Posted March 31, 201015 yr Weekly X-Factor Finalists Recordings To Be Released On Downloads musicweek.com 01 Apr 2010 Music Week understands that with effect from the final 12 live performance stage of 2010's 7th series of The X-Factor, a deal has been struck between Syco, ITV, Sony and iTunes for recordings to be available to buy from midnight on Sunday morning of all Saturday evening finalists performances, on both music and video formats exclusively via iTunes and itv.com's X-Factor website, which will be chart eligible for the following week's charts. It is not yet clear whether these weekly single releases will be the actual live recordings, or studio recordings made earlier in the week. Last December, after the end of the 6th series which saw Joe McElderry victorious, it was reported that X Factor supremo Simon Cowell was threatening to axe the popular ITV show unless the channel increased its budget by £3m. Hence, this deal has been struck to increase revenue streams for all parties concerned. HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo warned "The last series of X-Factor was watched by a weekly average of 12 million people. When you consider E4's Glee is watched by just over 1 million people each week, yet tracks from that show regularly sell enough quantities to comfortably enter the Top 200, with the most popular songs reach the top 40. Then you don't need to be a mathematician to work out if X-Factor performances sell ten times those amounts, then the X-Factor is going to have a major impact on the UK Top 20 for the last three months of the year, with a strong possibility that some of these performances could even reach the top spot on certain weeks." The long time close friend of Simon Cowell, former pop star Sinitta said "I think this is a wonderful idea. People who watch the show should be able to legally download the performances of their favourites to their iPhones, or download the track to their iPods. Whilst the contestants get the opportunity of making the charts as well and being played on the Top 40." Radio 1's Chart show host Reggie Yates said about this idea "Why not. The charts should be all about what is popular at the time, and you can't get much more popular than the X-Factor. So I'd have no problems playing these tracks on the chart countdown. Besides they can't be any worse than all those Glee Cast records." However, this news has also led to concern within the music industry. Last December, Jon Morter, who started a successful Facebook group with his wife Tracy to get Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name to Christmas number one at the expense of Joe McElderry's cover of the Miley Cyrus song The Climb (and is already considering planning an attempt to get the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale Of New York to Christmas number one in memory of the 10th anniversary of Kirsty's tragic death in December 2000) said "If this turns out to be true, then we will give serious consideration to setting up a Facebook group to find an alternative song each week, to take on the dominance of Simon Cowell's TV juggernaut. I'm sure we wont be short of of support from real music fans." Current Editor of NME, Krissi Murison adds "Simon Cowell has spoilt the charts for far too long with his bad karaoke musical pap. It is about time someone put a stop to it once and for all. You can be certain that if this actually takes place, the NME and its readership will be doing all it can to support an alternative campaign supporting real artists making original music." UK Music sales in 2009 (including music video) ended the year down 0.6% by volume for a total of 154.8 million units, and down 0.8% by value to £1.31 billion – the best result for the sector for five years, in terms of limiting decline thanks to booming download sales. It was also impressive considering the demise of Woolworths and Zavvi at the beginning of 2009. Whatever reservations about the merit of the music, surely any incentives to increase record sales should be applauded. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've heard rumours about this happenning before, but I've just heard this on the Radio 5 Live bulletin. Just when you think Simon Cowell can't get any lower, he only goes and does. :angry:
March 31, 201015 yr LOL. I wouldn't worry too much. American Idol do the same thing, but they don't dominate iTunes half as much as people think... Well... I'm not sure actually. Are we really that different and they'd be successful? I'm happy either way. :lol: If only they did this for 2008! I'd be loving Diana's performances even more :wub:
March 31, 201015 yr Your kidding, right? :unsure: It's April Fools Day so you must be fooling around, right :( Edited March 31, 201015 yr by Tacticz
March 31, 201015 yr why not? whats the problem? the charts are crap anyway! if people wanna buy them - let them!
March 31, 201015 yr Hahaha yeah I've just realised it is an April Fool's. They wouldn't've been able to get so many quotes from ppl like Reggie Yates and the RATM Facebook guy before the story leaked somewhere. Still - I'm actually surprised they HAVEN'T done this yet. It's easy money. They've been doing it for American Idol for years - although they're only sold via the official website, which doesn't count towards the chart. Edited March 31, 201015 yr by Danny
March 31, 201015 yr I believed it for about a second, and was really angry, but suddenly thought "Wait...what day is it today?" :D Very very nicely written, though!
March 31, 201015 yr why not? whats the problem? the charts are crap anyway! if people wanna buy them - let them! X Factor alreadys occupies the chart with their covers and the originals start getting downloaded again. I'm sure no one wants an X Factor live performance too?
March 31, 201015 yr Okay... so it's an April Fool... but seriously why the hell *aren't* they doing that? I'd have started doing that two years ago if I was them!
March 31, 201015 yr LOL. I wouldn't worry too much. American Idol do the same thing, but they don't dominate iTunes half as much as people think... Well... I'm not sure actually. Are we really that different and they'd be successful? I'm happy either way. :lol: If only they did this for 2008! I'd be loving Diana's performances even more :wub: In the US, AI performance downloads are not disclosed by Nielsen Soundscan and therefore never chart on the Hot 100. Only until the finale are the performances eligible to chart. Edited March 31, 201015 yr by West
March 31, 201015 yr X Factor alreadys occupies the chart with their covers and the originals start getting downloaded again. I'm sure no one wants an X Factor live performance too?Well if these were already available, surely it'd stop the originals from getting as much effect as they usually would? :unsure: Yes it'd put popularity back into the original, but the performers version (unless it was an amazing version of the song) would do better.
April 1, 201015 yr LOL. I wouldn't worry too much. American Idol do the same thing, but they don't dominate iTunes half as much as people think... I think thats where Airplay, Streaming etc. comes into play. Without it, i see the chart at the end of the year being DEAD ZONE.
April 1, 201015 yr So the charts for 4 months are literally going to be X Factor-dominated. As if they're not enough already... I like X Factor but I think this is taking it a bit too far. The winner could (potentially) have 10 #1 singles before they've even won :\
April 1, 201015 yr Reading this sent me into a rage (excuse the pun), it had BETTER be an April Fools joke!! Either way that's some serious wind-up!
Create an account or sign in to comment