How ratings work
Every member’s vote counts equally. Your latest rating for a track replaces your previous one.
Two ways to look at the votes
The raw average is the sum of the ratings divided by the number of votes. Select a track’s displayed score to see this average and its actual vote count.
The adjusted score is what we display and use when sorting by rating. It moderates the effect of small samples, so a single enthusiastic vote does not automatically outrank a track with many consistently high ratings.
A fixed starting point
Scoring version 1 balances the real votes with five prior votes at a fixed baseline of 6.458055634831366, calculated from the effective public Music and Talk votes when this version was introduced.
adjusted score = (sum of ratings + baseline × 5) / (vote count + 5)
For example, one vote of 10 has a raw average of 10.00 and an adjusted score of 7.0. As more people vote, the adjusted score moves closer to the raw average.
The prior is only part of the calculation—not five extra members. We always show the actual vote count, and an unrated track has no score. The baseline stays fixed, so votes on other tracks cannot silently change this track’s score.
Votes are not a popularity playlist
Ratings do not influence automatic rotation. A higher score does not make a track play more often.
There are no staff or comment bonuses, age decay or consensus penalties. An individual member’s rating is never adjusted.