Latest Site News

[AcerBen]

https://twitter.com/Popjustice/status/877932033766440960

Record Of The Day Magazine say it's coming next month. Will wait to see full details before judging!

Inside the Official Chart Company's Singles Chart revamp
by Mark Sutherland
June 26th 2017 at 11:37AM

The Official Charts Company has unveiled a huge revamp of the Singles Chart aimed at speeding up the Top 40 and boosting opportunities for labels to break new artists.

Following controversy over all 16 tracks from Ed Sheeran’s ÷ album charting in the Top 20, and multiple chart entries by the likes of Drake and Stormzy, there will now be a cap on the number of tracks by an artist that can feature in the Top 100.

Only the three most popular tracks by a lead artist will now be eligible for the chart, although songs on which a star is a featured artist will not count towards that total.

Meanwhile, after a record has racked up at least 10 weeks on the chart, any track which has declined for three consecutive weeks will see its streams:sales ratio change from 150:1 to 300:1, in an attempt to accelerate their disappearance from the chart.

“This is all about supporting new music,” Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot told Music Week.

“We’re making sure the chart continues to be a place that reflects the consumption of new records in a fast-changing world.”

Talbot said that Official Charts research showed the changes would mean “potentially 10% more hits will be generated on an annual basis”.

The measures have been approved – after much debate over the detail – by major and independent record labels, retailers, digital music services and BBC Radio 1, which broadcasts the new chart every Friday.

“This is not a chart for album tracks; we want to remain the Official Singles Chart, for singles,” said Talbot. “We’re not removing singles from the chart.

The ratio change is designed to help unblock the top end of the charts from records that are well beyond their peak.

They’re prohibiting new records from getting exposure. It’s tougher than ever for new music and developing artists to break through, and this is us doing our bit.”

The changes will kick in this Friday (June 30), with the first chart under the new rules published on July 7.

Streaming now regularly accounts for over 85% of singles ‘sales’, a change that has seen the number of Top 40 hits decline by 40% between 2013 and 2016.

“This is about injecting energy back into the chart,” said Talbot, “While at the same time not taking away what it’s always been: a reflection of the consumers’ love for music.”

The OCC have now updated the Chart Rules on their website- including a couple of things we didn't know before (in red)

5.0 Exclusions

5.1 Exclusion By Request

i) A UK rights owner/licensee may request the Official Charts Company to exclude a record from the Charts where the record is not generally available from the owner’s normal distributor (for example - deleted titles, or pre-release transactions caused by distribution leaks). The Official Charts Company may at its absolute discretion exclude a record from the Chart in such circumstances. A record that otherwise meets all eligibility criteria will not be excluded from the charts.

ii) A UK rights owner/licensee may elect to exclude the third bestselling single by an artist and replace it with their fourth bestselling track if the third bestselling track is outside of the Top 20 chart positions. Tracks excluded in this way cannot become chart eligible again for a period of six months.

iii) In exceptional circumstances, a UK rights owner/licensee may elect to exclude the second bestselling single by an artist and replace it with their fourth bestselling track if the second bestselling track is outside of the Top 20 chart positions on the Accelerated Chart Ratio. Tracks excluded in this way cannot become chart eligible again for a period of six months.

6.0 Accelerated Decline

6.1 Streaming Ratio

New releases will have a streaming to sales ratio of 150:1 (or as otherwise amended by the CSC) applied for the combining of chart eligible transactions. This ratio will be known as Standard Chart Ratio (SCR)

After 3 consecutive weeks of decline a stream to sale ratio of 300:1 (or as otherwise amended by the CSC) can be applied. This is also known as Accelerated Chart Ratio (ACR)

Decline is defined as negative week on week variance of combined sales and streams AND negative variance lower than the market rate of change week on week

6.2 Exceptions

Accelerated Chart Ratio cannot be applied to any product with fewer than 9 weeks on chart (ie. ACR can only be applied in its 10th week on the Top 100 chart, at the earliest).

6.3 Resets

i) Automatic Reset – a track on ACR can automatically return to SCR if its combined sales and stream total increases by 50% greater than the market change week on week.

ii) Manual Reset – In exceptional circumstances, where a track is being scheduled for promotion, a label may elect to manually reset a track to SCR. This manual reset is limited to two tracks per artist album, only where the track in question is outside the Top 100 and subject to one week’s notice being given from the releasing label that they wish to implement a manual reset. Manual reset shall be strictly subject to Official Charts and CSC approval.