> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://all-about-music.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Billboard Updates Its Numbers - URL: https://all-about-music.ghost.io/billboard-updates-its-numbers/ - Published: 2025-12-19T07:04:33.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-19T07:04:33.000Z - Author: Jay Peach From MBW: | [**YouTube says it** will soon stop providing data to *Billboard* for inclusion in the US charts, ending a partnership that has lasted more than a decade.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=6c1af1d67b&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ The decision, announced today (December 17) by **Lyor Cohen**, YouTube's Global Head of Music, comes just one day after Billboard revealed changes to its chart methodology that will actually *narrow* the weighting gap between paid and ad-supported streams.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=0964613075&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ Under Billboard's current formula for the **Billboard 200**, one album 'unit' equals **1,250** paid/subscription streams or **3,750**ad-supported streams — a 1:3 ratio.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=48f22ae2e6&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ Billboard's new methodology, announced yesterday (December 16), tightens that ratio to **1:2.5**, with one album unit now equalling **1,000 paid streams** or **2,500 ad-supported streams**. (The same ratio change is being applied to the **Hot 100**.)](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=bf46d22020&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ In other words: **paid streams** will still be weighted more favorably than ad-supported plays, but by a **smaller margin** than before.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=f0e59bb4e9&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ Yet in a statement today, **Lyor Cohen** said the changes do not go far enough. **YouTube**wants all streams to be counted equally on Billboard's charts – regardless of whether they come from paid subscriptions or ad-supported services.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=eafe3e7155&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ "Billboard uses an outdated formula that weights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported," **Cohen** said in a statement.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=8636220265&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ "This doesn't reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don't have a subscription."](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=dd41ce11b8&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ **Cohen** added: "We believe every fan matters and every play should count equally, therefore after January 16, YouTube data will no longer be delivered or factored into the US Billboard charts."](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=1ad3ab43ca&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ That January 16 date is deliberate: the new*Billboard* streaming methodology takes effect with charts dated January 17, 2026 (covering data from January 2-8).](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=bbc2087884&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io) | | 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| | [![](https://mcusercontent.com/1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654/images/4a662347-bc4f-5110-d055-a7c83b03527a.gif)](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=0b5c9f0214&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io) | | [Added **Cohen**: "Streaming is the primary way people experience music, making up 84% of US recorded music revenue.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=d19f652ec9&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)["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."](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=825b93428f&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[YouTube was first included in the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2013, and was later added to the Billboard 200 album chart in January 2020.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=483a449d1b&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)["After a decade-long partnership and extensive discussions, \[Billboard\] are unwilling to make meaningful changes," **Cohen** said. "We are committed to achieving equitable representation across the charts and hopefully can work with Billboard to return to theirs."](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=52a9bcade2&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[The question of how to weight different types of streams has been contested since *Billboard*first introduced tiered streaming values in 2018.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=01b07c175c&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ Prior to that change, all streams — whether from paid services like **Apple Music** or ad-supported platforms like **YouTube** — were counted equally.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=7581c9d9fe&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ In a 2017 interview with *MBW*, Apple's Jimmy Iovine argued that having **YouTube** streams count equally alongside paid-for music on Billboard's Hot 100 disadvantaged artists.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=15e42bbcdb&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ **Iovine** was unequivocal about his view that paid streams should carry more weight on industry charts. "I'll put it this way: people who pay for subscriptions should be advantaged," he said. "The labels owe it to their customers."](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=b064b42f2a&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ He added: "The most important thing for labels is to make the paid services compelling and entertaining. And don't make free services as good as the paid services. **Is that not obvious?!**"](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=4e95c3e6e0&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[Recent data shows that the US recorded music industry's overall streaming revenue performance in 2024 was dragged down by payouts from on-demand, ad-supported music services, including YouTube and Spotify's 'freemium' tier.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=a8ed329cb8&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ Combined, these platforms saw their revenue contribution to the recorded music industry decline in the US last year, down **1.8% YoY**to **$1.83 billion**.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=7456ce99ae&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io)[ Meanwhile, on-demand paid subscription platforms contributed **$11.685 billion** to recorded music rightsholders, up **4.6% YoY**.](https://musicbizworldwide.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1cea3abb6ec1d881feba0c654&id=675ac74959&e=8820f92470&ref=all-about-music.ghost.io) |