I do not care what a website says if the retailer is NOT on the list that comes directly from Luminate their sales will not count towards Billboard. The list changes MONTHLY they removed retailers and add new ones every month for various reasons. So while a retailer may say they are a verified retailer they could have easily lost their status and their sales are no longer included.
We provide STAYs with a copy of the list directly from Luminate on our site, it was updated as of Nov 14th 2024.
Please check out SKZ USA's HOP Album project where you can participate in getting Stray Kids their 6th #1 on Billboard.
6) STREAMING
STREAM! STREAM! STREAM! STREAM! STREAM! STREAM! STREAM! STREAM!
ISTAYS your streams are used for Streaming Specific Charts like Spotify or Youtube and they are aggregated for BILLBOARD GLOBAL EXCL. US which is the singles chart based on streams and digital sales globally except USA; remember that 1 track sale = 250 premium streams = 1,125 free streams so be sure you are following proper streaming guidelines so that every stream is counted towards charts!
FOR USA & PR STAYS
Global Streaming platforms that hold the most weight towards BB200 and HOT 100 are:
Spotify | Guide
╰┈➤GET A 90-DAY FREE TRIAL FOR SPOTIFY
YouTube | Guide
Stream the Music Video and any additional content posted by Stray Kids official channels like a dance practice video, a performance video, a visualizers or lyric video ALL OF THESE ARE COUNTED IN THE METRICS FOR CHARTS INCLUDING BILLBOARD engage with all YT shorts posted by Stray Kids Channels using the official sounds, these are also counted towards charts.
YouTube Music | Guide
You can use the official Audios from YT Music in your rotations on Youtube while streaming the Music Video!
╰┈➤GET A FREE TRIAL FOR YOUTUBE AND YOU GET YOUTUBE MUSIC INCLUDED FOR FREE
Apple Music or iTunes | Guide
You can stream through iTunes on your PC, this does count towards Charts as well. ╰┈➤GET A 30-DAY FREE TRIAL FOR APPLE MUSIC
Amazon Music | Guide
╰┈➤GET A 90-DAY FREE TRIAL FOR AMAZON MUSIC
Pandora | Guide
╰┈➤GET A 90-DAY FREE TRIAL FOR PANDORA
DO NOT LOOP ON PANDORA you can use 1 filler in between each focus track but new research that was done at the beginning of the year shows that using 1 filler resulted in less filtering (we found a way to accurately check Pandora streams so we will be checking this next year so please for now just use the other versions of the title track in between to be safe).
DEEZER | Guide
AUDIOMACK | Guide
7Digital | Guide
Tidal | Guide
10) User Engagement on Music Platforms & Social Media
What You Can Do:
• Like, Comment, Retweet, Share, Save: Interact with posts on platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook that use the official Audio posted by Stray Kids channel.
• Post Your Own Stories & Reels using Stray Kids’ official Audios and tag their accounts.
• Trend Hashtags: Participate in trending efforts but focus on meaningful and relevant tags to ensure they reach a wider audience.
• Engage with General Content: Like and Leave positive comments on posts or videos about the comeback to boost them on platforms.
• Engage Actively on all posts from Stray Kids official Accounts: Like, comment, and share the videos to increase engagement.
• Avoid Spam: Avoid repetitive comments or bot-like behavior, as it may affect visibility.
• Engage with Playlists: Like, save, or share public playlists featuring Stray Kids. Don't forget STAYs are Stray Kids’ biggest ambassadors! Your enthusiasm can inspire others to check out their music.
• Share your favorite tracks with friends and family.
• Post recommendations or reactions on your social media.
• Join discussions on forums or platforms like Reddit to share positive takes about the music.
12) FANDOM PROJECTS
Ok onto sharing other projects that need help in order to maximize efforts for Billboard!! First @STAYfyMission
!! They have premium spotify accounts ready and waiting for STAYS to use FOR FREE!!
And we also have @StayConnect4SKZ
they have opened recruitment for streamers as well!
There is no excuse for any stay to not have a premium spotify account to stream with for comeback when we have both teams offering free Spotify accounts, all they need our stays with devices to use them.
