Overview
- Billboard's updated formula, effective with charts dated Jan. 17, 2026, counts one album unit as 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid streams.
- The revision narrows the paid-to-free ratio from 1:3 to 1:2.5 and extends to the Hot 100 and related streaming charts.
- Lyor Cohen said YouTube will stop delivering U.S. chart data after Jan. 16, 2026, calling Billboard's approach outdated.
- Billboard said weighted measurement reflects revenue, intent and data validation and urged YouTube to reconsider.
- YouTube will continue its own charts and, according to Variety, keep sending data to Luminate, raising questions about how the absence will affect Billboard rankings.