Posted September 24, 200816 yr Chart shakeup keeps track with broadband age of music · Monthly fee gives fans access to millions of songs · Industry battles digital piracy and CD sales slump * Owen Gibson, media correspondent * The Guardian.co.uk, Wednesday September 24 2008 Almost 56 years after Al Martino topped the first singles chart with Here in My Heart, the company behind the weekly rundown has unveiled a shakeup designed to maintain its relevance in the broadband age. The Official Charts Company (OCC) hopes the addition of an official "subscription plays chart" will help future-proof it as the music industry chases new revenue models. The new chart, believed to be the first of its kind, will measure the number of times individual tracks are played on the new type of service record label chiefs hope will rescue them from digital piracy and a slump in CD sales. The chart will measure how many times songs are played by those who subscribe to "all you can eat" offerings from companies such as Napster, the Vodafone MusicStation service operated by Omnifone, HMV and the Nokia Music Store. For a monthly fee, they offer subscribers unlimited access to millions of tracks. The subscription model has been slow to take off while record labels have resolved rights and licensing issues, but it is now expected to explode in popularity. After signing a memorandum of understanding with ISPs to try to clamp down on illegal downloading, record labels will collaborate with them to launch services that will bundle access to millions of tracks with a monthly broadband or mobile phone subscription. BSkyB plans to launch a subscription service combining a "global jukebox" with a set number of songs that can be downloaded and kept for a monthly fee. It has already signed a deal with Universal, home of U2 and Amy Winehouse, and expects to agree deals with the other big labels. Later this year Finnish handset giant Nokia will launch Comes With Music, which offers unlimited music for one year, bundled with a mobile phone, for a one-off fee of between £100 and £300. Industry analysts also expect Apple's market leading iTunes Music Store to introduce a subscription offering at some point. Rob Lewis, chief executive of Omnifone, which operates the MusicStation service for Vodafone, said: "As the international music market evolves, consumers will come to expect subscription-based unlimited music services as part of their digital music experience." The OCC's managing director, Martin Talbot, said: "In the past we have basically counted individual sales of tracks, albums and other physical kinds of products. The music industry will be able to use [the chart] to promote legitimate use of music subscription services." He said any discussions to merge the new subscription chart into the existing singles chart remained "a long way off". The singles chart, which had been hit hard by heavy discounting, marketing stunts and declining sales, has received a shot in the arm thanks to the inclusion of download sales two years ago. By the end of 2007 weekly download sales were averaging 2m units, making it the third best year for singles sales on record in the UK, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. A rule change that allowed tracks to chart even if there was no accompanying physical release has also allowed songs to climb the charts in a more organic fashion. Talbot said this year total sales were likely to top 100m for the first time. The new subscription plays chart includes many of the same tracks as the official singles chart, but with some important differences that are likely to become more pronounced as they gain in popularity. Album tracks from the likes of Glasvegas and the Verve feature prominently, as consumers sample songs before deciding whether to buy the album. Calling the tune November 1952 Al Martino's Here in My Heart tops first singles chart, compiled by New Musical Express calling record shops July 1956 First albums chart appears in Record Mirror, topped by Frank Sinatra's Songs For Swingin' Lovers January 1964 First edition of Top of the Pops on BBC July 1998 Chart Information Network, venture between record labels and stores, takes responsibility for charts. Will become Official Charts Company April 2005 Digital downloads incorporated into charts April 2006 Gnarls Barkley's Crazy becomes first single to reach No 1 on download sales alone January 2007 Downloads eligible for charts without companion physical release Do you think this is a really good idea to keep the charts relevent or not?
