The Internet changed the music industry forever, so it only makes sense that it would also change how listening habits are measured.
Thursday, Twitter and music magazine Billboard said they will launch Billboard Twitter Real-Time Charts, which will track music conversations occurring on the social network to measure the popularity of music in real time.
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The goal is to get a snapshot view of what music fans are really interested in at any given time, said John Amato, co-president of the entertainment group of Guggenheim Media (which owns Billboard).
Both companies hope the service helps listeners discover new music, becoming a "be-all end-all" for music conversations, Amato said.
The chart will reflect the top tracks being discussed at any given time on Twitter, and also track the most shared songs. It will exist on Billboard.com and will be shared several times a week through Billboard's own Twitter account @billboard.
The chart will roll out in the next eight weeks, Amato said, and will have one sponsor to begin with. Billboard and Twitter also see potential business opportunities down the road for branding and data analystics, Amato said.