SOCAN and global media measurement company Nielsen have extended their partnership –   maintaining Nielsen as the exclusive provider of radio airplay data from more than 500 Canadian radio stations – as the company increases coverage by adding 200 new stations in 137 new markets to its BDSradio product.

The increased monitoring will provide deeper insights into popular Christian music formats for the first time, and include additional Francophone music stations in Canada. The newly-added stations, monitored electronically 24 hours a day, include 14 Christian music ones, and 29 French-language ones.

With Nielsen BDSradio data, SOCAN members can access more detailed reporting across a wide range of platforms, for more accurate and timely data for the distribution of royalties.

“As Canada’s largest rights management organization representing songwriters, composers, and music publishers, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our nearly 160,000 members are compensated for their work,” says SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste. “By extending our relationship with Nielsen Music, and the scope of coverage, we’re reinforcing our commitment to timely and accurate royalty payments in Canada.”

“With coverage of more than 500 stations in Canada, BDSradio now provides airplay for the long tail, including Christian and additional French language stations, to help artists get paid,” said Paul Shaver, Vice President of Entertainment for Nielsen Music. “We’re honoured to continue our 12-plus-year relationship with SOCAN, one of the leading and most respected music rights organizations in the world. Renewing our partnership with SOCAN demonstrates the power of Nielsen Music as the trusted and reliable data source for the music industry.”

In addition to monitoring radio airplay, online streaming, and music consumer behavior, Nielsen compiles data from nearly 40,000 retail outlets globally to determine what albums, singles, and music videos people are consuming, and where they’re consuming them. Nielsen’s data serves as a major source for the Billboard charts, and is widely cited as the standard for music industry measurement.