Registering a release

Once you have decided how to release your music, it is essential to register it for the Official Charts.

To have any chance of making the Official Charts, or being picked up for our data tracking services, your first step is to make sure your physical and digital formats are registered with the relevant organisations. This is to ensure that all sales are tracked and allocated to your release correctly.

Obtaining your identifiers - to start with, you need to make sure your releases have the correct identifiers. You can only register your releases if you have these in place.

• Your physical formats – you need to obtain a catalogue number and barcode for each of your physical formats. We can only track sales of those products with a unique barcode. For more information on barcodes go to www.gs1uk.org. Alternatively your distributor (if you have one) will be able to assist you with both your catalogue numbers and barcodes.
• Your digital formats – you also need an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) for each of your individual digital tracks and a digital barcode for each of your digital formats. We can only track sales of digital tracks with an ISRC and digital single or album formats with a digital barcode. For further information on ISRCs please see PPL's website or contact PPL via email on member.info@ppluk.com or on 020 7534 1122. You will also be able to obtain a barcode for digital use from www.gs1uk.org

Registration of your releases - Once you have obtained your identification codes/numbers, you need to make sure these are registered with the appropriate bodies to ensure that your sales and streams are correctly recognised. This is a simple process:

• If you have a distributor, they should be including the details of your releases in the “Release File” which they send electronically to Kantar. (All distributors of any size send a Release File to Kantar as a matter of course.) To be sure, it is always best to check that the information submitted is listed correctly. This can be done by contacting either Kantar or the Official Charts Company directly.
• If you do not have a distributor, you will need to register your release with Kantar directly. Both physical and digital formats can be registered via the free online application called Tornado. Email chartsproduct@kantar.com to request a Tornado account. Kantar will need the following details: Catalogue Number, Barcode, Artist, Title, Record Company Hierarchy, Published Dealer Price and Release Date, as well as details of each track of the release, including ISRCs.
• Send a finished copy of all physical formats of the product to our chart compilers Kantar, at the address below. Kantar will then ensure that the product is added to the product file to match to once sales information is received. Also send a finished copy of all physical formats of the product to the Official Charts Company

Kantar, c/o The Chart Unit, Millward Brown UK, Olympus Avenue, Tachbrook Park, Warwick, CV34 6RJ.