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UK singles chart now includes music videos for the first time

Posted on Monday, 25 June 2018

Image source: http://www.officialcharts.com

UK singles chart now includes music videos for the first time

BBC News – UK singles chart to include music videos for the first time https://t.co/rD6UapJYUh

— Sundstedt Animation (@sundstedt) June 25, 2018

Since YouTube launched, the streaming site has seen 20 music videos break the two billion views mark. But none of these views ever counted towards the song’s position on the UK singles chart.

Video will be included from June 2018

As of this summer, as announced by the Official Charts Company, the UK singles chart will now include video streaming figures. For the first time, music videos will count towards the official singles chart, in a shake-up to the way music consumption is measured for the weekly countdown. That will change on Friday, when the Official Charts Company overhauls its rules to include music video streams and downloads for the first time.

What videos will count?

Previously the chart was compiled from sales of downloads, CD and vinyl, and streams of audio tracks. Unofficial videos and user-generated content featuring music will not count – but official videos played on YouTube, Apple, Tidal and Spotify in the UK will. Tally will take in Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Tidal, while streams from free and paid-for services will no longer be weighted equally.

Chart every Friday

Now music video streams and downloads will all count – as long as they are an official video accessed via YouTube, Apple, Tidal or Spotify. The move, which comes exactly four years after audio streams were incorporated into the chart, has been approved by record labels and BBC Radio 1, which broadcasts the chart every Friday.

First chart to include video streams

UK Top 40 singles chart will include video streaming figures. Both free and paid-for streams will qualify, although subscription services will carry a heavier weight in calculations. The first chart including video streams will be published on 6 July. The album chart will not be affected. One hundred paid-for streams will equate to one sale, but it will take 600 ad-funded streams to make up the same figure. Forty per cent of all music streaming in the UK takes place on YouTube.

Changes has been considered for years

The changes were first discussed four years ago, as audio streaming began to be included in the calculations. In test charts, songs with viral videos only received a small upgrade to their chart position. Both video and audio streams will now be weighted equally. The Charts Company first considered counting video streams back in 2014. Since launching in 2005, YouTube has amassed more than one billion users across 88 countries, proving particularly popular with a younger audience.

Spain, France & Italy

In Spain, France and Italy, music played on free, ad-funded services like Spotify and YouTube don’t count towards the chart. Established audio services Apple and Spotify have both recently added dedicated music video sections to their platforms. While France, Germany, Italy and Spain now exclude ad-supported streams from their charts entirely, the Official Charts Company in the UK felt they had to be included to give a fuller picture of the consumption and popularity of music in its charts.

Apple Music, Spotify & YouTube

This comes as Apple Music and Spotify will be rolling out new video platforms, and Youtube’s recent announcement of new Music and Premium services. YouTube is to launch its own subscription service. A separate tweak to the chart formula will see paid-for music streams carrying more weight than “free” ones. The long-term impact for YouTube could be more profound.

The importance of music video has now increased

Since music listening is changes and the way we consume music, video is now very important and it’s likely that more countries are going to start including music video for their singles charts. So why not get in touch to discuss your music video needs today?

Sundstedt Animation

Need a Music Video? Contact Us for a Free Quote. We love music videos and are dedicated to create animated Pop, Rock, Rap, Indie, Hip-Hop, Dance, Soul and Heavy Metal videos for your song. Sundstedt Animation makes only 100% handcrafted, original and creative animated videos in many different styles. Just check out the animated music video examples and use the contact form to start discussing how to turn your idea into animated music video magic. Here are some examples the animated videos we have created, including 5 music videos: