YouTube streaming data returns to Billboard charts, ending major disagreement

YouTube is officially returning to the Billboard charts, ending a disagreement over how music streams should count toward chart rankings.

Announced Monday, YouTube is set to resume sharing its streaming data with Billboard in 2027. The decision follows recent changes to Billboard's chart formula, which now gives more weight to ad-supported streams.

The disagreement began in December 2025, when YouTube said it would stop sharing its streaming data with Billboard. The company argued that the chart formula favored paid subscriptions while not giving enough credit to fans who listen for free with ads.

At the time, Lyor Cohen, YouTube's global head of music, criticized the system in a blog post, saying it didn't reflect how people listen to music today.

"Billboard uses an outdated formula that weights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported. This doesn't reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don't have a subscription. Streaming is the primary way people experience music, making up 84% of U.S. recorded music revenue," Cohen wrote.

Under Billboard's previous formula, 1,000 paid streams counted the same as 2,500 ad-supported streams. YouTube felt this gave too much importance to paid listening, especially when millions of fans discover and support artists through free streaming.

Billboard has now updated its formula, reducing the gap between the two types of streams. Under the new system, 1,000 paid streams will equal 1,500 ad-supported streams when calculating album consumption units, compared with 2,500 under the previous formula. Paid streams will still count for more, but free streams will now have a bigger impact on chart positions.

YouTube's return could make a difference for many artists, especially independent musicians and those with large international fan bases. Music videos, live performances, lyric videos, and other content on the platform help artists reach new audiences. With YouTube's data back in the mix, more of that activity will now count toward their Billboard performance.

For Billboard, getting YouTube's data back also means having a more complete picture of how people listen to and discover music. With so many fans using the platform, leaving its streams out meant missing a major part of music consumption.