Beta program launches with preview of upcoming album charts feature

Since its inception, Crownnote has focused on personal charts that have only included songs, drawing inspiration from established charts like the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, the UK's Official Charts, and radio countdowns of popular singles. As music fans have continued to use the site, you have increasingly used Crownnote's chart creation feature to build charts not only with songs, but also with your favorite albums and EPs of the moment. It has been exciting to see how Crownnote users expand the possibilities of the site's capabilities, and has also highlighted the need for new features to help capture some of that excitement in a way that allows for more detailed, specific data reporting.

As such, Crownnote has created an opt-in beta program that any user can join and leave as they would like. This allows you to try out some upcoming features before they're fully rolled out to everyone, getting an early look at what's new and an opportunity to shape the site through your testing and feedback. While some new features and improvements will still likely roll out site-wide, new tools, features, and experiments will be introduced through the beta program.

The first feature that is now available in beta is the long-requested ability to create album charts. These charts look and function almost exactly the same as the song-based charts you're used to creating and reading on Crownnote, but instead of charting songs, you're able to add charts with albums and EPs that are listed on the site. Charted albums receive points based on the same formula used for song charts, though note that your chart history does not yet appear on an album's individual page.

Regardless of whether or not you're in the beta program, you can see a full list of album charts on this page. Further lists and reports will be integrated before the feature is fully released. In addition, once there is enough album-specific activity on Crownnote, an albums-focused version of the Crown 100 will likely accompany it with weekly charts of the top albums and EPs being included on users' charts—so feel free to try out the feature and share your new charts with others!

How to join the beta program

Beta features are available on an opt-in, all-or-nothing basis, meaning that if multiple features are simultaneously being tested, anyone in the beta group will have access to all of them. You can join and leave the beta group at any time.

To access beta features, navigate to your user profile by selecting your username from the toolbar at the top of the page, then select the Edit tab. From there, go to the User Preferences tab, check the box labeled "Access beta features," and save the form. The checkbox includes a description of features currently in beta testing.

If you've joined the beta program and would like to leave it, you may do so at any time by editing your profile and unchecking the "Access beta features" box.

How to provide feedback on beta features

Your feedback is very important and appreciated for any features that are introduced through beta testing! The best way to offer feedback—bug reports, questions, and suggestions are all welcome—is by sending a message through the contact form, which will reach me via email and allow me to follow up with you if needed. Additionally, if you're on social media, feel free to contact me through Twitter, Facebook, the #beta channel in Slack, or (the very neglected!) Instagram.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy trying out new features on Crownnote, beginning with album charts!

The full release of album charts will depend on feedback and some additional development, but I am aiming for them to launch at the beginning of 2023. More features should follow soon, beginning with some experimental Spotify integrations.

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Additionally, I wanted to mention that I've started placing some ads on the site. These are more prominent and frequent for logged-out users than users who are logged in. My aim is for these ads to help offset the rising costs needed to host and maintain the site, while being minimally obtrusive to users. I'd welcome any feedback on ad placements, quality, etc. as well, and thank you for your understanding.