YouTube Will No Longer Factor Into Billboard Charts

 

YouTube announced today that it will cease providing its streaming data to Billboard, effectively removing YouTube views and streams from the calculations of major U.S. charts like the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 starting in early 2026.

The decision, revealed by YouTube's Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen in a blog post, ends a partnership that began over a decade ago. YouTube streams were first incorporated into the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2013, marking a pioneering inclusion of video platform data in official music rankings. The platform's data was later added to album charts like the Billboard 200 in January 2020.

YouTube, however, contends that this approach is "outdated" and undervalues the massive global engagement on its platform. Cohen emphasized: "Every fan matters and every play should count equally, whether it is subscription-based or ad-supported." YouTube highlights its role as a primary music discovery engine, especially for younger and international audiences who rely on free access.

The timing is notable. Billboard announced updates to its methodology, narrowing the weighting gap. Previously, ad-supported streams required higher volumes to match paid ones (around a 3:1 ratio in some calculations). The new rules adjust this to 2.5:1, meaning ad-supported streams gain slightly more value, but YouTube deems this insufficient, demanding full parity (1:1).