The digital age has brought about a massive shift in the UK’s music charts. The addition of paid downloads have been joined more recently by the introduction of streams. The latter brought Three Lions back to Top 40 summit during the World Cup.
However, another major shift could be afoot with a BBC radio big-wig calling for the introduction of a new top 40 for podcasts. Apparently, the Beeb is already in discussions with Apple on how to make it happen.
In a blog post on Medium (via Telegraph) James Purnell Director, Radio and Education, BBC, says an official UK chart would help commercial podcasters show value to advertisers they rely on to keep the shows free
Purnell mused: “Who would be at the top of the iTunes podcast chart every day?”
He added: “The official top 40 measures sales; streams and downloads as agreed with the music industry. But none of the other charts are industry standard.”
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Discussions with Apple would be a great place to start, given the iTunes service is still where a large number of people obtain their podcasts, while syncing everything back to the dedicated Podcasts app. iTunes does offer podcast charts but more data goes into creating those than simple streams.
However, there are a large number of third-party apps on iOS and Android so a truly representative official chart would require aggregation from all.
Purnell writes: “That said the Official Chart show presented by Scott Mills on Radio 1 still has teenage digits hovering over buttons — it’s just that they’re the virtual buttons on their social media apps so they can share their excitement or disappointment with other fans. We see a huge upsurge in engagement on social media when it’s on air, especially when artists respond to their chart positions.
“Charts can reflect the mood of the nation. Novelty songs used to do well in holidays seasons.”
Which pods do you think would top the charts this week? Drop us a line with your faves @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
