Billboard and YouTube are closing out 2025 with a feud, of sorts, centered on the charts value of ad-supported streams.
As always, we’re here to break down the key takeaways from this latest industry development, which currently finds YouTube’s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, expressing hope that a return to Billboard’s charts will be possible with additional negotiation in the future.
YouTube data made its Billboard debut in 2013
For those unfamiliar, YouTube data didn’t show up on a Billboard chart until 2013. At the time, Billboard announced that such data would factor into Hot 100 rankings, as well as genre-specific charts.
By 2019, it was announced that the Billboard 200 albums chart would also take YouTube data into account.
Billboard says it’s adding “more weight” to on-demand streaming in 2026
On Tuesday (Dec. 16), Billboard explained its latest changes to how rankings would be tabulated. In their words, the larger aim is to “add more weight to on-demand streaming,” which they argue will “better reflect an increase in streaming revenue and changing consumer behaviors.”
But what, exactly, does that mean? In short, paid (i.e., subscription) on-demand streams will still carry more weight when compared to ad-supported on-demand streams. The ratio, however, is narrowing. Starting in January, the ratio between the two tiers will be adjusted to 1:2.5, a narrowing from the previous ratio of 1:3. Sales and download stats are not affected.
YouTube says its data will “no longer be delivered” to Billboard
Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music and a longtime industry vet, announced in a blog post shared on Wednesday (Dec. 17) that the platform would cease to deliver its data to Billboard starting in January. As Cohen argued, YouTube’s stance is that streams should be counted equally, regardless of whether they are derived from subscription-based or ad-supported listens.
“Billboard uses an outdated formula that weights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported,” Cohen said. “This doesn't reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don’t have a subscription.”
Cohen, however, is open to having YouTube data return to Billboard charts in the future, provided their terms are met.
