Inclusion Criteria
To qualify for inclusion in the UK singles chart, a single must meet the following criteria:
- It must be available on one or more eligible formats. Eligible formats are CD, DVD, vinyl, cassette, digital download, MiniDisc and flexi disc.
- All formats must contain the featured track or a version/remix of it.
- Only three formats may be included in a single's sales; sales in additional formats are disregarded when calculating a single's chart position.
- The single must meet the minimum dealer price requirement (as of 2012, 40p for a digital audio track)
- Each format must have no more than four different tracks, although each song may appear in any number of different versions.
- Maximum running time for any format is 25 minutes (if more than one different song is featured), or 40 minutes (if one song is featured in multiple versions/mixes).
- A "mini CD" format is now recognised for chart purposes, with a running time of up to 10 minutes and featuring no more than two tracks. It must be an 8 cm CD, sold in a single jewel case. Its minimum-price requirement is lower than that of a conventional CD single. This less-expensive alternative was first recognised in the UK in October 2003 as part of a drive to make singles more attractive despite music downloading; this size of CD was already used in other countries (such as Japan) for single releases.
The full chart regulations also place limits on how chart singles can be packaged and what free gifts can be offered to purchasers. The regulations may be downloaded from the UK Charts Company website (see "External links", below).
Read more about this topic: UK Singles Chart
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