YouTube to End Billboard Chart Data Sharing in 2026

YouTube announced Wednesday that it will cease providing streaming data to Billboard for its U.S. music charts after January 16, 2026, citing an ongoing disagreement over how the publication weights ad-supported streams compared to subscription-based ones.

The decision, outlined in a blog post by Lyor Cohen, YouTube's global head of music, stems from Billboard's formula, which continues to value paid streams more highly than free, ad-supported plays. Cohen argued that the approach undervalues the engagement from non-subscribers, who represent a significant portion of music consumption. "Billboard uses an outdated formula that weights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported," Cohen wrote. "This doesn't reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don't have a subscription. Streaming is the primary way people experience music, making up 84 percent of U.S. recorded music revenue. We're simply asking that every stream is counted fairly and equally, whether it is subscription-based or ad-supported because every fan matters and every play should count."

The announcement came one day after Billboard updated its methodology to...