Direct Event Sales Reporting
Direct reporting is only available for labels and distributors with representation on the CMTA Board of Directors. Artists, managers, agents or promoters are not allowed to report scans directly. They must go through the record label or distributor.

Types of Events
All events reported through this new option must be Christian in nature. This includes: concerts, conferences and festivals that take place within the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Cruise ship sales are not allowed to be reported as event sales to the CMTA. Any non-Christian events need to be reported to Nielsen SoundScan.

Verification Process

• An Event Affidavit signed by the label representative and venue representative (someone employed by the venue, not affliated with the artist) on-site before the scans can be counted. The venue representative's phone number and work email address must be listed on the affidavit. Email addresses must be connected to the venue web domain (example: rep@musicvenue.com). Personal email addresses will not be accepted.
• The affidavit must be filled out completely. If information is missing, the affidavit may be rejected. Venue attendance can only be estimated at festivals or non-ticketed events open to the public. All of events need to have the exact number of attendees who have purchased tickets.
• If the venue representative is not available during the venue sales verification period to validate questionable scans or other issues such as attendance, then the scans may not be counted. The venue sales verification period occurs the Thursday, Friday and Monday immediately after the sales are reported.
• For festivals and tours in which there may not be an official venue, please contact the CMTA for instructions on reporting prior to the event.

Event Sales Reporting Week

• Reporting week is Thursday through Wednesday. The deadline is the Thursday following the reporting week. For example, if the event occurs between Thursday 9/24/09 and Wednesday 9/30/09, you will report the sales on Thursday 10/1/09. Exceptions will only be granted on a case by case basis.
• Events that span multiple reporting weeks will need to be divided by sales that occur in its respective reporting week. An affidavit will be required for each reporting week the event spans with only the sales for that reporting week listed.

Bulk Sales
Sales to companies, businesses and/or churches that purchase product cannot be reported to SoundScan. Bulk sales (5 or more units of one title purchased by one client) by companies, businesses, churches and/or individuals also cannot be reported to SoundScan. All Christian SoundScan policies apply to venue sales being reported to Christian SoundScan.

Pre-Sales at Events
Pre-sales are sales in which the customer pays for the product, but does not receive the product until a later date. If the customer buys product prior to street date and walks away with the product in hand, the sales have to be reported in the reporting week in which the event took place. The following procedures must be followed to report pre-sales from events:

• Pre-sales can only be counted if they are sold within four (4) months of the release date.
• A list of names and addresses with zip codes and quantity purchased for each customer is required for all pre-sales at events.
• The electronic data file (see below) must include the zip code of the customer, not the venue, when pre-sales at events are being reported.

Electronic Data File
The Electronic Data File is a file that is used to process the scans electronically by computer. The data file must be in a plain text document such as Notepad or Text-Edit. No files in Word, Excel, PDF or other formats will be accepted. Only submit one data file per reporting week that includes all of the sales from the events during that reporting week for all of your artists on your record label. The instructions for creating the data file are as follows:

• The format for reporting venue sales must include the full 12 or 13 digit UPC along with the zip code of the event (with the exception of pre-sales) in order to be processed.
• Each line will start with the characters "53".
• The full 12-digit UPC will follow on the same line. If you have a 13-digit UPC to report, all of the scans in that file must be converted to a 13-digit format. Add a zero to the beginning of all 12-digit UPCs to convert.
• A space (press space bar once) will follow the UPC on the same line.
• The 5-digit zip code will follow the space.
• The letter "S" will follow the zip code.
• Each record needs to be listed separately on its own line even if there are multiple sales of the same unit from the same zip code. If there were 50 units sold without any returns, then 50 lines should be listed. 8. Each album counts as one unit sold regardless of the number of discs included in the album. A double disc set cannot be reported as two units sold.
• Here are some examples of the format for 10 units sold at multiple events:
  
  53000724080083 37203S
  53000724080083 37203S
  53000724080083 37013S
  53000724080083 37013S
  53724080000083 35810S
  53724080000083 35810S
  53080083000724 37127S
  53080083000724 37127S
  53083000724080 90210S
  53083000724080 90210S
  
  
• Send the data file to soundscan@cmta.com the same time you send in the affidavits for the week. Affidavits can be scanned into a PDF format and attached to the same email or can be faxed to 615-254-9755. Only one submission per week, please.

If you have any additional questions, please email the CMTA.