I don't really see a problem with this, people are still paying 99p and receiving a song, it's literally just automating 'Complete My Album'. No different from buying the song then later buying the album (which would have a 99p discount anyway). The song is not free, you're just charged the 99p for it in advance of the album.

I don't really see a problem with this, people are still paying 99p and receiving a song, it's literally just automating 'Complete My Album'. No different from buying the song then later buying the album (which would have a 99p discount anyway). The song is not free, you're just charged the 99p for it in advance of the album.

 

exactly... (you beat me to it) but that's how I understand it too. :D

 

This rule seems fairly clear to me? album pre-orders that the user PAYS for are allowed to chart, so David Bowie would've charted no problem if this were done earlier. Its flawed yes, some reasons that have just been pointed out show that, but I'm all for it, as it shows what people are buying.

 

I don't see what people are confused about?!

Edited February 14, 201312 yr by Chez Wombat

haha and itll be no1 without people actually been able to listen to the song yet!!

 

No it wouldn't? The whole point is that when you pre-order the album, you get the song straight away. You are able to listen to it. :P

 

They need to do something though - otherwise pre-ordering the album effectively counts as one album and one single towards the charts when in truth only the album has been bought.

 

But this is the case for using Complete My Album in general as well and the OCC does not deduct those sales (they do this in the USA and it results in singles from highly popular albums logging negative sales in the album release week).

 

I'm a little bit confused but does this mean freebies and demos are allowed to chart as well

 

I'm not sure what you mean but free songs aren't being made eligible, they're just changing it so pre-orders of albums with an instant grat attached are counted as a sale to said instant grat.

Not sure I totally agree with this, but on the other hand if it does help album sales it's probably worth it

No it wouldn't? The whole point is that when you pre-order the album, you get the song straight away. You are able to listen to it. :P

But this is the case for using Complete My Album in general as well and the OCC does not deduct those sales (they do this in the USA and it results in singles from highly popular albums logging negative sales in the album release week).

I'm not sure what you mean but free songs aren't being made eligible, they're just changing it so pre-orders of albums with an instant grat attached are counted as a sale to said instant grat.

 

Well yes, but theoretically the US are doing the right thing and eliminating the inconsistency. I'm not really sure of a better way to do it.

 

All that is happening is that you are buying the album and getting a track early. That is quite different from buying a single.

Edited February 14, 201312 yr by iain

I think the OCC should maybe subtract sales from "complete my album" then from now on then. It would result in most songs dropping (or leaving the chart altogether) on album release week as opposed to climbing like they usually do atm, but overall it would measure the sales of the song better.

It depends on how iTunes reports 'complete my album' sales to the OCC, which is what this is.

 

If instant grat sales are subtracted from the song total once the album is released, then there's no problem. They manage it in the US, where iTunes has reported negative sales of the instant grat single, so the OCC will get the same data.

 

It depends on how iTunes reports 'complete my album' sales to the OCC, which is what this is.

 

If instant grat sales are subtracted from the song total once the album is released, then there's no problem. They manage it in the US, where iTunes has reported negative sales of the instant grat single, so the OCC will get the same data.

 

Vidcapper's excel spreadsheet AGOG :o

I am also very confused.

 

Could someone explain this rule more briefly for my simple mind?!

I was worried that they were including streaming to the chart! :drama:

 

Me too!.

It's going to have to change as the whole iTunes pre-order albums is likely to become more of the norm as years go by. This week it's just David Bowie. Five months down the line, the same could happen again only with U2, Kings Of Leon and Katy B all putting their albums onto iTunes to pre-order alongside 1 track that people can buy as an individual track. Say Katy B, U2 and Kings Of Leon's pre-order tracks were iTunes top 3 biggest selling tracks for the week, how could the OCC not amend the chart rules to allow them to chart officially? It'd seem daft if the fourth biggest selling single of the week was the official #1 by default.

 

The chances of this ever happening are slim but you just never know how things will change over a long period of time.

 

Well, I didn't think this would happen so soon after I posted the above comment (just over a month ago). :o

Why don't these bands/record companies just release the single as a stand-alone digital single rather than all this added confusion with album pre-orders.

 

It's not like albums are selling that much anyway thesedays, and people are probably gonna just cherry-pick singles/favourite album tracks. :P

Finally! So pleased this has happened as it was madness keeping songs by Madonna,Coldplay etc, from the charts because of this rule

Why don't these bands/record companies just release the single as a stand-alone digital single rather than all this added confusion with album pre-orders.

 

It's not like albums are selling that much anyway thesedays, and people are probably gonna just cherry-pick singles/favourite album tracks. :P

 

After 'Talk That Talk' sold less than 10k to make #1, I think the music industry as a whole is determined to ensure that never happens again.

 

I'd guess this new approach to marketing new albums is just to boost the albums first week sales. An album could end up building up a fair amount of pre-order sales (like David Bowie and Justin Timberlake's new album already have done) which means they'll open with a great first week of sales. It's just how badly will the sales decrease in the second week without all the pre-order sales included. It's a bit artificial but it seems to be the only way to make albums sell at the moment.

 

Thinking about it, the new approach to albums is a bit like singles 12 years ago having endless weeks of airplay before getting released to try and drum as much demand for the song before it went on sale resulting in 100k opening weeks. Of course record companies have now realised they can do this all over again by determining when they release a new single to iTunes.