Napster Jumps on Chart Bandwagon

Posted by Fraser Lovatt on 20 August 2004 at 9:07 am | Tagged as: Distribution, Web, Music

Napster will be launching its own downloaded music chart on Virgin Radio at 7pm on August 29th. The chart will be compiled from the top 20 most popular tracks bought each week from Napster UK service. The chart will also include tracks that have been streamed as well as downloaded.

Napster has come a long way from illegal music download service to radio chart music store, but the Official Chart Company may take some of the heat out of this new move when they launch the official download chart on BBC Radio 1 on 1st September. However, the Official Chart will not include streamed music, just downloaded tracks and will be compiled from Napster’s data, but will include sales from MyCokeMusic, iTunes and others.

Comparing the differences between the Official Chart and Napster’s will certainly be interesting, as some tracks are simply not available on both services, but will probably be as insightful as comparing bananas with roof tiles. No doubt the Pixies will feature in there somehow. There will also interesting contrasts between what listeners are buying in shops and what they are buying off internet services.

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