YouTube Will Stop Submitting Data to Billboard Charts Over Methodology Dispute
YouTube will stop sharing its U.S. streaming data with Billboard beginning early next year, marking a significant rupture in one of the longest-running data partnerships in the modern music industry. The decision, announced Wednesday by YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen, centers on what the platform calls an “outdated” chart formula that it argues undervalues ad-supported listening.
According to Cohen, YouTube will cease submitting data to Billboard after Jan. 16, 2026. In a statement shared publicly, he criticized ’s methodology for weighting subscription-based streams more heavily than free, ad-supported streams, a system Cohen said no longer reflects how fans engage with music.
“The charts should reflect fan engagement as it actually exists today,” Cohen wrote. “Every fan matters, and every play should count.”
At the core of the dispute is how Billboard converts streams into chart units. Under the publication’s previous formula, 1,250 subscription streams equaled one album unit, while it took 3,750 ad-supported streams to equal the same value, a 1:3 ratio. On Tuesday, announced a revision to that system, narrowing the ratio to 1:2.5 based on what it described as updated streaming-revenue analysis. Those changes are set to take effect with charts dated Jan. 17, covering data from Jan. 2 through Jan. 8, and will apply to the 200, Hot 100, genre album charts, and streaming consumption charts.
Cohen said the revised formula still fails to properly account for the scale of engagement on YouTube, where many users consume music without paid subscriptions. He argued that the platform’s reach, particularly among younger listeners and international audiences, is being systematically underrepresented.
YouTube has contributed data to Billboard charts for more than a decade. Video streams were first incorporated into the Hot 100 in February 2013, reflecting the growing importance of platforms like YouTube in shaping hit records. The platform began contributing data to the 200 albums chart in January 2020.
“There are many ways fans support the artists they love,” the spokesperson said. “Each has a place in the music ecosystem. Billboard strives to measure that activity appropriately, balanced by factors including consumer access, revenue analysis, data validation, and industry guidance.”
The statement added that Billboard hopes YouTube will reconsider its decision and continue participating in chart measurement, describing the charts as a reflection of both popularity and market impact.
YouTube says it will continue to publish its own internal charts tracking popular music on the platform, even after ending its data-sharing relationship with Billboard. Cohen left the door open to future negotiations, saying the company hopes to eventually return under a framework it considers more equitable.
