Official Charts – the producers of the UK’s Official Singles Chart as heard on BBC Radio 1 – has undergone a major relaunch with a new brand identity and a consumer digital platform, offering advertising slots where brands can connect with an engaged and loyal audience.
The launch coincides with the publication of an independent cultural research study, “The Official Chart – The People’s Algorithm” by CultureStudio, on the enduring role of the Official Charts.
The study reveals that The Official Chart boasts a 76% brand awareness and 69% of chart followers (72% of under 25s) say it is their number one way of discovering new music – above streaming platforms, radio, YouTube and friends.
Respondents also revealed a new role for the charts as an antidote to the heavily-personalised algorithm bubbles of today – representing an unbiased and verified record of what is actually popular, rather than what is recommended.
As the UK’s Official Singles Chart turned 70 in November last year and now looks to the future, the all-new OfficialCharts.com platform marks the latest stage of the Official Charts’ evolution as a consumer media brand.
It first launched in 2011 as an editorial platform with exclusive data-driven editorial to complement the weekly Official Album and Singles Charts – attracting 2 million unique users each month, with 3.1 million visits and 7.2 million page views.
Completely revamped for 2023, it now delivers a fresh immersive experience, bridging the gap between chart website and contemporary streaming platform and for the first time is offering brands and advertisers a way to connect with passionate music fans.
Official Charts chief executive Martin Talbot said: “The way people buy and listen to music changes, but the desire to know what’s new and what’s popular remains constant. In a world where our experience of culture is increasingly shaped by algorithmic discovery, OfficialCharts.com provides a trusted and authoritative measure of British pop cultural life through one of the most sophisticated market research tools in the world – powered by a unique 70-year-old globally-recognised heritage.
“You could say it’s the ‘people’s algorithm’. Our community finds personal meaning and relevance when following the weekly chart battles, discovering new music and devouring our exclusive news and our new platform now gives brands the opportunity to enter their lives meaningfully rather than simply interrupting them.”
Through the newly-expanded interactive chart archive OfficialCharts.com users can listen to audio clips of any song that has ever charted, watch a 60-second video countdown of the Top 10, or discover chart facts about any song/album and its week-by-week chart journey.
The new Artists Section includes a never-before-seen view of the chart success of more than 50,000 artists, from global icons to niche genre acts across 50+ specialist charts.
These enhancements draw on Official Charts data (gathered from 8,000 sources daily, from major streaming services to major retailers and the smallest independent record shops) to build a rich and fascinating picture of how the British public connects with music and artists today, and across the past 70 years. It is available to the public free of charge.
Official Charts director of digital and brand Lauren Kreisler said: “Seventy years on from the first ever Singles Chart being published, the Official Charts attracts an engaged digital audience looking to escape their algorithm bubbles. They turn to Official Charts to ensure they’re across popular culture – seeking verified music information, new releases, and a joyful, comforting nostalgia fix to shake off the heaviness of today’s news agendas.
“Having invested in growing the Official Charts community and a distinctive editorial offering over the past decade, with the new platform we’re now opening our doors to create brand-safe contextual campaigns and bespoke partnerships in a genuinely unique, trusted and positive environment at the heart of British music culture.”
The rebrand was undertaken by design agency Electric Mustard and web development by Full Fat Things.
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