[Shaun]

http://nme.co.uk/blog/index.php?blog...r_t&more=1&c=1

Spotify streams are soon to count towards the US Billboard charts. The UK's Official Charts Company have no plans to follow suit. Here's why they're wrong...

It was when dead-eyed school kids S Club 7 began cloning themselves across Top Of The Pops that I gave up on the charts. Over the last decade, the nation has sunk into the depressing habit of buying not the best music, but the best marketing, because that’s mostly what they’re force-fed.

Except that increasingly, people are turning to streaming services to find new music. So much so, that some artists are actually starting to make something of a living from them, and the US singles chart is undergoing a revamp to include streaming data to reflect what people actually like, not just CD and download sales.

Unfortunately, that’s not happening in the UK, because the Official Charts Company thinks only “genuine sales” indicate what we listen to. Until they change their minds, the UK singles chart won’t ever be anything except a bleak, barren landscape of David Guetta rip-offs. Here are five reasons why we really ought to follow the US and incorporate streams into our charts data.
People don’t just buy what they love

Almost half of British music lovers stream songs. Not just once, but regularly, according to an eMusic/AIM study last month. Just as we updated the charts to include digital downloads, it’s clearly worth refreshing them to reflect how people now listen to music.
The OCC already thinks streaming’s important

That’s why in 2009, it said it would tie streaming data into the charts. Most research since then shows that streaming has become more, not less, important to music consumption, so why has it changed its mind?
Sales are short-lived

Measuring something purely by sales reflects its immediate success, rather than its ongoing popularity. 'Rolling In The Deep' and 'Video Games' featured in Last.fm’s 10 most-streamed tracks last week, but are no longer anywhere to be seen in the British or American Top 10. At the moment, the charts are weighted in favour of new releases, and that’s great for record companies, but not necessarily talent or taste.
The Top 40’s audience streams

More than a fifth of young Brits streamed music last year, according to the BPI. It doesn’t make sense to ignore such a large chunk of the chart-toppers’ target audience, especially when they’re no longer buying music.
Streaming could kick-start the charts

We’re still some way from streaming becoming the, erm, mainstream means of consumption, but it might eventually mean a resurgence of indie artists in the charts. Take Bon Iver, who has rarely had British success with his singles, but whose track 'Holocene' is sitting in Last.fm’s top 20 most-listened tracks (globally) with 20,000 streams – more than Jessie J’s Domino, which was released afterwards and did make the UK Top 40.

Who would you rather see on the charts?

[Shaun]

http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/62616

The Official Charts Company (OCC) have said it has "no immediate plans" to include data from streaming services such as Spotify in the UK Singles Chart.

Earlier today, it was reported by Techradar that Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart will now use stats from sites including Spotify, Rhapsody and Rdio to compile its chart placings, as well as download sales and radio play.

However, speaking to NME, OCC managing director Martin Talbot said that it would continue to determine its rankings on sales figures as streaming is "still an emerging service" in the UK.

He said:

We have no immediate plans to incorporate streaming information into the Official Singles Chart. In the UK, our Official Charts have always been based purely on genuine sales – unlike in the US, where the Billboard Hot 100 has long since mixed with airplay information.


He went on to add: "Streaming information is simply an extension of this methodology. Also, in the UK we are continuing to see a surge of interest in buying singles – 2011 was a record year for single sales, with 178m unites sold throughout the year, the highest ever, 10% up on 2010 and still growing in 2012 – while streaming is still an emerging service for UK music fans."

Spotify continues to be a divisive service within the music industry. Last month (February 2), its CEO and founder Daniel Ek claimed that it was helping the music business enter a "golden age" as people who share music online are more likely to buy more tracks and albums, and insisted that there was "not a shred of evidence" to suggest that musicians could boost their sales figures by not being on the service.

However, figures such as U2's manager Paul McGuinness have criticised the service in the past by claiming that artists are reluctant to embrace Spotify as they are unable to see its "financial benefit" and don't view it as a legitimate business model.

[Marc]

Only if it meant Bon Iver got a No.1

[Samuel.]

Isn't streaming music through Spotify free though? I thought the charts were meant to represent sales.

[Jords]

People spam play though so I dunno. I dont mind.

[King Gizzard]

iTunes till I die

[Samuel.]

I think this bad move. What next, Youtube views? Really what's the difference between listening to a track through Spotify and Youtube?

[Marc]

I don't use LastFm or Spotify but do you pay for them on there? Or just listen?

[Callum]

Don't see it happening, the UK are not willing to change. The US have always been way ahead with their charts including airplay, sales and now music streams. Puts our to shame just counting sales.

[Callum]

Originally Posted by Samuel.

Isn't streaming music through Spotify free though? I thought the charts were meant to represent sales.

No, you have to pay to use Spotify once your free trial has expired.

[Benjamin]

I don't know. People do spam play as already mentioned but most of what I listen to is in no way represented by the charts, same as a lot of people I know, so it could be interesting. But the use of marketing to increase sales has always been around in music, it's not a modern concept. I fail to see how using Spotify data will alter this fact.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Callum

No, you have to pay to use Spotify once your free trial has expired.

this answers my question above. thank you.

[Samuel.]

Originally Posted by Callum

No, you have to pay to use Spotify once your free trial has expired.

Oh. I only ever used it back when it was free, with an optional upgraded account.

[Jack_]

It seems a bit of a weird idea. I guess it's a choice between whether you stick to keeping the charts about the number of sales for a particular week, or whether over time a move is made so that the charts represent overall popularity of songs for a particular week (i.e. how many times they've been played on various different mediums).

The latter seems quite a cool idea on paper, but in practice I'm not entirely sure whether it'd work.

[Marc]

I remember when spotify was free... ahhh those were the days

[Jack_]

It still is free for me, but there's a limit of five plays on every song, so basically after that you can't play it again unless you pay (which is just completely stupid), and I think there's a certain number of hours to use I'm allowed every month. They ruined it really.

[Harry!]

-imagines if this was added in Brazil-

[arista]

Originally Posted by Marc

I remember when spotify was free... ahhh those were the days

Yes Marc
those Corrupt
and sometines honest days are gone.


Soon a young man goes to America
to get done for his site that had illegal/criminal links on it.

[Black Dagger]

Spotify is completely free for me, I can play as much music as I want on it, and it scrobbles to my Last.FM account so it knows what I like, I just get adverts after every other song.

[Niall]

I like this idea. I use Spotify and all that, and if they incorporated Spotify plays into the charts and stuffs, then you'd probably get a more accurate chart because it wouldn't just be the mainstream crap getting recognition. Alternative artists would be able to get their foot in the door a little easier y'know?

[Doogle]

Makes sense in the USA considering they have included airplay for years (I still don't even get how that works but hey) but it could easily be abused.