We've laid out which charts your streams and album purchases count toward, and which votes you can join from overseas.
Every chart and platform runs filters that screen out abnormal streams and purchases, so methods like rotating multiple accounts, VPN workarounds, bots or auto-play can be excluded from counts or lead to account penalties.
The surest way to support is within each service's terms of use: actually listening and buying with your own account.
Chart and voting rules change often, so recheck each official notice right before a comeback.
Rules by chart
Billboard Hot 100 (US singles)
What counts
Paid song downloads in the US
Official streaming in the US (paid subscriptions and ad-supported; paid streams weigh more)
US radio audience
What doesn't count
Plays and purchases outside the US
YouTube data (including YouTube Music and Shorts) after January 16, 2026 — YouTube stopped providing data to the US Billboard charts over a weighting dispute
Streams filtered out by the platform as abnormal
Streams by international fans outside the US count toward the Global 200, not the Hot 100. Also note that from 2026, YouTube views no longer count toward US Billboard charts.
Billboard 200 (US albums)
What counts
Physical albums (CD, vinyl, etc.) and digital albums sold in the US — based on retailers tracked by Luminate
Track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA)
From the chart dated January 17, 2026, the streaming conversion changed: 1,000 paid or 2,500 ad-supported streams = 1 album (previously 1,250 / 3,750)
Physical items from the official web store (D2C) count when actually shipped
What doesn't count
Imports without official US release or distribution rights
YouTube plays after January 16, 2026
Bundles sold with merch or tickets with the price hidden
Sales below the minimum price (per Luminate: $7.99 for CDs/digital albums, $15.99 for vinyl)
From April 2025, only up to four "digital exclusive versions" per album (deluxe included) count, and official-store digital albums count only when actually downloaded (redeemed)
Albums shipped internationally from Korea mostly don't count on Billboard. For US fans, the safest choice is official US-distributed editions or products marked as counting toward Billboard.
Billboard Global 200 / Global Excl. US
What counts
Official streaming in 200+ countries and regions (paid and ad-supported audio and video services)
Song downloads from major digital retailers (tracked by Luminate)
Global Excl. US is the same chart with US data removed
What doesn't count
Physical album sales (both are song charts)
Radio airplay
Unofficially uploaded videos and plays
These are the two Billboard charts that count official streams and downloads by fans outside the US. It hasn't been officially confirmed whether YouTube's halt in data provision also applies to the global charts, so use audio services like Spotify and Apple Music as well.
Spotify Charts
What counts
Plays on Spotify recognized as eligible for the charts
Daily and weekly charts by country, global and by city (weekly runs Friday–Thursday, UTC)
What doesn't count
Plays filtered out by the integrity formula — which is why chart play counts can be lower than the numbers in the app or Spotify for Artists
Spotify doesn't disclose its chart filtering criteria but states that 'not every stream counts toward the charts.' Listening to the whole album as usual is safer than looping a single song.
YouTube Charts / music video views
What counts
Daily and weekly charts for 61 countries and regions
Top Songs: combined views of the official MV, user videos using the official audio, and lyric videos
Top Music Videos: official music video views only
Top Songs on Shorts: number of Shorts using the song
From August 24, 2026, a view is counted the moment playback starts (Shorts, regular videos and live alike)
What doesn't count
Views from paid ads (excluded from charts)
Low-quality plays, such as running the same video on multiple devices, tabs or windows at once
Content that violates YouTube policies
Views may be temporarily frozen or adjusted during spam checks. Rather than opening multiple windows, watching normally on one device is what actually leaves views that count.
Circle Chart (Korea)
What counts
Digital chart: streaming and download usage on Korea's major music services
Album chart: based on distributor shipments (monthly and yearly charts are adjusted for returns, etc.)
Retail album chart: final sales at retail stores, published separately for domestic and overseas
Global K-pop Chart: uses data partnerships with YouTube (2020), TikTok and Spotify (2021), Apple Music (2022) and others
What doesn't count
Overseas streams are covered by global K-pop charts, not Korean domestic digital charts
Music shows often use Circle Chart for the digital and album data in their scores. Official purchases by overseas fans are also counted as shipments or overseas sales, so use official retailers.
Hanteo Chart (Korea, real-time sales)
What counts
Real-time sales from partner record stores worldwide (online and offline) certified as "Hanteo Family"
Includes both domestic stores and overseas partner stores — e.g., Ktown4u global store, Music Korea English/Japanese stores, Synnara global store, Tower Records Japan
Chodong: sales in the first 7 days after release
What doesn't count
Sales at non-Hanteo Family retailers
Figures double-reported due to retailer server errors, etc. (corrected after verification)
Before buying, check that the store appears in the Family search on the Hanteo Chart website. In August 2026 a server error at one store greatly inflated first-week sales before they were corrected, so treat real-time numbers as reference only until finalized.
