Looking at the charts of recent weeks, it's been brilliant that tracks are selling in their bucketloads on the way to number 1 in 7 days since "Get Lucky". As we know every track since it to hit the top has shifted 100,000 units a week. The first week sales take into account the preorder sales as well though. Seeing Avicii hit the top 10 on pre-orders alone makes me think that when it hit the top on nearly 300,000 sales, it wasn't a true weekly figure. I'm well aware that pre orders have happened in music for decades but it only seems to be recent weeks that preorders have happened for single tracks on itunes. Is it really fair for tracks, and to a certain extent, albums, to be preordered if it then means people and chart organisations then report these mammoth first-week sales?

 

Please discuss...

Wow the chart forum never ceases to amaze me.

 

People still find ways to complain about big sales. The mind well and truly boggles.

He actually raises a good point. And no they aren't really fair in a time where a lot of songs are released on-air-on-sale.

Surely sales are sales? It's not like someone will buy something twice really - plus if you preorder then you are likely to buy in the first week anyway.

Surely sales are sales? It's not like someone will buy something twice really - plus if you preorder then you are likely to buy in the first week anyway.

 

Sales are sales yes, but a weekly figure could sometimes actually include 6 weeks worth of pent up sales via pre-orders.

Sales are sales yes, but a weekly figure could sometimes actually include 6 weeks worth of pent up sales via pre-orders.

But in the old days of CDs, those people would've bought the single in the first week anyway. I really don't see the issue!

Anyone who cared enough to pre-order would surely have got it in the first week anyway? Besides, they don't actually get the song until the week it comes out (and in most cases they don't pay for it until then anyway) so technically they have bought it on the first week!

Better this then the 2004-05 days of songs selling 20k at the top and the charts becoming almost a complete irrelevance.

 

Get Lucky/Blurred Lines/Wake Me Up etc are songs genuinely popular and representative of the music-buying public, whereas those like Elvis Presley's 'One Night' or U2's 'Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own' may have been enjoyed by fans of the acts/bands in question but had little outside appeal.

but it only seems to be recent weeks that preorders have happened for single tracks on itunes

 

It makes no difference? Surely it's better... Pre-orders for an EP of a single have been around for ages and worked fine; the single pre-order means you can pre-order for 99p not £1.49-£2.49 making it a good way to cut down on piracy AND boost the sales in the music market simultaneously, I think it's good idea.

Personally, I can't understand why you would ever pre-order a single- I mean with physical product you can kind of understand because there is a fear that with limited stock it may run out or whatever. But downloads are unlimited, so why bother?

 

Without this becoming yet another 'on-air/on-sale' rant, I will just say that 1st week sales are irrelevant - it is total sales that mean most.

With the exception of Rooney's starting response, some good feedback. Thanks. It was just a just something I thought as I walked back in from a smoke earlier and I didn't think it was such a bad thing to suggest that it warranted the first comment but anyhow some people like a whine don't they? :-)

I'm well aware that pre orders have happened in music for decades but it only seems to be recent weeks that preorders have happened for single tracks on itunes.

Not true.

 

There's always been pre-order singles tracks & EPs on iTunes.

 

Pre-order singles EPs have always appeared on the iTunes Albums chart.

 

And iTunes have been ranking pre-order singles tracks on the iTunes Top 1500 Songs since last year.

 

It only looks like a recent phenomenon to you. :lol:

 

 

 

It's a great topic to have preorders have basically replaced the OA/OS idea for labels that won't follow it but I think OA/OS is better as I wouldn't order a preorder download its pointless people who care less than me would Prob be driven to illegally dload & before anyone says these people would illegally dload anyway I don't buy that arguemennt!

I'd rather pre-order a song and know I'm getting a genuine copy of something I like then a copy of it downloaded off a site littered with viruses that could harm my laptop.

 

 

Personally, I can't understand why you would ever pre-order a single- I mean with physical product you can kind of understand because there is a fear that with limited stock it may run out or whatever. But downloads are unlimited, so why bother?

 

Maybe in case they forget?

Anything that keeps the charts alive and relevant is fine by me - Also big sales equal media coverage which gets people talking about the charts.

 

Record companies have always found ways to get big first week sales such as record signings, multi formats, exclusive content etc, and download pre-orders is just another variation of that.

I think it's a brilliant idea, because it might stop people from downloading the "fakes" and getting them to chart (stopping genuine, original songs from entering). I do see Doctor Blind's point about it being more relevant/made more sense with a physical copy than it does in the download age, but with the amount of "fakes" that get downloaded and take sales away from the real artists, I think it prevents them from going any further and is a smart move by record companies, to put the pre-order up for download as soon as the song premieres.

it only seems to be recent weeks that preorders have happened for single tracks on itunes.

 

They only started appearing in the iTunes feed last year, but they were around ages before, just that they didn't show up on the chart. Some songs from 2012 and before might've had enough pre-orders to go top 10 on iTunes like Avicii's song did if iTunes had included them in the feed back then.

But preorders dont stop the fakes selling just look at Icona Pop, Avicci & currently theres a fake version of Sonnentanz beside the preorder in the top 100. If a song was actually available and popular enough it would rise into the top 10 (for instance Burn would have been top 10 last week and Trampoline would have been top 10 after its first airing in the first week of July. Alot of people probabaly see its ONLY available to preorder and dont preorder it and leave it and who knows what they do - most likely get it by other means!

If people are always complaining about fakes and pre-orders, imagine what the reaction would have been like when imports were allowed into the chart back in the day!