The Official Download Chart premiers on Radio 1 tonight, on the Scott Mills show. The chart is compiled from data provided by stores based on the Loudeye service, plus iTunes and Napster and a number of smaller online music sites.
The Official Chart will be focussing on downloaded, paid music rather than tracks streamed to customers, and further details have emerged regarding the rules of the chart. Tracks must cost a minimum of UK£0.40 (€0.60) and mustn’t be more than ten minutes long. Many tracks that are longer than 8 mins on services like iTunes are labelled “Album Only”, so this may be less of an issue. Tracks which have no physical format are included in the chart, so this will lead to interesting divisions between the traditional chart and online services issuing exclusives.
Rules on incentives (bundling something free with a single to prompt people to buy it) are as tough as with the standard charts, but retailers and labels are allowed to stream one video alongside the down load, and provide images and textual information about artists.
Sorry – just been out in the garden, burying my radio. I’ve discovered that today is “Cure” day on Radio 6, and I didn’t want to take any chances. People have been known to fall over and switch radios on by mistake, you know.
As promised, an update to the Official Download Chart. In the top ten, there was only one track in common between the single chart and download chart, “Dry Your Eyes”.
1 ‘Flying Without Wings’ – Westlife
2 ‘Blazin Day’ – Blazin Squad
3 ‘She Will Be Loved’ – Maroon 5
4 ‘Lola’s Theme’ – Shapeshifters
5 ‘American Idiot’ – Green Day
6 ‘This Love’ – Maroon 5
7 ‘Dry Your Eyes’ – Streets
8 ‘Bedshaped’ – Keane
9 ‘Laura’ – Scissor Sisters
10 ‘Apocalypse Please’ – Muse
