The Official NZ Music Charts will in the future include video plays in the equation that determines the most popular tunes each week.

Recorded Music NZ’s chart compiler Paul Kennedy says the change, beginning on Saturday, July 2, will help bolster the charts and better reflect the range of ways that local music fans find and listen to their favourite music.

“We know that watching on-demand video on platforms like YouTube and Apple Music has been one of the big ways that many people consume music for a long time now,” he says.

“A great video can be a big factor in the popularity of a song and is often one of the core elements of an artist’s creative toolkit in finding an audience for their music. So we’re very pleased to now be updating the charts to include this data.”

Sales and audio streaming will remain substantial factors in charting, so having a video is not essential. The Official NZ Music Charts have been around since 1975.