BTW I don't get this hatred against downloads. You download the songs you want, burn it on a CD and you have a physical copy of it :D

 

I agree - as a Scot, I'm always trying to find a bargain, and finding a song for 79p is obviously preferable than paying something like £4 for the single release for that same song.

 

Also, remember 2000 in the charts? We had 43 Number 1s. Last year - the first with downloads given equal rating - we had 17. It wouldn't surprise me if we had a repeat of 2000 in terms of No1s if it was physical only.

Edited January 31, 200817 yr by DitzyNizzy

Downloads have been good for the charts making them interesting again after 11 years of boring charts from mid-95 to 2006

And yet you think the charts aren't boring nowadays with about 6-7 new entries to the top 40 being typical and 40%+ of the songs regularly being months old.

 

Whilst I can't argue that downloads aren't a good thing, they clearly are, they've made the charts so dull and lifeless. I've always followed them with a passion but now it's just a quick look at the utterly boring and predictable top 40 each week...

And yet you think the charts aren't boring nowadays with about 6-7 new entries to the top 40 being typical and 40%+ of the songs regularly being months old.

 

Whilst I can't argue that downloads aren't a good thing, they clearly are, they've made the charts so dull and lifeless. I've always followed them with a passion but now it's just a quick look at the utterly boring and predictable top 40 each week...

TBH I don't think downloads are responsible for the slowdown of the chart. The lack of new releases, lack of promo, lack of good chartshows in the Music channels are all responsible for this.

 

I don't know how is it exactly in the UK but here in Hungary we have 2 music channels: MTV Hungary and VIVA. Both have incredible dull programmes. Music videos only throughout the night and in the early hours. In the afternoon you only see reality shows, dating shows, gossips. I know that MTV Europe, German VIVA and MTV Germany are all the same. I don't even watch music channels anymore. The variety of songs they play is also very slim.

 

Why should the charts have more variety if music channels don't play music videos?

Of course it's downloads. When it was only physcials the pysichal would only be widely available for about 6-10 weeks. Maybe more if it was a huge song. Now it doesn't matter whether I buy the latest new release now or in three months. It'll still have exactly the same availability.

Of course it's downloads. When it was only physcials the pysichal would only be widely available for about 6-10 weeks. Maybe more if it was a huge song. Now it doesn't matter whether I buy the latest new release now or in three months. It'll still have exactly the same availability.

So the chart is not as manipulated as before? :D

downloads are truely boring - I only download if I want to find like 1 song - and dont want to buy album

 

i like cds - cos you can see what you have and if your a massive fan of them - you can add it to your collection

So the chart is not as manipulated as before? :D

I wouldn't say 'manipulated' was really the right word. It wouldn't ever make sense to stock hundreds and hundreds of CD singles.

I hate illegal downloads. Ive grew up with legal downloads though of course, not really known physical singles dominating although i brought 3 this year, would be higher if i could of actually find some of my favourite songs and wouldn't have to travel 20 miles to the nearest city.

Edited January 31, 200817 yr by Harve

I prefer downloads, music-wise. But I couldn't download a TV show or film from iTunes. In that sense I would want a physical copy. And now that iTunes are lowering prices, I going to buy more :w00t:

I believe downloads would make the chart, more exciting if the download was available only from the same day, as the physical release. I don`t like the chart being cluttered by old material. So, if an "old" recording becomes popular years later...such as Mariah Carey last December, then it should also be made available, as a physical single.

 

It is very apparent that many titles in the chart, lose there physical availability...such as at the moment, try to find a physical version of any of these, in single form...Rockstar - Nickelback, Relax-Take it Easy - Mika, She`s So Lovely - SFG, Goodbye Mr A - Hoosiers, Hey There Delilah - PWT`s, Umbrella - Rihanna, Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner, Gimme More - Britney Spears, With Every Heartbeat - Robyn, Hate That I Love You - Rihanna...these are all still in the top 40, but it is increasingly difficult, (why would you want to anyway, because they are months old) to get physical copies today. So, they should either be topped up by more supplys, or thrown out of the chart, to make way for newer hits, that may appear further down the top 200. As those titles are from albums (in the album chart anyway), then they have lost the appeal of the original single (when it was available). At the rate of this moment the download chart, will soon be exactly the same as the combined singles chart.