Melon (Korea)
What counts
Streaming by Melon users in Korea — since the August 2021 revamp, TOP100 combines 'last 24 hours cumulative' and 'last 1 hour' usage 50:50, and counts one account's plays of the same song only once per hour (check Melon notices for later changes)
The "Global-K Chart," launched in June 2026, combines data from Melon, Tencent Music (China) and LINE MUSIC (Japan) with fan activity metrics
What doesn't count
Repeat plays of the same song by the same ID within 1 hour (counted only once)
Plays Melon judges to be abusive (manipulation)
The Melon app is effectively a service for users in Korea who have verified with a Korean phone number. Overseas fans can view the Global-K chart on the mobile web, but using a VPN to get around Korean service restrictions may violate the terms of service, so use the official services in your own country.
Oricon (Japan)
What counts
CD sales within Japan (record stores, electronics chains, convenience stores, online shops, etc.)
Combined ranking: CD sales + downloads + streaming converted to points and added up
Streaming services counted (as of April 2025): Apple Music, Amazon Music, AWA, au Music, KKBOX, Spotify, YouTube, LINE MUSIC, Rakuten Music
Weekly tracking runs Monday–Sunday
What doesn't count
Sales and streams from outside Japan
To support Japanese releases (Japanese singles and albums), CDs bought at stores in Japan and streams on Japanese accounts count. Korean editions bought in Japan may be counted by Hanteo instead of Oricon (e.g., Tower Records), so choose according to your goal.
UK Official Charts (UK)
What counts
Physical and download sales from about 8,000 reporting retailers in the UK
Audio streaming (singles since 2014, albums since 2015)
Video streaming (singles since 2018, albums since 2023)
Weekly tracking runs Friday–Thursday
What doesn't count
Sales and streams from outside the UK
Sales below the minimum price
For UK fans, official streams on UK accounts and purchases from UK retailers count. Albums bought abroad don't count on the UK chart.
Ad
How fans cheer by country
Normal listening on paid subscription accounts on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc. (paid plays weigh more than ad-supported ones)
Buy albums as official US releases or products explicitly marked as counting toward Billboard
From 2026, YouTube views no longer count toward the US Billboard charts, so think of them as counting for YouTube's own charts
Key services: Spotify · Apple Music · Amazon Music · iTunes · YouTube
Buy Japanese-release CDs at stores or online shops in Japan (counted by Oricon)
Streaming on Oricon-tracked services such as LINE MUSIC, Spotify and Apple Music
For Korean editions, use Hanteo Family stores like Tower Records (counts on Hanteo)
Buying song and album downloads (counted in Oricon's combined ranking)
Key services: LINE MUSIC · Spotify · Apple Music · Amazon Music · AWA · YouTube
In the UK, streams on UK accounts and purchases from UK retailers count toward the Official Charts
Each European country follows its own official chart rules, so just listen normally on an account from your country of residence
Spotify and Apple Music plays also count toward Billboard's global chart (Global Excl. US)
Buy Korean albums from Hanteo partner retailers like Ktown4u or Weverse Shop
Key services: Spotify · Apple Music · Amazon Music · Deezer · YouTube
Stream on official services like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube (counts toward Billboard's global charts and Spotify country charts)
Many charts weigh paid-subscription plays more than free-account plays
Albums bought from Hanteo-partnered stores that ship overseas count toward Korean charts
Vote for music shows and awards through apps confirmed to accept overseas participation (Mnet Plus, IDOLCHAMP, etc.)
Key services: Spotify · YouTube · Apple Music · Deezer · Amazon Music
Stream on official services like Spotify and YouTube (counts toward country-level Spotify and YouTube charts and Billboard's global charts)
Hanteo Family includes partner retailers such as Shopee Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Singapore—check the list before buying
Ktown4u's Thailand and Indonesia branches are also registered in the Hanteo Family
For music show pre-voting, use apps confirmed to allow global participation
Key services: Spotify · YouTube · Apple Music
After registering as a foreign resident, sign up for Melon, Genie, FLO, Bugs or VIBE with a phone in your own name — counts toward the domestic music data used for music show digital scores
Buy at offline record stores or Hanteo Family retailers such as YES24 and Aladin
Apply for music show pre-recordings and audience spots through each agency's notices (Weverse, etc.)
