YouTube Streaming Data to Return to Billboard Charts
The update follows Billboard’s announcement to update its chart methodology in 2027.
Billboard has announced that YouTube's streaming data will once again be included in its charts, effective January 16, 2027. This change comes after Billboard updated its chart methodology, narrowing the ratio between paid/subscription streams and ad-supported streams to 1:1.5. Previously, the ratio was 1:2.5.
YouTube's head of music, Lyor Cohen, confirmed the return to the charts in a blog post on Monday, stating that the decision better reflects how fans engage with music across both subscription and ad-supported services. The change will be implemented starting January 16, 2027, using data from January 1-7, 2027.
Under the new system, each album consumption unit on the Billboard 200 will be equal to 1,500 ad-supported streams or 1,000 paid-subscription on-demand official audio and video streams. Currently, each album consumption unit is equivalent to 2,500 ad-supported streams or 1,000 paid-subscription streams.
YouTube was first included in Billboard's charts in 2013, when its streaming data was incorporated into the song charts, including the Hot 100. Billboard began including YouTube streaming data in the Billboard 200 in 2019, following a weighted system that gave higher value to paid/subscription streams. This shift in methodology aimed to better reflect the varied user activity on these services, a belief shared by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
