Move Over Soundscan: Music's New Chart Could Measure Illegal Downloads, Too

Unveiled today at the New Music Seminar in New York City, the Ultimate Chart aims to update ancient methods still used to track the popularity of songs and artists. Rather than basing rankings primarily on, for example, physical album and single sales, the Ultimate Chart uses everything from Amazon downloads and Vevo views to Facebook fans and Twitter followers to provide the music industry a chart for the digital age.

"For the first time this is getting beyond but not leaving behind...