Melon TOP100 counts plays of the same song from one account only once per hour, so listening evenly across the whole album works better than looping one track
M Countdown global pre-voting & live voting · MAMA AWARDS Fans' Choice
Open to fans abroad
M Countdown's score includes a 'global fan vote', and MAMA runs its voting and livestream on Mnet Plus, a 'global K-pop content platform.' The 2025 MAMA Fans' Choice was 90% Mnet Plus + 10% X hashtags. The 2026 MAMA Awards take place November 20–21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka.
IDOLCHAMP (아이돌챔프)
Show Champion pre-voting · Seoul Music Awards (35th, 2026) fan voting
Open to fans abroad
Handles the voting portion (10%) of the Show Champion score, with pre-voting open Friday to Monday. It's said to have users in about 230 countries and regions, and overseas fans can vote too.
FANCAST (팬캐스트)
KBS Music Bank pre-vote (the 10% viewer-preference part of the K-Chart) · Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA) voting
Open to fans abroad
Music Bank has no live voting; only pre-voting on the app counts toward the score. The app describes itself as 'a global fan platform anyone can join.'
Mubeat (뮤빗)
MBC Show! Music Core global pre-vote
Open to fans abroad
Show! Music Core runs a domestic viewer committee vote and a separate MUBEAT global vote. MUBEAT is a platform for global K-pop fans, so overseas fans can take part.
LiNC (링크)
SBS Inkigayo pre-voting (5%)
Since October 2024 it handles the 5% pre-vote portion of the Inkigayo score. We could not confirm from official sources whether overseas users can take part.
Higher (하이어)
SBS Inkigayo live real-time voting (5%)
Open to fans abroad
Real-time votes during the broadcast count toward picking the No. 1. The app describes itself as 'a global fandom platform any K-pop fan in the world can join.'
BIGC (BIGC CHOICE)
SBS Life The Show pre-voting (No. 1 nominees, fan-pick cam)
Open to fans abroad
As of July 2026 reports, The Show airs on SBS Life and takes pre-votes through the BIGC app; overseas fans were said to be able to take part. Since it used the Starplanet app in 2025, check the latest notice before a comeback.
Melon (멜론 앱·웹)
Melon Music Awards (MMA) category voting
MMA2025 category voting was held on the Melon app and website for Melon users, and signing up for Melon is itself difficult from abroad. MMA 2026 is reported to take place over two days, November 14–15, at Gocheok Sky Dome, with winners chosen by charts 60%, experts 20% and global fan votes 20%.
Berriz (베리즈)
MMA2025 "Berriz Global Fans' Choice"
Open to fans abroad
A global fan category introduced at MMA2025 that combined overseas fan votes with expert judging. Whether 2026 uses the same method has not yet been officially confirmed.
PRIZM (프리즘)
40th Golden Disc Awards (January 2026) Popularity Award voting
Voting for the Popularity Award at the 40th Golden Disc Awards was run exclusively on the PRIZM app. The live broadcast offered subtitles in six languages, but we couldn't confirm from official sources whether overseas users could vote.
Hanteo, Circle, Billboard (only products marked as counting toward Billboard)
According to official guidance, online and offline album sales are reflected in the Hanteo and Circle charts, while only items bearing the Billboard mark count for Billboard. Branches in China, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia are also registered as Hanteo Family stores.
International shipping (Global Store); separate US-only store
Hanteo
Weverse Shop is registered with Hanteo Family. According to fan guides, Global Store sales count toward Korean charts and Weverse Shop USA sales toward Billboard, but we couldn't confirm this in official wording, so check the notice on the product page.
YES24's main store and several offline branches are registered as Hanteo Family retailers. Whether global-site orders count toward Hanteo needs to be checked separately.
Tower Records stores and its online shop are registered in the Hanteo Family, so Korean editions bought there count on Hanteo. CDs released in Japan count toward Oricon.
The Billboard 200 counts sales of officially distributed US albums at US retailers tracked by Luminate. K-pop limited editions such as big-box-store exclusives sell well in the US, but imports brought in from Korea are not eligible.
Platform albums and other tracking
Weverse Albums (위버스 앨범)
Hanteo · Circle
A platform album delivered through an app with music and content instead of a CD. The app description states that "Weverse Albums sales are 100% counted on Hanteo Chart and Circle Chart."
번개장터 중고 거래 데이터
Hanteo Trend Chart
From July 2026, Hanteo Chart's "Trend Chart" includes K-pop trading data from Bunjang Global. It is a separate trend indicator, not sales (first-week or album charts).
