Everything you need to know about 2019 singles chart rule changes

 

by Andre Paine

 

The Official Charts Company has unveiled another modification to the singles chart calculations.

 

From the first chart week of 2019, only streaming data will be used to determine when ACR (Accelerated Chart Ratio) kicks in for an older track. Previously, ACR was also based on download sales but that has now been taken out of the equation.

 

It follows various OCC rule changes to enable the singles chart to evolve in the streaming era, including tracking video consumption, the definition of a million sales and the Ed Sheeran-inspired introduction of ACR and a three-track artist limit.

 

ACR penalises older tracks in decline and allows new hits to come through. George Ezra's smash Shotgun is currently outside the Top 30 as a result of ACR.

 

The refined ACR rules could now result in fewer iTunes sale offers on existing chart tracks, which has previously boosted the performance of flagging hits. While downloads remain a component of OCC singles sales (around 5%), the move is likely to lead to a further decline in the market for downloads.

 

There has been speculation that Apple is set to shutter its iTunes store to focus on the Apple Music subscription service.

 

ACR takes effect after more than nine weeks on the chart and three consecutive weeks of decline below the market streaming rate of change. The standard chart ratio to calculate chart ‘sales’ remains 100:1 for premium and 600:1 for ad-funded services. ACR is set at 200:1 (premium) and 1200:1 (ad-funded).

 

from musicweek.com

so it'll be a lot harder for labels to actively avoid ACR then. I can definitely see why the OCC have done this.

 

I suppose it means songs like Lost Without You and Girls Like You would have been on ACR earlier which evens out the chart playing field (as most songs will hit ACR around the same time), so it sounds like a good idea (for now anyway).

 

(lol at them using Shotgun being outside the top 30 as an example when it's about to return to the top 10...)

i did not understand a single word

can anyone do a example?

I just knew something was afoot coming from OCC on the back of the Xmas tracks slaughter, but not this early :drama:

 

It makes sense to drop the ACR rule on downloads when sales are low, as Streaming sales is the biggest factor, in the end its going to end up as a streaming singles chart in the not too distant future.

 

But the report does sound a bit cagey in places, is it me or am I missing something.

i did not understand a single word

can anyone do a example?

basically, if a track declines in streaming figures for 3 consecutive weeks it goes to ACR, regardless of whether its chart sales (which include downloads/streaming figures) increase or decrease.

 

I just knew something was afoot coming from OCC on the back of the Xmas tracks slaughter, but not this early :drama:

this has nothing to do with the 'Xmas slaughter', at this stage the rules on Xmas tracks are the exact same (though I'm sure they will announce a new rule for them sometime this year)

i did not understand a single word

can anyone do a example?

If I've got it correct basically, a song on ACR is allowed back on SCR if they reach a 50% increase in "chart points/sales". But nowwww, no matter the sales boost, if that song doesn't increase on streaming then it's staying on ACR, unless streams have improved 50%? (No matter how big the sales for that track increases?)

 

I hope I've understood it correct. If not, I'm just as clueless lmao.

 

Edit: basically what dan just said, but it's from the get go and not just when a song is on ACR already lol

occ helping zara top 10 chances further *.*

basically, if a track declines in streaming figures for 3 consecutive weeks it goes to ACR, regardless of whether its chart sales (which include downloads/streaming figures) increase or decrease.

 

aha... now that makes more sense, I geddit now. I take it the 10 week rule does not apply no more

 

this has nothing to do with the 'Xmas slaughter', at this stage the rules on Xmas tracks are the exact same (though I'm sure they will announce a new rule for them sometime this year)

 

I see that now, it just took me a while for the article to sink in

1) this just feels like further needles chart manipulation.

2) I can’t see how this will affect Christmas songs. Unless I’m missing something.

aha... now that makes more sense, I geddit now. I take it the 10 week rule does not apply no more

No, ACR still only kicks in on week 10 at the earliest (provided the song was released within the past 3 years)

This won't really change much, it's just preventing labels from gaming the system by slashing the price of downloads on the weeks ACR would hit their songs (which usually didn't work anyway). Makes sense to me. Not exactly the most pressing issue but ~

No, ACR still only kicks in on week 10 at the earliest (provided the song was released within the past 3 years)

 

I understand completely now, it just took me a while for it all to register, and the last paragraph just hit home with me.

Labels will have to find other ways

Sure they will

Basically no matter what you do on itunes sales etc. Doesnt really count for anything, if ypur not a hit on streaming your not gonna be a hit ever

So this modification means label can't do the tricks to avoid ACR by putting tracks on 59p right?

Basically no matter what you do on itunes sales etc. Doesnt really count for anything, if ypur not a hit on streaming your not gonna be a hit ever

But this wouldn't have affected LadBaby, who got to #1 pretty much just on sales.

So this modification means label can't do the tricks to avoid ACR by putting tracks on 59p right?

Yes

labels will learn new tricks, do payola on week 10 and move up the song on HH and sure you'll climb on Spotify

Basically no matter what you do on itunes sales etc. Doesnt really count for anything, if ypur not a hit on streaming your not gonna be a hit ever

 

Sales-based hits wouldn't be affected so much by this by the nature of them being sales-based hits (so going to ACR doesn't affect them as much, because they don't have as many streaming equivalent sales to lose in the first place).

This is definitely a logical change. If ACR only affects streaming points, it should only be affected by streaming trajectory. I only wish that wasn't often so unnatural in its own way. If a song gets a major playlist add/removal in the middle of the week, it's pretty much locked into gains/losses for 2 consecutive weeks as that takes effect. Even without that though, ACR will always be a dumpster fire :coffee: