This is something I've thought about a couple of times recently so I thought I'd see what you guys either what will or think should happen in the future. With streams making up ever more of the "chart sales", would Official Charts ever take the monumental step of converting to "chart streams" instead as streams probably approach close to 100% of the market share in several years time.

 

So instead of a stream being worth a bonus 0.01 of a sale (or whatever it is), we'd flip it round so that streams would be the primary measure and each extra sale is worth a bonus 100 streams. So, plucking some figures out of the air, we wouldn't be saying Justin Bieber is going to #1 with 100,000 sales equivalent, but he's going to #1 with 5 million streams equivalent.

 

Not sure it would ever happen as it'd just be too much of a change, but would anyone like that to happen? (If you can grasp what I'm trying to get at)

I don't know why they didn't just call them "chart units" from the outset.

 

What you say might happen one day.. but I think sales would have to be on the floor.

Edited December 2, 20159 yr by AcerBen

TBH nobody aside from chart fans cares - The average person who listens to a chart run down is I'm sure indifferent to what format got a song to #1 or what the overall name of the chart is.

Yeh that's true my girlfriend argued with me that such and such was no1 because she heard it on the big top 40 and I had to explain that not official figures lol

Yes, and I've heard people describing the iTunes Top 10 as the official chart - so, basically this is irrelevant (for most people).

 

I'd prefer 'points' personally.

The way it is is fine for now, streaming should increase its % as it becomes more influential!

TSTM that only the first 100 streams of a track by any one person should count towards the chart.

 

e.g. once you've downloaded a single, that used to end your influence on it's chart run, but with streams you can't keep boosting a song endlessly without actually increasing the number of people who like it.

 

In effect, it allows 'how much a person likes a song', rather than 'how *many* people like it', to dominate, which IMO is not what the charts are supposed to reflect. :unsure:

 

If I were to buy a CD single (assuming I still could :rolleyes: ), and play it 10 times, I doubt anyone would argue that it should count as 10 sales to the chart - but that seems to be the logic used to justify unlimited streaming. Yes, I know their are daily limits on how many streams from each person can count, but that count gets reset every day, so it's something of a toothless restriction.

the logic is that streaming keep generating revenue, that's why it keeps counting, not cos it wants to reflect what people like

the logic is that streaming keep generating revenue, that's why it keeps counting, not cos it wants to reflect what people like

 

But streaming would still generate the same revenue however it was tallied for charts purposes...

the logic is that streaming keep generating revenue, that's why it keeps counting, not cos it wants to reflect what people like

But revenue has never before been the key issue. Sales of 12" singles didn't count more than sales of 7" singles. When CD singles were cheaper in their first week, they counted the same as sales at full price.

I know, and disagree with it, but I think that's the rationale they use for counting streams even months after the first time you listened, cos it continues generating $$$

The trouble with the people on here is they think the Official Chart is created for them. IT'S NOT!!!!

It's created for the Record Industry - a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes... Sorry slipping into Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy mode for a minute there... However it is they who decided how the chart is compiled what goes into it and what come out of it. Nobody else. They certainly don't listen to any chart fans.

Who wanted the chart moved to Friday? The record companies, because they didn't want to stop records losing out on two days of record sales. Or records entering at the top spot. If they want 100% streams, or a sales chart that is dominated by streams they will do it. They won't ask the public about it. In fact they even convince people that people are not buying records anymore much, by just hiding a few hundred thousand sales under the carpet.

Edited December 3, 20159 yr by Graham A

How would we integrate these new units into all time sales charts?

I don't know why they didn't just call them "chart units" from the outset.

 

What you say might happen one day.. but I think sales would have to be on the floor.

 

That was my immediate thought, to have a new umbrella term as "units" without amending how they're counted seems like an easier solution to the debate.

 

I have a hard time accepting streams being called "sales" too when they're not, but it's just a terminology thing.

stop streaming altogether as being part of the chart.......

stop streaming altogether as being part of the chart.......

 

Because your favourite artist doesn't benefit from it? :kink: (srsly though this is an entirely different argument)

 

I don't see a need to switch the way chart sales are measured, it seems perfectly fine as it is right now really. Good for comparison purposes too.