OCC endorses new two-track CD single, and starts trialling download data. The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) has agreed a series of changes to its chart rules to extend consumer choice and strengthen singles sales. The measures are the first fruits of its summer-long Future of the Charts project, the most thorough review of the UK charts for five years.
A meeting of the Chart Company’s Chart Supervisory Committee (CSC) on Tuesday made two significant recommendations to amend chart rules:
> to allow a new two-track CD single format, which is expected to sell at a lower price, to be eligible for the charts;
> to liberalise content restrictions on the existing CD single format.
The committee also reviewed test download chart data and noted the progress OCC is making towards a new Official Chart product
OCC chairman Richard Wootton welcomed the CSC’s recommendations, “This project is a perfect example of how retailers and record companies can work together for the good of the industry. We have come up with a strong set of proposals which I believe will drive the singles market and pave the way for the development of legal download chart information.
“Many people in the industry have long advocated the need for an inexpensive two-track CD single. These new rule changes should facilitate the revitalisation of our singles market.”
CSC member and Sony Music chairman Rob Stringer says, “These changes are part of an ongoing programme to change and evolve the singles chart to reflect the changes in the market.”
The FOTC Project
The Future of the Charts project was conducted by industry consultant Steve Redmond with OCC charts director Omar Maskatiya. Through a series of meetings over the summer, the project took evidence and recommendations from over 100 executives at all levels of the music industry.
These were boiled down into an 80-page report which was presented to the OCC board earlier this month.
“What we have ended up with is a complete MOT of the charts,” says Redmond. “And the overwhelming conclusion is that in the OCC, the UK music industry has a research tool which is unrivalled in its accuracy and integrity. This is the best chart in the world.
"However our focus groups did identify areas in which changes to chart rules could help drive the market.”
The two-track CD single
The CSC recommendation is that chart rules should define a new CD single format, which offers a simple ‘A’ and ‘B’ side. The rules are as follows:
> Two audio tracks only
> No more than 10 minutes in total
> Standardised singles jewel case packaging
> No free gifts or extras
> Lower minimum dealer price
This to take effect immediately.
New content rules for the ‘maxi’ CD
The addition of the two-track CD single to the list of format options for singles means the existing CD single effectively becomes a ‘maxi’ CD.
Reflecting the drive to increase consumers’ value for money, the CSC has recommended the following liberalisation of the rules to take effect from January 1 2004:
> Current maximum of three tracks will in addition be able to feature remixes of those tracks so long as they remain within the currently-acknowledged time limit of 20 minutes
> Singles which solely feature a lead track plus multiple remixes of the same track will be able to run for up to 40 minutes
> The current limit of one video will increase to two
> Singles will, for the first time, be able to feature weblinks with an extension of the rule which currently allows them on albums
> These rules also extend to the DVD single format.
The OCC will continue to include sales of up to three formats per title for the singles chart, but from January 1 2004, that maximum of three can include only one two-track CD format and one maxi CD format.
Download chart
The CSC also reviewed test data on downloads produced by OCC measuring sales of legal downloads in the UK.
Charts director Omar Maskatiya says, “There are numerous logistical and practical problems involved in producing a download chart. But we are committed only to including downloads in the Official Chart if the data meets similar standards of quality and integrity as our existing charts.”
OCC will begin to circulate download sales data to key OCC subscribers for analysis over the coming weeks to assess reaction and refine compilation and reporting issues.
In order to ensure that the data and compilation rules are as robust as possible, the OCC will convene a new Download Chart Committee of new media experts which will report back to the CSC.
“We have committed to report back progress on downloads on a fortnightly basis to the CSC,” says Maskatiya.
The CSC’s recommendations are subject to approval by the BPI and BARD councils and the OCC board.
For further information, call:
Omar Maskatiya 020 747 88500
Steve Redmond 07770 924720
Notes: The Official UK Charts Company is owned jointly by the BPI – representing UK record companies – and Bard, representing record retailers.
The OCC surveys over 5,000 outlets electronically every week to arrive at the Official Charts published in virtually every national newspaper, broadcast on Radio One and Top Of The Pops and around the world via the BBC World Service.
The Chart Supervisory Committee features representatives from the BPI, Bard and the BBC and is responsible to the OCC board for setting chart rules and overseeing the integrity of the charts.
