YouTube agrees to share streaming data with Billboard again following calculation changes

YouTube announced on Monday that it will resume sharing its streaming figures with Billboard beginning in January 2027. The Google-owned video service had stopped providing its data in December 2025 after disputing how Billboard valued ad-supported listening on charts such as the Hot 100, the Billboard 200, genre album rankings, and multi-metric song listings. [1][2]

The truce comes after Billboard agreed to reduce the valuation gap between paid and ad-supported listens. Starting in 2027, Billboard will count 1,500 ad-supported streams as one album consumption unit, equivalent to selling one album or tallying 1,000 paid subscriber streams. Billboard's previous formula required 2,500 ad-supported plays to equal those same 1,000 paid streams. Paid streams continue to receive higher weight, but free listens will exert more influence over chart positions. [1][2]

YouTube said the adjusted calculations better represent how modern listeners consume music across free and paid platforms. The shift is expected to bolster chart placements for acts with significant free listening audiences, including independent musicians and artists relying heavily on music videos and live performances. [1][2]