Lightning Live – the top 40’s new method of collecting sales at live venues – aims to focus on artists who use touring as a route to get their albums to fans
Stopping off at a band’s merch stall will now be a key part of helping an artist’s chart ascent: the Official Album Charts have today announced that albums sold at gigs across the UK will now be counted towards an artist’s overall placing in the top 40.
Lightning Live – the name of the new method of collecting sales at live venues – has been set up in order to support labels and artists who use tours as an integral, and, perhaps in some cases primary, means of selling albums. Developed with theOfficial Charts Company, the process has been tested out during concerts over the past six months to ensure accurate sales are reported.
“The launch of Lightning Live follows approaches from both independent and major labels, who are increasingly using live events as a route to get their products to fans and new audiences,” Official Charts Company chief operating officer Omar Maskatiya said in a statement.
“We strive constantly to ensure that the Official Charts reflects and responds to consumer behaviour and this move, following just a few months after the integration of streams, further underlines this strategy.”
This is the latest in a line of changes to the way in which sales in the top 40 are recognised. The first albums chart was launched by NME in July 1956 and was a weekly poll based on specialist music shops selling 12-inch vinyls. It now reflects sales of physical formats (CDs, vinyl albums and cassettes) as well as digital bundles and audio streams.
Read the full article here at The Guardian
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