Muse Live (CEO Seok Cheol) has achieved a significant milestone in the UK music market with its self-developed next-generation music format, the KiTalbum. The fourth full-length album, God Shaped Hole, by the British band Those Damn Crows, released in the KiTalbum format by Muse Live, reached number one on the UK's official music chart, the Official Chart.
This achievement was confirmed when the album, released as a KiTalbum on April 11, topped the Official Album Chart announced on April 18. This marks the first time Those Damn Crows have reached number one on the chart, and it is also the first instance of a KiTalbum being officially counted on the UK’s official album chart, making the accomplishment even more significant.
The Official Chart is jointly operated by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA). It ranks singles and albums based on sales volume and is recognized as the most authoritative music chart in the UK.
This number one chart record is also the result of the band’s official label, the UK rock specialist label Earache Records, choosing to release the album in the KiTalbum format and actively promoting it as a new next-generation music format.
Muse Live's KiTalbum is a new type of physical album featuring the company’s proprietary U-NFC technology. Since its debut in the Korean market in 2017, it has gained attention as a medium that combines the advantages of both physical and digital formats. Starting in 2022, it has been officially recognized as a physical album on major charts in countries such as the UK (Official Chart), Germany (ODC), and Australia (ARIA). In 2023, Muse Live officially announced its entry into the global market and has been expanding its presence in Europe and the United States.
A Muse Live representative stated, "It is very encouraging that the KiTalbum is being recognized as a new format in the market through our collaboration with Earache Records. As more than 10 additional KiTalbums are scheduled to be released through Earache Records by the end of this year, we expect the KiTalbum to become an increasingly common choice for European artists."
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