7digital.com
unsigned band, Koopa, make history by charting at
31
First time an unsigned
act has entered the top 40
All sales were by
download – over 95% from 7digital.com
Band used 7digital.com’s
SMS pre-order service to boost sales.
Less than two
weeks after the official chart rules changed to allow download only sales to
count towards a chart position, unsigned act Koopa chart with ‘Blag, Steal &
Borrow’ at 31.
The vast
majority of Koopa’s sales were from digital media delivery company 7digital.com
where the band has a 7digital powered store (www.7digital.com/koopa), and an indiestore
(www.indiestore.com/koopa).
Ben Drury, MD,
7digital comments:
"Changing the
chart rules has completely rejuvenated the charts. Allowing digital sales to
count has made the top 40 more of a level playing field for all artists,
removing the costs associated with getting a physical single recorded, pressed
and distributed. Any band with a healthy fanbase now has a crack at the charts –
Koopa has shown this.
The digital
methods that Koopa used – setting up an indiestore to sell their tracks,
mobilising their fanbase by pointing MySpace visitors to their 7digital stores,
making their single available as widely as possible and using SMS pre-orders –
are tools that anybody can use. 2007 is going to be the year of the independent
artist."