Christian SoundScan is a tracking system designed to reflect consumer intent of purchase for Christian music and video products. Not all sales that occur in retail outlets or at concerts are counted by Christian SoundScan. Only sales that fall within the Christian SoundScan guidelines and policies will be tracked. Please visit our retail page for basic information. In an effort to further clarify any questions or confusion about these policies, this Frequently Asked Questions page was created.

This FAQ page will be updated periodically as the need arises.
FAQ Last Update: 04/27/15

1. How can I set up my store as a Christian SoundScan reporter?
2. How do I create the electronic file necessary for reporting my weekly sales?
3. Where do I send the electronic file and when should I send it?
4. Are there price restrictions for Christian SoundScan tracking when selling product?
5. Are bulk sales counted in Christian SoundScan?
6. How can I report pre-sales to Christian SoundScan?
7. Are give-a-ways tracked in Christian SoundScan?
8. How do I report special event sales?
9. What are CMTA codes and what are they used for?
10. As a reporting store, can I access the Christian SoundScan charts?
11. Are there fees for reporting to Christian SoundScan?
12. Can I report sales that occurred in the past?
13. I have a website from which I sell product. Can I set up my website as a Christian SoundScan reporter?
14. What Point-of-Sale systems are Christian SoundScan compatible?
15. What is an EAN?

1. How can I set up my store as a Christian SoundScan reporter?
   
   • There are criteria that each Christian SoundScan reporting store must meet in order to be considered as a reporter.
     1. Your store will need to carry at least five (5) different Christian artists for sale at all times.
     2. Your store will need to be open to the pubic for at least four (4) days a week.
   • You will need to fill out completely and fax in a Sales Data Agreement for each store you represent. If your store does not have a SAN, please leave that field blank. We can create a CRN (CMTA Reporting Number) for your store.
   • The reporter registration process usually takes 2 weeks. You will be contacted via email (please make sure your email address is on the Sales Data Agreement) when the registration is completed.


2. How do I create the electronic file necessary for reporting my weekly sales?
   
   • Please visit our retail page for information on creating the electronic file necessary for reporting sales to Christian SoundScan.


3. Where do I send the electronic file and when should I send it?
   
   • The deadline for all sales to be reported to Christian SoundScan is 12:00pm Eastern Time on Monday for retail chains and 3:00pm Eastern Time on Monday for independent retailers.
   • Files can either be emailed to soundscan@cmta.biz or sent via FTP to our server. For sending via FTP, please send a written request along with the store account number to soundscan@cmta.biz.


4. Are there price restrictions for Christian SoundScan tracking when selling product?
   
   • Yes. Christian SoundScan does not track any sales for full-length albums or full-length videos that are sold below $3.49 each within the first four weeks of release.


5. Are bulk sales counted in Christian SoundScan?
   
   • No. Bulk sales are not tracked in Christian SoundScan regardless if the purchaser is an individual or a business/organization. A bulk sale is considered a sale in which one customer buys more than four (4) units of the same product.


6. How can I report pre-sales to Christian SoundScan?
   
   • If pre-sales are conducted by a non-traditional reporter (internet, mail order) then the sales need to be reported by the zip code of the customer (not the zip code of the reporter) when the product has been shipped to the customer.
   • We advise that those conducting the pre-sale contact Christian SoundScan in advance to alert them to the campaign and to confirm all reporting guidelines.
   • Pre-sales are considered sales that the customer pays for before the project's street date, but does not receive the product at the time of purchase. If a project is being sold ahead of street date and the customer receives that product when they purchase it, this is considered a regular sale and cannot be reported as a pre-sale.
   • Important Note: Internet retailers must report the pre-sales by the zip code of the customer who purchased the product, not the zip code of the internet retailer.


7. Are give-a-ways tracked in Christian SoundScan?
   
   • No. Give-a-ways are not tracked in Christian SoundScan.


8. How do I report special event sales?
   
   • You will need to include the sales from the special event in your weekly electronic file. Important Note: For brick & mortar stores (physical locations), you may only report special event sales that occur in your market area. Internet retailers will need to report the sales by the zip code in which they occur.
   • Also, an Event Affidavit will need to be filled out and signed by the retailer reporting the sales and the record label involved in the special event. This is the responsibility of the record label to ensure the affidavit is turned in to the CMTA. Please do not fill out or send affidavits without instruction to do so from the artist's record label.


9. What are CMTA codes and what are they used for?
   
   • CMTA codes represent the style or genre of each product tracked in Christian SoundScan. A CMTA code is consisted of a six character code (three pairs of two-character genre codes). The first two-character genre code represents the primary genre for the product. The second two-character code represents the secondary genre for the product. And so forth. Please see the CMTA Standardized Music Categorization Codes for descriptions.


10. As a reporting store, can I access the Christian SoundScan charts?
    
    • Yes, please fill out a Retailer Access Confidentiality Agreement and send to soundscan@cmta.biz.
    • Access for a retailer ID is granted on the weeks the retailer successfully reporters the current week's sales. If we do not receive and process a file from you, you will be unable to access Christian SoundScan. Your ID/password will become reactivated when your store submits a file that is successfully processed.


11. Are there fees for reporting to Christian SoundScan?
    
    • The CMTA does not charge for reporting sales to Christian SoundScan.
    
    
12. Can I report sales that occurred in the past?
    
    • No. Christian SoundScan processes sales for the current processing week only (sales that took place Monday - Sunday prior to reporting Monday). Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis (determined by the CMTA) for technical problems.
    
    
13. I have a website from which I sell product. Can I set up my website as a Christian SoundScan reporter?
    
    • The website must carry at least five (5) different Christian artists for sale at all times.
    • The website must fulfill all orders that are reported through the site. If your website links to another site (i.e. CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, etc.), then your store will not be able to report those sales. They should be reported by the fulfillment company.
    
    
14. What Point-of-Sale systems are Christian SoundScan compatible?
    
    • Currently, there are three P.O.S. systems that include reporting software for Christian SoundScan. If you have one of these systems, please contact them after you have set up a retail account with Christian SoundScan to have them configure your system to report. They are (in alphabetical order):
      
      Booklog
      Bookstore Manager
      IRT/IBID
    
    
15. What is an EAN?
    
    • Please visit www.barcodeisland.com/ean13.phtml for information on EANs.