Are album sales becoming a poor metric of fandom size?

Bulkbuying has increased way too much and most of it has been coming from china where touring is not possible for kpop groups. In my opinion, album sales are not really telling us about the fandom size as well as before. We are just having to assume that groups that get low streams on youtube and spotify are popular in china and korea but then again youtube korea has a good market share in korea so it's really head scratching.

Yes album sales were a good metric but now everyone is. Bulk buying and have digipacks

Albums sales were somewhat credible until this year.

Since Ive Cbars started doing ever label are starting to have those cheap digipacks like SM with aespa to boost their sales.

I agree.

Everyone that hit 1M sales after BP seem inflated to me because the impact isn't there at all.

They have been a terrible metric for fandom and popularity for a long ass time. I believe the only groups matching their sales with streaming are bts, bp and maybe twice

Quote from Broasted Confit of Mammoth (560)

They have been a terrible metric for fandom and popularity for a long ass time. I believe the only groups matching their sales with streaming are bts, bp and maybe twice

Twice definitely,mpeopel forget about their popularity in japan. It isn’t shown in Spotify though

Yes

Newjean is a example for this.

I doubt they have a big fandom, but they already selling a lot. Feel like it just good marketing leading into casual listening buying the album.

Quote from Tenderized Tomatoes & Pork (918)

Yes

Newjean is a example for this.

I doubt they have a big fandom, but they already selling a lot. Feel like it just good marketing leading into casual listening buying the album.

as a fan, I think so too. They just debuted.

Quote from Baked Saffron Rabbit (619)

Yes album sales were a good metric but now everyone is. Bulk buying and have digipacks

Albums sales were somewhat credible until this year.

Since Ive Cbars started doing ever label are starting to have those cheap digipacks like SM with aespa to boost their sales.

What do you mean by "since IVE Cbar"? IVE was not the first group to do digipack. Get outta here with that shit. Jewel cases have been a thing since Blackpink and many boy groups after them have done it.

It’s funny how album sales are only a bad metric and bulk buying when it’s not your group. I never see anyone popping up on threads about their own group’s sales numbers downplaying it - only on other groups.

Quote from Smoked Mustard & Rosemary Rabbit (906)

Twice definitely,mpeopel forget about their popularity in japan. It isn’t shown in Spotify though

twice popularity is shown on youtube especially japan

kpop fans have made sure to taint every metric, so no, there is no real way to be sure. Unless you're BTS where the numbers are overwhelming.