Posted June 21, 200916 yr The Top 40 is facing a shake-up as chart bosses consider incorporating songs from music streaming sites. Offering free, legal access to millions of tunes, online jukebox services like We7 and Spotify have taken off in 2009. Users can listen to tracks without paying to own them, as they have had to with vinyl, tapes, CDs and downloads. The Official UK Charts Company said the Top 40 was "bound to" incorporate songs from streaming services at some point, but not for at least another 12 months. Because listeners do not pay per track - if at all - those plays would be likely to carry less weight than normal sales. That would be a big departure from the way the the official singles chart has been compiled since it was launched in 1952. It has always been based purely on sales, with each individual purchase - whatever the format - treated equally. But the streaming and subscription services may soon become too popular to ignore. Spotify offers songs for free with adverts, or without ads for a £9.99 monthly fee. It registered one million UK users in April - just two months after its public launch. We7, which goes down the free, ad-funded route, is expected to pass the million mark in the coming days. Services like Napster, HMV and Nokia give customers access to unlimited tracks for a monthly fee and Virgin Media has just announced a similar offering, with BSkyB expected to follow suit. Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot told BBC News the charts had traditionally counted individual singles bought for permanent ownership. "The key task that we've been getting to grips with over the past 18 months has been ensuring that post-download, and post-permanent ownership of music, we're also counting how consumers are consuming their music in other ways," he said. "The charts have always been there as a popularity poll, as a means of identifying what are the hottest records of the moment. "That's been relatively simple when people have bought stuff to keep forever. But that's going to become increasingly more complicated." The charts have already come a long way since 2005, when the first downloads counted towards the Top 40. Now, 98% of all single sales are digital. Mr Talbot said streams would be integrated into the main chart when they become "a very big part of the way people consume music going forward" and fans were buying fewer tracks as a result. "I'm sure it will come upon us quicker than we might anticipate but none of us really know when it will happen," he said. "I think ultimately it's bound to happen. But that could be five years, it could be 10 years, it could be 20 years." There was currently no sign of a slow-down in single sales, Mr Talbot said. Some 115 million singles were sold last year - compared with a low point of 30 million in 2003. This year's total is expected to be 160 million. Streams vs downloads One big question if streams did count towards the charts would be how much weight they would carry. "Knowing what a stream is worth compared to a purchase of a download, for instance, is very difficult to identify at the moment, but that's obviously going to be the next step," Mr Talbot said. The advent of services like We7, Spotify and Imeem, on top of established sites like YouTube, MySpace and Last.fm, have led some analysts to predict that people may become less interested in owning music. Instead, they may be happy to stream songs from huge catalogues, especially as technology makes it possible to use these services on the go. UK SINGLES REVIVAL 2003 - 30,888 singles sold 2004 - 32,266 2005 - 47,882 2006 - 66,925 2007 - 86,562 2008 - 115,139 Source: Official Charts Company WE7 ALL-TIME STREAMING CHART 1. Lady GaGa (above) - Poker Face 2. Tinchy Styder - Number 1 3. Flo Rida - Right Round 4. Taylor Swift - Love Story 5. Lady GaGa - Just Dance UK only. Up to 6 June http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8109267.stm
June 21, 200916 yr Goodbye to physical singles, last week was a prime example of HMV's physical sales not added, where else can you buy them, you will have hard time to find a physical single, the chart will be based on downloads 100% soon. It had to happen sometime, we are in the digital age. Physical Single RIP :cry:
June 21, 200916 yr Does that mean they are planning to count how much it was played on streaming services to the singles chart? :o
June 21, 200916 yr Considering it yes....will be very strange! The thing is you wouldn't actually know the sales, as its continually streamlining, to me it sounds like they are throwing in the kitchen sink as well. I'm sure it be harder to track down all the sales. :unsure: "Waits in anticipation"
June 21, 200916 yr Author Yup, we'd be getting sales and streaming data. I'm in two minds about this whole idea. Still like they say it could be years before it happens!
