How to stream correctly - A guide for MV streaming on YouTube.
ARMY, assemble!
With another comeback date right around the corner, shall we tighten up our muscles and get ready for a long march? After breaking major records with their latest tour, BTS is going to have their biggest comeback ever. With that being said, ARMY Magazine is here to guide you in properly streaming and buying BTS’ songs and albums. In trying to make it as detailed and compact as possible, we’ll guide you through the most popular streaming platforms: Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. Check them out!
General Guidelines
Buying songs separately (especially the title track) on multiple platforms is highly recommended as it helps BTS secure their position on the charts. With goals for Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, you can buy from Amazon Music, iTunes, Tidal, and BTS US Store. Avoid bulk buying, as there is usually a purchase limit or it will count as one purchase only. With streaming, some platforms considered for charts are Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music, Google Play, Pandora, Deezer, and Tidal. Please note that streams from paid subscription platforms count more than free accounts. Don’t have the money? @fundsforbangtan on Twitter organizes donations for you to buy BTS’ songs.
Your stream won’t count as a unique listener if you put the song on loop (it’ll only get counted once). Instead, create a new playlist, add the song as many times as you like, BUT also add other songs from other albums (members’ mixtapes, B-sides, even non-BTS songs) and update the playlist periodically. If not, it will appear as a bot. Also, avoid muting the streaming platforms and your devices. Don’t worry, you can plug in earphones if you’re planning to stream the whole day! Last but not least, try to spread BTS’ messages and music. Request the song on your local radio, share the links on social media, and recommend the song to your family, friends, and even co-workers. It’s always time to become an ARMY.
Apple Music (iTunes)
Please note that you need to buy the album AND each song separately, if possible, on the iTunes Store. You can purchase on different iTunes accounts, but make sure to use one device PER account. After securing your purchase, don’t forget to delete the song from the Library before streaming it on Apple Music. Only songs played from a paid or free trial Apple Music subscription are counted (there should be a plus sign (+) next to the song when you stream). It’s encouraged to create a playlist. Adding a photo and description is optional, but recommended to attract more people.
Not an iOS user but want to buy and stream from iTunes and Apple Music? Worry not, you can download iTunes on your computer and Apple Music is available on Play Store!
Spotify
Spotify is one of the largest, globally well-known music streaming services. Though streaming from a premium account is highly suggested, you can still stream from a free account.
Tips for streaming on Spotify:
Create your own playlist or listen from a big, curated playlist (e.g Global Top 50). If you stream from your own playlist, add songs that are not listed under BTS (if you prefer to listen only to BTS, you can add songs produced by individual members) to avoid bot-like behavior.
Premium users can interact with the app by pausing or skipping songs.
Offline streams are counted as valid streams.
If you already stream with paid accounts on other platforms, you can stream with a free account on Spotify.
YouTube
As one of the biggest video streaming platforms, YouTube has its own trending list which will help BTS reach bigger audiences. Streams from YouTube also count for the Billboard charts, so let’s learn how to do it right:
ALWAYS sign in to an account before streaming, otherwise your view will not be counted.
Search for the preferred song in the search bar. By manually searching the song, you will appear as a unique listener!
Play the entire music video at normal speed, with at least 480P quality and 50% volume. Avoid pausing and fast-forwarding the video.
Do not reload the page, use multiple tabs or incognito mode to stream the MV, or delete your watch history. Watch 2-3 other videos in between (official videos provided by Big Hit such as official lyrics, dance practice, and Bangtan Bomb videos are considered for Billboard charts). If streaming on multiple devices, please use different accounts.
Unlike other streaming platforms, it’s best not to stream with playlists for the first 24 hours of the release.
Don’t forget to leave nice, relevant comments.
Comeback season is always exciting, so please make sure to have fun while streaming and buying BTS’ songs and albums. Don’t stress yourself, stay focused, and let’s bring BTS to the top together! ARMY, 보라해~
Written by: Avi
Edited by: Dae
Design by: Urvashi
ARMY Magazine does not own any of the photos/videos shared in our blog. No copyright infringement intended.