Download chart waits for youth: while its beginnings may be modest, the new rundown has an important future ahead.(Editorial)

So this week it all begins. From small acorns, giant oak trees may grow.

Downloads remain a small part of the legitimate music market. In excess of 100,000 units sold every week is impressive, given that the figures would have been less than a tenth of that 12 months ago.

But such sales still pale next to physical singles, of which 8m units were shipped in the 12 weeks that made up quarter two. In sales terms, the download is about as popular as the 12-inch single.

What is most significant about the launch of the Download Chart isn't the volume of sales, but the promise that it represents.

Speaking personally, downloading music still takes too long and flicking through iTunes' database of tracks is nowhere near as seductive as leafing through racks of CDs. Plus, there is still too much music not yet available. But it is the opportunity for instant gratification, at any time of night, in any far-flung location, together with potentially limitless choice, that makes downloading such a killer application.

It is still a very young market, however. What is surprising is that it is not a market dominated by the young, as one might expect. The rundown of test data published in this week's Music Week--we will publish each week's Official Download Chart ...