The way the most popular songs in Ireland are categorised is getting a bit of a tweak this summer. For the first time, video streaming is to count towards the Official Irish Singles Chart.
The Irish Recorded Music Association says it's bringing in the change to "ensure the chart remains a showcase for hit music, however music fans choose to access it".
The Official Irish Singles Chart will continue to reflect "sales of downloads, CD and vinyl, as well as streams of audio tracks or video tracks, whether on premium subscription or ad-funded services."
The counting of video streams comes as platforms like Apple Music and Spotify add video to their offering, and YouTube launch their first subscription service in Ireland.
Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of Irish Recorded Music Association, has called the change "incredibly exciting" and believes it will "ensure Ireland is keeping pace with today’s rapidly evolving music landscape".
"It’s important that all this activity is captured and reflected in the nation’s official singles countdown, making it more insightful and relevant than ever", he said.
As well as the introduction of video streams, there are some other changes being made to the way the Irish Singles Chart is compiled:
Paid-for streams to be given greater weight
100 streams via a subscription service will equate to one sale, as will 600 “free” streams.
Three-track cap
No more than the 3 most popular tracks (based on sales & streams) per artist will appear in the Top 100.
New streaming ratio
This serves to recognise the distinction between a single’s natural shelf life and the stretched out "long tail" of streaming as a form of consumption.
