The argument is why should we have to wait when no other country does. It is typical rip off Britain.

This is such an exception though, it's two massive artists where the hype behind the track was nothing to do with the song itself. The first couple of weeks of its run it was selling on name alone, then since then it's been on merit and, for the last couple of weeks, on the video as well. 99% of songs won't build and hold up like LTWYL, they'll just make the charts duller and duller.

 

Well that was just a recent example, 'Poker Face' is another good example, she was a relatively small name but when the album came out she still managed Top 15 on iTunes when the album was put on. It can happen and does happen quite often.

 

Not that many? As proved by the fact that it's looking to shift well over 100k this week. If it wants to sell on merit it'll hold up just fine, as "California Gurls" and "Pass Out" have done.

 

Well perhaps it's not that many, but he could have been heading for 120k as opposed to 100k this week had it been released earlier. It OBVIOUSLY lost a few thousand sales when that charity version was on so it's deffinitely lost some.

 

I find it odd how peoples' main argument against held back releases is that they can't access the track straight after they heard it. Utter crap, if you're that desparate I don't think Taio Cruz will care if you downloaded "Dynamite" illegally weeks ago, he's still making a fortune off it and getting his #1.

 

Unfortunately he has actually fairly recently taken to his Twitter slating people who illegally download his/other music.

 

No artist wants their music 'stolen' but I can't help but think it's their fault. In the US singles can sell up to 4million copies quite easily. Whereas album's (which usually go online illegally 2 weeks before release) rarely match those kind of sales. But that's a completely different topic.

I hate when artists bitch about illegal downloading, alot of them are very selfish. Many artists give fans away free songs on their websites in order to promote their albums or give away free albums at tours. If you think your sales are being reduced due to illegal downloading then think of ways to work around it instead of crying like a bitch on Twitter.

Albums going online a couple of weeks before the album's released can be a good thing though. It's a great way of advertising, and Love the Way You Lie would not have got to #2 on iTunes a few days after the album's release if it wasn't leaked.

 

Other songs like Poker Face, Airplanes and Ridin' Solo would not have charted really early if they weren't on the Internet for all us UK people to listen to.

The alternative is to wait.

that's not really an alternative. You are FORCED to wait, so I wouldn't call this alternative.

 

A lot of people (including me) wants to download or get the song as soon as possible. But if you MUST wait a couple of weeks to get it legally, maybe you get bored of the song before you can download it, so in the end you won't pay for it.

In fact there are those "fake" versions of newer songs that are available you can download legally and that's also a loss of the real artist in the nd.

 

Time goes on, and we are not anymore in the times where you had to wait for the cassette or later for the CD to be released. At that time (80s, 90s) you could get songs illegally too actually, You could record the songs from the radios.

In fact there were shows (at least in Hungary), where you could record the song in full without cutting the start of the end of the song. ;)

I think each artist/label should decide for themselves and release whenever they want to, it's their right to do so.

What a brilliant idea. I think the UK Charts have been far too constructed. I hate how other countries get new singles before us. On the other hand, there's always going to be a say that only mainstream chart acts will benefit from it. I just think a trial should happen. It will make at least the chart a bit more interesting and just see how it goes.

Edited August 24, 201014 yr by Tactical™

This is a really interesting issue.

I'm genuinely torn in support of both opposing arguements.

This is a really interesting issue.

I'm genuinely torn in support of both opposing arguements.

Same. Hopefully the OCC will make the right decision, obv. sales will be higher if this goes through...

I agree, there's pros and cons from both sides. It would be good, as sales would in general be higher, and songs would chart earlier (We No Speak Americano would've charted top 40 2 months before it was released, seriously), but the charts would just be sooooooo boring if it happened. :( All the popular songs would be having chart runs like Love the Way You Lie, and people like Robyn, Lemar, Kelly Rowland, etc. would've never gone top 10.

I think it'd be more organic if they were released same time as radio.

 

iTunes & the record companies definately lose sales from holding off for 6 weeks.

I can love love love a track, get it on my iPod illegally then by the time it's released I'm bored of it & sometimes don't buy it cos i never want to listen to it again.

 

I really don't think it's a given that it would lead to stagnation in the charts.

 

Radio 1 once stated that once a record was available to download, they'd consider removing it from their playlists, so you can hardly blame record companies for wanting to wait until a track has had a few weeks on the A-List before releasing it.

 

 

I really don't think it's a given that it would lead to stagnation in the charts.

 

Yeah, we can't be certain that that would be the case, but if you look the charts in other countries, it does seem to be a possibility.

Radio 1 once stated that once a record was available to download, they'd consider removing it from their playlists, so you can hardly blame record companies for wanting to wait until a track has had a few weeks on the A-List before releasing it.

 

But surely Radio 1 will do not this if the OCC agrees with the proposal but I do agree with your point the whole airplay system will be subjected to change.