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How O.B.S.C.O.R.E. Works
A visual guide to understanding band obscurity scoring
Score Distribution
OBScore ranges from 0 (most popular) to 100 (most obscure)
0-5
Superstars (50M+ listeners)0-5 OBScore
5-30
Major Artists (20M-50M listeners)5-30 OBScore
30-50
Popular Artists (1M-20M listeners)30-50 OBScore
50-70
Established (100K-1M listeners)50-70 OBScore
70-90
Emerging (10K-100K listeners)70-90 OBScore
80-90
Underground (1K-10K listeners)80-90 OBScore
90-100
Very Underground (<1K listeners)90-100 OBScore
Monthly Listeners (Primary Factor)
The number of monthly Spotify listeners is the primary determinant of obscurity:
- • 50M+: Score 1-5 (Superstars) - No platform bonus
- • 20M-50M: Score 5-30 (Major Artists) - Reduced platform bonus
- • 1M-20M: Score 30-50 (Popular) - Reduced platform bonus
- • 100K-1M: Score 50-70 (Established) - Full platform bonus
- • 10K-100K: Score 70-90 (Emerging) - Full platform bonus
- • 1K-10K: Score 80-90 (Underground) - Full platform bonus
- • <1K listeners: Score 90-100 (Very Underground) - Full platform bonus
Wikipedia Presence
Having a Wikipedia article affects scoring:
- • No Wikipedia: Adds 2-20 points depending on tier
- • Has Wikipedia: Score based on article length
- • Longer articles = more well-known = lower obscurity score
- • Wikipedia verification ensures the article is actually about the band
Platform Presence Impact
Being on major platforms reduces obscurity (makes you less obscure). Bonuses vary by tier:
Established & Below (Full Bonus)
Spotify
-10 pts
Apple Music
-8 pts
YouTube
-8 pts
Bandcamp
-5 pts
Popular & Major Artists (Reduced Bonus)
Spotify
-5 to -6 pts
Apple Music
-3 to -5 pts
YouTube
-3 to -5 pts
Bandcamp
-2 to -3 pts
Superstars (50M+ listeners)
No platform bonus - already at the top!
Note: Platform links are verified to ensure they actually belong to the band
Search Results (Fallback)
When listener data isn't available, search result count is used:
<1,000 results
Score: 99
Very obscure
1,000-100K results
Score: 75-99
Obscure to known
100K+ results
Score: 70-75
Well known
Example Score Calculations
Superstar Example (Beyoncé)
• 56M monthly listeners → Base score: 5.0
• Has Wikipedia → No penalty
• Superstars don't get platform bonus (already at top)
Final Score: ~5.0 (Very Popular)
Established Example (262K listeners)
• 262K monthly listeners → Base score: ~70
• Has Wikipedia → No penalty
• On Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Bandcamp → -31 points
Final Score: ~35-40 (Moderately Obscure)
Underground Example (5K listeners)
• 5K monthly listeners → Base score: ~90
• No Wikipedia → +20 points (max 99)
• Only on Bandcamp → -5 points
Final Score: ~90-100 (Very Obscure)