Overview
- Billboard announced on Monday that it will count YouTube streams again and that YouTube’s data will be included on charts dated January 16, 2027, covering the tracking week of January 1–7.
- The chart formula now values 1,500 ad-supported streams as one album unit while keeping paid subscription streams at 1,000, narrowing the previous 2,500-to-1,000 gap.
- YouTube withdrew its data in December 2025 after objecting to the heavier weighting for paid streams, and negotiations with Billboard and data partner Luminate produced the revised methodology.
- The change is expected to boost chart visibility for artists and genres with large YouTube audiences—particularly hip-hop and Latin acts that rely on ad-supported video plays.
- Industry watchers say the return of YouTube data will alter release strategies and chart outcomes in early 2027, and the first tracking weeks will be watched closely to see which artists gain from the revised weighting.