'Digital Only' music releases discounted by UK Charts...

[goldilocks]

As a music lover I was most disappointed to learn that the UK charts will only recognise sales success of artists who release both digital and pressed releases.
Surely in this digital age, and with the decline in music retail (Zavvi, Woolworth etc.) it is unjust to negate sales of digital only releases. It seems that by discrediting digital only releases they are able to discount a large portion of legal music sales in the UK - at the detriment of new / unsigned / young musicians.

To penalise musicians who obviously have the talent but lack the financial backing to be able to release a CD seems to be a very blinkered and prohibitive way of running the ‘Chart’.

I don't know how much other people care about this - but it really rattled my cage to find this out.
I really can't believe that this is allowed to continue in what is meant to be a creative industry?!

Corporate whores!!

[NokkonWud]

It's the way of the British business world, many things are sadly outdated and old fashioned.

[Garp]

Unless they've recently changed things I don't think you'll find you're right there. They switched over to allowing Download Only singles to appear in charts over a year ago, maybe a year and a half now. That was why a couple of Christmases ago we suddenly had a whole load of old Christmas songs appear from nowhere and zoom straight up the chart, even when the singles weren't in the shops. As I recall the same happened last year too.

edit: Confirmed. From the October 2007 rules http://www.theofficialcharts.com/docs/Official%20UK%20Charts%20Singles%20Rules%20October %202007.pdf

Clearly listed in the singles definition section:

i. i) Digital Audio Track Audio Download Minimum £0.40 15 minutes (one audio track)
(Refer to page15 for further details.)

j. i) Digital Single Bundle Audio Download Minimum £0.40 25 minutes and no more than four songs (audio or video) plus alternative audio versions of featured songs.
Playing time of video tracks will not count towards total permitted playing time providing the video is cut to substantially the same mix as featured audio tracks or is the only commercially available video for the tracks.
Bundle must feature lead song as audio track. (Refer to page 16 for further details.)
or
Remix Single (see below)

k. i) Remix Single One song title and any number of remixes of that featured title to a maximum of
40 minutes applicable to “Maxi” physical or digital formats and 12” vinyl formats.
One promotional video for lead track permitted only.

Then skipping on to page 15

“Digital Audio Track” Format: Permanent Audio Download Dealer Price: Minimum £0.40
Total Playing Time 15 minutes
Audio Content 1 audio track
Video Content The ability to stream one video. The video should be related to the artist and should not be
downloadable.
Additional Content The ability to download images relating to the artist including:-
• Artwork
• PC wallpaper
• Mobile wallpaper
• Images
The ability to download text screens relating to the artist including:-
• Biography
• Tour dates
• Lyrics
• Artist merchandise details
Microsite/Downloads
Additional content above the lead song need not appear on the physical format and may
alternatively be incorporated on a microsite. Total playing time of all content must not exceed
maximum timings as outlined above.
* a microsite is defined as a “vaulted” area that has been created to add value to the featured single
campaign and is only accessible exclusively as a result of purchasing single product.
Microsite must not feature audio or video products for sale. All weblink rules as listed below
are applicable to microsites.
Weblinks must connect to the homepage of the featured artists’ website and/or the releasing
label’s website.
Additional weblinks to further websites clearly endorsed or supported by the featured artist
and/or weblinks to label related information are also eligible provided they comply with all
other chart rule requirements specified within this section.
Weblinks directly connecting purchasers of a single to either ‘shop’ web pages on an artist
or label website or specific retail websites will not be chart eligible.
Featured weblinks on enhanced formats may not be advertised as offering a non related or
excessive gift.*
*For this purpose, a non related gift or excessive gift is a gift that gives the consumer a product, voucher or
benefit which is unrelated to the single concerned or has an independent value in excess of the (normal
retail) price of the single concerned.
Please note that the following are NOT eligible.
Any element not mentioned above and which has not been specifically approved by the Official UK Charts Company prior to
release.



No reference at all to any requirements for a physical release.

[Nutcase]

Call me old fashioned, but I'll be buying the physical items as long as possible.

[Streeteh]

Call me old fashioned, but I'll be buying the physical items as long as possible.

Indeed, especially as few retailers offer truely cd-quality encodes at a reasonable price. I can still get a cd and rip it to FLAC (if i so choose) for less money than it would cost to buy it as medium quality MP3s

[goldilocks]

http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/42124

i knew about singles (the whole Gnarls Barkley phenomena...) but album releases still need a physical press - which seems crazy

[iCraig]

It's getting there, not as quick as it probably should though. It's just not just music, the entire entertainment industry will all shift to digital media instead of physical.

iTunes are removing DRM protection aren't they? Another victory for those who simply want to own a track of music and play it where they want and on what they want, and not be governed by silly restrictions.

[Streeteh]

iTunes are removing DRM protection aren't they? Another victory for those who simply want to own a track of music and play it where they want and on what they want, and not be governed by silly restrictions.

Yeah they are, however you have to pay 20p per track to remove DRM from pre-existing donwloads (costing my sisters' partner over £100) so it's not really a solution for many existing customers.

Also, they still only offer what i would consider low-bitrate encodes, until they start offering 320kb/sec mp3s or better yet FLAC at the same sort of price, if not cheaper, than a CD i won't be considering it as an alternative

(yes, i'm a music snob)