Edited January 31, 200817 yr by trevs

I like downloads. Make the charts more on edge and interesting.

For example when Nelly Furtado entered the chart at #8 on downloads alone with Maneater :)

I love the long chart runs. ;o

 

Plus, if you take downloads out of chart, you're ignoring thousands of sales each week. Stupid, imo.

I like downloads. Make the charts more on edge and interesting.

For example when Nelly Furtado entered the chart at #8 on downloads alone with Maneater :)

 

I do as well for that reason. Remember that week in April 2007 when the songs at No8 and No10 would make No1 before the month ended?

-_- I don't mind downloads as they are cheaper than CD. I once spent £125.00 in One go on around 40 - 50 CD singles and since Christmas i have spent just over £50.00 on over 70 downloads. There's nothing like owning the physical CD and if they bring the 2 track disc for 99p idea in, then i'll probably go back to CD, If i can find anymore room for them. ;)

Downloads > CDs imo. Love them. Prefer it illegally, though. Still, I love being able to just download one track of my choosing.

 

Get over it people. Downloads will take over a few years from now, most likely.

 

ISTM there will always be a market for physical music formats, for the simple reason that not everyone who listens to music has/wants a computer.

 

Also, just as there are those who retain an affection for vinyl, the same will surely apply to CD's.

 

IMO, perhaps the biggest reason though is DRM - until it's possible to legally download any track without this restriction, it will always restrain the market somewhat.

Downloads have improved the market vastly.

1) MUCH wider range of choice to buy - you can find pretty much anything you want on Itunes, no matter how old. The same CANNOT be said of any of the big music stores.

2) COST. Come on, a single for £3.99? And the stores sit there and wonder why people would rather go and grab a 79p download instead?

3) The charts themselves are more interesting; the wider availability allows songs which would normally have spent one week at #20 to become slow burners. Often by the time people started to take notice of lower-charting songs, that was it, nowhere to be found in stores. Tracks like Rockstar, Chasing Cars etc.

I wouldn't say I hated downloads, but they are nothing like going to HMV to buy a physical copy that you can hold in your hand :D

 

The one thing that dismays me about them is they propel 'hype' that extra mile further, the 'sheep' attitude of the music buying public is worse than ever and there's not as much diversity anymore.

 

But like someone rightfully pointed out, physical sales these days are almost obsolete so we need them to keep the industry afloat.

 

 

i prefer to have the vinyl copy in my hand. tho when you say you hate downloads are you saying you hate how the chart has become so boring now as everyone's got that 'everyone else is buying it so why dont we' sheep like mentality - i dont think downloads are to blame but the consilidation of music outlets on radio and tv - all thos music channels going ac and having the same playlists daytime

 

dull dull dull so fricking boring

 

Downloads have improved the market vastly.

1) MUCH wider range of choice to buy - you can find pretty much anything you want on Itunes, no matter how old. The same CANNOT be said of any of the big music stores.

2) COST. Come on, a single for £3.99? And the stores sit there and wonder why people would rather go and grab a 79p download instead?

 

79p per song - that is expensive. but single for £3.99 - no wonder singles have declined when superstores started reducing album cds to £3.99 (and £3.99 is normally £1 than i normally pay for a single cd album)

 

100 songs for £7 - you only need about 8 songs you like on those albums to make that a better deal

 

3) The charts themselves are more interesting; the wider availability allows songs which would normally have spent one week at #20 to become slow burners. Often by the time people started to take notice of lower-charting songs, that was it, nowhere to be found in stores. Tracks like Rockstar, Chasing Cars etc.

 

Tracks like Rockstar, Chasing Cars etc. thats not a good thing tbh :lol:

 

I love downloads. I'd rather pay 80p for a song than £2-£5 for it.

 

And I'm sure record labels would rather people were paying 80p for a song than nothing. That's why iTunes is so successful because people were willing to pay for music but not *that* much.

 

And it's not LEGAL downloads that killed the singles market. It's illegal downloading. Before the chart rules were changed, and downloads were allowed to chart, single sales were dreadful.