The United Kingdom continues to roll with the digital music era, with the launch of a new chart for unsigned musical acts.

Digital downloads have been progressively included in the UK Singles and Album charts. April 2005 saw the first singles chart which combined physical CD sales with legal music downloads.

That was expanded in January 2007, when all download sales became eligible for the charts (whether or not a physical version was available).

Now, fast growing British website Tourdates.co.uk is launching a new unsigned chart with free music downloads, aimed at helping non-label bands and artists promote themselves to the public and build their fan-base.

Official Press Release:

tourdates.Co.UK, Britain's fastest growing new music website, has launched a chart for unsigned bands.

The site allows new bands to upload promotional tracks, announce gig dates and create profiles to promote themselves alongside major artists such as the Arctic Monkeys and The Twang.

Tourdates Jarrod Robinson says, there are some fantastic unsigned bands in the UK and we wanted them to know how much our community likes their music, an unsigned chart seemed the perfect answer.

Chart results are announced on the site at 19:00 every Sunday, the same time as the No.1 single of the week is announced on BBC's Radio 1.