The Official UK Charts are the UK's premier supplier of 'Official' charts and data analysis for the music and video industries, and is a joint venture between BPI (British Phonographic Industry) and ERA (Entertainment Retailers Association) They track, collate and report UK music and video sales on a daily basis, compile charts of physical and digital sales, to new consumption models such as subscription based 'plays', and provide an accurate weekly insight into popular British music culture and trends.
The Official UK Charts are compiled from over 6,200 retailers including all major high street retail chains, independent stores, supermarkets and internet retailers. Sample equates to 99% of the total UK Singles market, 98% of the total UK Album market and 85% of the total UK DVD market. The main objective was a brand building and sales driving initiative that was engaging to the brand's wide audience of end users, music lovers and B2B clients. From a functional perspective, the large factor was the site must be powered by a content managed system and be future proof to accommodate additional development after initial launch. The affiliate integration has turned the site from a static information website to an income revenue generator.
The differentiations between old and new are the historic timeline, the countdown clock, video preview of a track, listen to a track, and purchase of a digital download. The majority of the charts now automatically update at precisely 7pm every Sunday, with the remainder being manual uploaded for the mid-week chart announcements. The CMS gives The Official Charts the much needed flexibility to instantaneously edit features such as the main home page, selecting which charts feature on landing pages, and many more.
Plus there's even more exciting elements being released very soon. Watch this space to see future developments and check out the site now ... if you haven't had a sneaky peak already.
"It was important that our new site was as advanced as the charts now are – it is designed to be the ultimate destination site for anyone looking to find out what is happening in music right now, as well giving the option to delve into five decades of British music history."
Martin Talbot, Managing Director
