UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by "The Official UK Charts Company". on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being compiled on Sunday afternoon. Most UK singles are released in record shops on a Monday.

Criteria for inclusion

In order to qualify for inclusion in the UK singles chart, a single must meet the following criteria:

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• It must be available on one or more eligible formats. Eligible formats are CD, DVD, Vinyl, Cassette and flexi disc. Digital Compact Cassette and MiniDisc formats are not eligible.
• All formats must contain the featured track or a version/remix of it.
• Only three formats can be included in a single's sales. Sales of any additional formats are disregarded when calculating a single's chart position.
• The single must meet a minimum dealer price requirement, to prevent record companies from making cut-price deals with retailers.
• Each format must have no more than three different tracks on it, though each song may appear in any number of different versions.
• The maximum running time for any format is 20 minutes if more than one different song is featured, or 40 minutes if only one song is featured in multiple versions/mixes.
• A "mini CD" format is now recognised for chart purposes. It can have a running time of up to ten minutes and can feature no more than two tracks. It must be a 5" CD and sold in a single jewelcase. Its minimum price requirement is lower than the regular CD single. This cheaper alternative was first recognised in October 2003 as part of a drive to make singles more attractive to buyers in the face of widespread music downloading.

The full chart regulations also place limits on how chart singles can be packaged and what free gifts can be offered to purchasers. The full regulations can be downloaded from the Official UK Chart Company website or obtained by post from them.

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