You asked for it, and we listened. Beginning next week when we roll out our new software, services and devices, your listening badges will be permanent. Plus, we've redesigned the icons, and I have to say, they're really cool!
When we first launched the badge concept, we decided they'd be earned based on a rolling 28-day cycle - which meant that if your listening habits changed, you'd lose some badges and earn others. The idea was that the badges could serve as a snapshot of your recent listening activity.
And while when we explained that to listeners, you understood, you also told us you'd prefer to see permanent statistics.
So next week, you'll see a big difference in the badges you have. All the old ones will disappear and be replaced with new ones (if you're eligible). Because the badges now stick around, we increased the playcounts you'll need to reach to earn them - now 200 plays for a Bronze Album Power Listener or Bronze Artist Power Listener, 1000 plays for a Silver Album or Artist Power Listener, and 5000 for Gold.
As for showcasing your current activity, we will still show your recent plays on the new site, in the software, and in your Zune card; we'll also note in your "recent activity" feed when you've earned a new badge so you can show off to all your friends.
Finally, we're re-introducing our Forums Contributor badge; we found in our 2.5 release that the post count and ratings were too hard to attain, so we made it easier, and we're introducing one new badge: Reviewer, for people who write great reviews of albums or helpful comments about artists. Let us know what you think, and what we should do next!