September 24, 200816 yr 01 Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl 02 Rihanna - Disturbia 03 Dizzee Rascal - Dance Wit' Me 04 THe Script - The Man Who Can't Be Moved 05 Coldplay - Viva La Vida 06 Jordin Sparks - No Air 07 The Verve - Love Is Noise 08 Basshunter - All I Ever Wanted 09 Ne'Yo - Closer 10 Noah & The Whale - 5 Years Time 11 Eric Prydz - Pjanno 12 Chris Brown - Forever 13 Rihanna - Take A Bow 14 The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name 15 Kid Rock - All Summer Long 16 Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up 17 Duffy - Warwick Avenue 18 Ironik - Stay With Me 19 Ting Tings - Shut Up & Let Me Go 20 Sam Sparro - Black & Gold
September 24, 200816 yr I think the iTunes subscription is a brilliant idea, I know Napster already do it, but i'd say most people who have an MP3 Player, the majority of those MP3 Player's will be an iPod, and I'd already do the Napster subscription, but you can't get the songs on an iPod
September 26, 200816 yr Interesting - though it's based around a service I'd be unlikely to use, since, as you may remember, I am still a big fan of physical music. I do have some misgivings though - I may be misunderstanding it, but it seems to be a back-door way of trying to eventually integrate airplay into the singles chart - something I've always vehemently opposed.
September 26, 200816 yr I've got the first chart printed in my MW mag will post up now. It was a Top 12 but with 15 singles due to joint positions which were commonplace throughout the 50s
September 26, 200816 yr Hmmm I think it's a dodgy plan - it leaves the charts open to corruption. I can just see big record companies paying loads of money to have their videos/tracks plastered all over these services - knowing that if they are listened to it will help chart positions.. Eventhough chart music at present is not to my taste at least I think the charts is fair as it represents people actually spending money on tracks.
September 26, 200816 yr What date was that chart, Mart!n? It looks worryingly even more stagnant than the current official chart - unless it's from about a month ago?
September 26, 200816 yr What date was that chart, Mart!n? It looks worryingly even more stagnant than the current official chart - unless it's from about a month ago? It was published this week for the first time.
September 26, 200816 yr I may have misunderstood this. If I have, please tell me. Does this mean that, after downloading something, we'll have to pay a monthly fee in order to continue to hear it? If so, that's really going to cut piracy. :rolleyes:
September 26, 200816 yr 01 Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl 02 Rihanna - Disturbia 03 Dizzee Rascal - Dance Wit' Me 04 THe Script - The Man Who Can't Be Moved 05 Coldplay - Viva La Vida 06 Jordin Sparks - No Air 07 The Verve - Love Is Noise 08 Basshunter - All I Ever Wanted 09 Ne'Yo - Closer 10 Noah & The Whale - 5 Years Time 11 Eric Prydz - Pjanno 12 Chris Brown - Forever 13 Rihanna - Take A Bow 14 The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name 15 Kid Rock - All Summer Long 16 Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up 17 Duffy - Warwick Avenue 18 Ironik - Stay With Me 19 Ting Tings - Shut Up & Let Me Go 20 Sam Sparro - Black & Gold Oh dear that is just a chart of all the songs that will be in the chart for over 20 weeks :rolleyes: . I don't understand. Surely they can't count a play as a purchase? As long as it doesn't interfere with the SALES chart it'll be ok. Unless single sales are hit, which they will if this becomes popular.
September 26, 200816 yr Calling the tune November 1952 Al Martino's Here in My Heart tops first singles chart, compiled by New Musical Express calling record shops July 1956 First albums chart appears in Record Mirror, topped by Frank Sinatra's Songs For Swingin' Lovers January 1964 First edition of Top of the Pops on BBC July 1998 Chart Information Network, venture between record labels and stores, takes responsibility for charts. Will become Official Charts Company April 2005 Digital downloads incorporated into charts April 2006 Gnarls Barkley's Crazy becomes first single to reach No 1 on download sales alone January 2007 Downloads eligible for charts without companion physical release Do you think this is a really good idea to keep the charts relevent or not? Anyone interested in the history of the UK charts (the first 50 years) and their milestones can check them out HERE
October 12, 200816 yr NOT an airplay factor as it's what PEOPLE are playing not radio execs. Always wondered if itunes could combine most played charts off all individual ipods to get an overall most played chart? But difficult to do weekly, specially as everyone updates at different times.
October 12, 200816 yr Does this mean, the more i play a song, the higher it will be in the charts? This makes no sense. I actually think, what they've got now is fine enough. Nothing is gonna stop illegal downloading, its gonna happen now and at least they are embracing the digital age in 2007. The chart is probably healthier then what its been for a long time. Compare this years top 40 selling songs to 5 years ago. And the fact that earlier this year 2 million single sales were clocked up in a single week is brilliant. I just feel, that they may start to try and do too much and cause the death of the chart
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