YouTube will no longer submit data to ‘Billboard’ starting Jan. 16, 2026. SOPA Images\/LightRocket\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n YouTube<\/a>, one of the biggest music streaming platforms in the world, will no longer submit data to\u00a0Billboard<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>for its U.S. music charts starting early next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lyor Cohen<\/a>, YouTube\u2019s Global Head of Music, announced the decision in a\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0shared Wednesday, Dec. 17. In the post, he called\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u2019s chart formula \u201coutdated\u201d and claimed it \u201cundervalued\u201d the \u201cmassive fan engagement on YouTube.\u201d YouTube said it will no longer submit its data after Jan. 16, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Cohen explained, YouTube\u2019s main gripe with the\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0charts is the way it \u201cweights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported\u201d streams. Cohen said this \u201cdoesn\u2019t reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don\u2019t have a subscription.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A spokesperson for\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0said in a statement, \u201cThere are so many ways a fan can support an artist they love. Each has a specific place in the music ecosystem.\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0strives to measure that activity appropriately; balanced by various factors including consumer access, revenue analysis, data validation, and industry guidance. It is our hope that YouTube reconsiders and joins\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0in recognizing the reach and popularity of artists on all music platforms and in celebrating their achievements though the power of fans and how they interact with the music that they love.\u201d<\/p>\n YouTube\u2019s decision came one day after\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0changes of its own to its chart methodology, which did shrink the discrepancy between subscription and free streams. Under the old methodology, the ratio between paid streams and free streams was 1:3; so, for the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0<\/em>200 Albums chart, one album \u201cunit\u201d was equal to 1,250 subscription streams, and 3,750 ad-supported streams. The new ratio, which\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0said was based on \u201canalysis of streaming revenue,\u201d was shrunk to 1:2.5<\/p>\n Billboard<\/em>\u2019s new methodology is set to go into effect with charts dated Jan. 17 (which will cover data from Jan. 2 through 8). the 1:2.5 ratio will be effective for the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0<\/em>200, the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0<\/em>Hot 100, and genre album charts, and streaming and song consumption charts.\u00a0<\/p>\n But for YouTube,\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u2019s ratio change was far from enough. Cohen argued that every stream, whether paid or ad-supported, should be \u201ccounted fairly and equally\u2026 because every fan matters and every play should count.\u201d Cohen also noted that YouTube would continue to track \u201cwhat music is making waves\u201d on the platform with its own set of charts.\u00a0<\/p>\n YouTube data has been incorporated into\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0charts for over a decade. As\u00a0Music Business Worldwide<\/a>\u00a0notes, data from the platform was first included on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0<\/em>Hot 100 in February 2013. It started contributing data to the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0<\/em>200 in January 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAfter a decade-long partnership and extensive discussions, [Billboard is] unwilling to make meaningful changes,\u201d Cohen said, adding: \u201cWe are committed to achieving equitable representation across the charts and hopefully can work with\u00a0Billboard<\/em>\u00a0to return to theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n (Billboard\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/em>\u00a0are both owned by the same parent company, Penske Media Corporation.)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/rollingstoneindia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2196935324-960x640.jpg\")
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