June 21, 200916 yr I don't think it's a great idea, but I think a seperate streaming chart would be good, to see what it is like, and if it's very similar, it could be combined (sales don't bother me too much).
June 21, 200916 yr Why not just have it as a seperate chart? The charts have always been based on sales, and its not as if sales are so weak at the moment that this would need to be included.
June 21, 200916 yr How will they be counted. Will it be how many times a song had been listened to or will it be how many different users have played the song? because if it's the first then groups with super fans like GA, TT, Sugababes etc. will all do better in the charts as those fans will play multiple times so the songs get higher chart positions. I wouldn't mind if it was the second option i said if we received a mixed chart, a sales chart and a stream chart and that they give all the sales info, and all the stream info.
June 21, 200916 yr I would agree that it should be a separate chart - at least initially. There are a number of questions to be answered, particularly if streaming is to count towards the main chart. For instance, if I play a song several times in a week, does that count each time or just the once? If I play it again the following week, does that count again? These issues are relatively unimportant if it's a separate chart but rather more important if they contribute towards the real chart.
June 21, 200916 yr I am totally opposed to including streaming sites ‘listens’ to the chart. The UK singles chart has always and should continue to be a SALES chart. If we’re going down the route of incorporating ‘listens’ then we’ll be on the slippery slope towards airplay and a hot100 style chart. Why not then include jukebox listens and have 20+ week No1’s for songs like Rockstar, Sex On Fire and Poker Face. :/ A separate chart for streaming listens would be good but not combined with actual sales, as it will make the sales chart meaningless. I think I'd personally lose all interest tbh, RIP UK Single Sales Chart 1952-2011. :( I’m sure lunatic Girls Aloud and McFly fans will be repeatedly streaming their latest releases 24 hours a day if this comes to fruition. :manson: Edited June 21, 200916 yr by Ethan.
June 21, 200916 yr I’m sure lunatic Girls Aloud and McFly fans will be repeatedly streaming their latest releases 24 hours a day if this comes to fruition. :manson: One disadvantage that is, its easy to manipulate the chart, I just hope OCC can explore other avenues, a separate chart will be a lot better than adding to the current chart system.
June 21, 200916 yr Soon it be like the Billboard hot 100 and include airplay. :puke2: OCC will not do that. I hope. ;)
June 21, 200916 yr This is a TERRIBLE IDEA! It's bad enough having crap like "I'm Yours", "Use Somebody" and songs that got old fast like "Poker Face" and "Just Dance" sticking around like a bad smell. This would just ruin it even more! I mean radio is static playing the same songs over and over, the music channels shot themselves in the foot by eliminating public choice and not given their channels a chance for new talent to shine. If this happens, then I'll abandon the charts for good.
June 21, 200916 yr I don't like the idea of this. That awful Chris Moyles will be pleading with his worshippers to get some other random song to #1 in the 'Honey to the Bee' sort of calibre, purely by making them put it on repeat or something. And it won't cost anyone a penny to do it... :wacko:
June 21, 200916 yr Sorry, but the more I think about this it p*sses me off. Why are they even considering this? Don't they understand how easy it would be to rig? Singles sales are on the increase, why do they have to incorporate random views of videos or free music? Do they want our chart to become a version of the crap Billboard 100? THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE IT!! IT'S FINE AS IT IS!! SorryI had to vent it's just I would hate for the top 40 to be wrecked by these 'modernists' who don't have a clue what they're doing.. :angry:
June 21, 200916 yr um, I hope the ratio of listens to number sold it very high, i.e 100,000 listens = 1 sale. Anyway, digital sales are gonna go higher and higher. I would not surprise me if #1 average sales was 200K+ per week next year assuming of course the price stays level as today.
June 21, 200916 yr I hope this is not gonn ahappen! charts must be based on ppl actually buying a song...not listening to it! I do sometimes have a listen at songs of acts I'm not fan and I sometimes think they are crap... so I will I be helping a song I end up thinking it's bad? Nah!
Create an account or sign in to comment