USB sticks 'will transform charts'
Updated on 20 March 2007
The singles chart could be set to undergo another revolution.
Glasgow band The Fratellis released their new single Baby Fratelli on Monday on a USB memory stick.
The stick fits into the back of a computer and contains not just the track but also the accompanying video. Industry watchers believe that, if they prove a hit with music fans, USB sticks should be eligible for the charts.
It will be another nail in the coffin for the CD, and it could also pave the way for albums to be released on the same format.
At the beginning of the year, chart rules were changed to make downloads eligible for the top 40.
The USB stick was piloted last October with Keane single Nothing's In My Way, which sold out within a day.
Around 7,000 Fratellis sticks will be made available exclusively at HMV stores and online at hmv.co.uk.
HMV's Gennaro Castaldo said: "Success for this format would create a growing case for the Official UK Charts Company to consider making them chart eligible."
Lee Jenson, head of marketing at the Fratellis' record company, Island Records, said: "The success of the Keane single last year convinced us that music fans would welcome more audio releases on this format.
"If demand really does start to take off, it may well become viable to think about releasing selective albums on USB as well, especially if they were to become eligible for inclusion in the chart."
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