[Smithy]

BBC Radio 1's Head of Music has confirmed plans for music streams to be included in the UK Official Chart.

George Ergatoudis made the announcement during last night's (February 17) Radio Academy Playlists: What Makes a Hit in 2014? event in London.

"So @GeorgErgatoudis has just announced that @BBCR1 will v.soon be including @Spotify streams in the Top 40 charts not just sales!" Earshot Creative tweeted from the event.

Ergatoudis later clarified: "To be clear @PeteyJamesDP @littleboots @earshotcreative @BBCR1 @Spotify Not just Spotify, other music streaming services will be included."

It means weekly plays from services such as Spotify, Deezer, Rdio and Blinkbox are likely to contribute towards final chart placings.

The Official Charts Company launched an Official Streaming Chart back in 2012, but previously denied plans to incorporate the data into the Official Chart countdown.

In the US, Billboard started including online streams for its Hot 100 countdown at the start of 2013, which also counts YouTube and VEVO plays.

According to the British Phonographic Industry, over 7.4 billion songs were streamed in the UK in 2013, with streaming subscription revenue up 33.7% to £103 million.