Entertainment · Music · 1 hr ago
YouTube Streaming Data to Return to Billboard Charts in 2027
YouTube will return its streaming data to Billboard’s charts in 2027, according to the company’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen.
YouTube pulled its data from the charts earlier this year after Billboard set a higher value for paid streams than for ad-supported streams.
Billboard is changing that balance, reducing the ratio from 1:2.5 to 1:1.5.
Under the new rules, 1,000 paid streams or 1,500 ad-supported streams will count as one album consumption unit on the Billboard 200.
The revised weighting is intended to better reflect how fans listen across paid and ad-supported services.
YouTube’s data was first used in Billboard charts in 2013 and added to the Billboard 200 in 2019.
Its streaming data is set to return in 2027 under the revised methodology.
YouTube’s streaming data will return to Billboard’s charts in 2027, the company’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, said.
The move follows Billboard’s decision to change how it weighs paid and ad-supported streams.
Under the new methodology, the ratio between paid and ad-supported streams will be 1:1.5, compared with the previous 1:2.5.
YouTube withdrew its data from Billboard’s charts earlier in 2026 after objecting to the previous ratio.
Billboard’s revised methodology takes effect Jan. 16, 2027, using data from Jan. 1-7.
- Who
- YouTube and Billboard. YouTube’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, announced the return.
- What
- YouTube streaming data will return to Billboard’s charts in 2027.
- When
- The return is scheduled for 2027. Billboard’s new methodology takes effect Jan. 16, 2027.
- Where
- Billboard’s music charts.
- Why
- Billboard changed the ratio used to weigh paid and ad-supported streams. Cohen said the new methodology better reflects how fans engage with music.
YouTube
Billboard
Stream weighting
YouTube
YouTube withdrew its data after Billboard announced a 1:2.5 ratio between paid and ad-supported streams.
Billboard
Billboard changed the ratio to 1:1.5, with paid streams weighted more heavily than ad-supported streams.
YouTube announced it was pulling its streaming data from Billboard’s charts.
YouTube’s streaming data was withdrawn from the charts.
Billboard announced a change to its chart methodology, and Lyor Cohen said YouTube data would return in 2027.
Billboard’s revised methodology is scheduled to take effect, reflecting data from Jan. 1-7.
- New stream ratio
- 1:1.5 for paid and ad-supported streams
- Previous stream ratio
- 1:2.5 for paid and ad-supported streams
- Return year
- 2027
- Methodology effective date
- Jan. 16, 2027
- Billboard 200 album unit
- 1,500 ad-supported streams or 1,000 paid-subscription streams
What people are saying
We are returning to the Billboard charts starting in 2027
Billboard’s new methodology better reflects how fans engage with music today across both subscription and ad-supported services.