"YouTube announced that it will no longer share data with Billboard for the creation of the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts because the video platform doesn't believe they're calculated fairly. The issue lies, per YouTube, with how Billboard weighs on-demand streams in its rankings: The publication weighs streams from paid music streaming services over ad-supported streams, and YouTube just so happens to run an ad-supported streaming service."
"Much like getting a book on The New York Times Bestseller list, landing a spot on the Billboard charts doesn't carry quite the same importance that it once did. When the majority of the media people consume is digital and on-demand, sales numbers aren't a guaranteed indicator of success or popularity. That's part of the reason why Billboard started including digital streams in its calculations way back in 2007, and why it announced plans to adjust how it weighs on-demand streaming just yesterday."
"On Tuesday, Billboard announced that it would add more weight to streaming to "better reflect an increase in streaming revenue and changing consumer behaviors." Billboard currently counts an "album consumption unit" as an album sale, which either breaks down to "3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams." In the new ranking scheme that will go into effect in January 2026, "each album consumption unit will now equal 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams.""
YouTube will stop sharing data with Billboard for the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts after January 16, 2026, citing that chart calculations are unfair. YouTube objects to Billboard's practice of weighing streams from paid music services more heavily than ad-supported streams, and notes that its service is ad-supported. Billboard plans to add weight to streaming to reflect increased streaming revenue and changing consumer behavior. Billboard currently defines an album consumption unit as 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams. Under the new January 2026 scheme, each unit will equal 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription streams.
Read at Engadget
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