YouTube has announced that its streaming data will return to the Billboard charts in 2027 following changes to Billboard’s chart methodology.
In an update issued Monday (November 9), YouTube confirmed that Billboard’s revised system better reflects how fans consume music across both paid subscription and ad-supported streaming services.
The announcement marks a reversal from YouTube’s December 2025 decision to withdraw its data from Billboard’s charts, beginning with the charts dated January 31, 2026.
The dispute followed Billboard’s announcement that paid subscription streams would be weighted against ad-supported streams at a 1:2.5 ratio. YouTube argued that the system undervalued engagement from fans using free streaming services and called for streams to be counted equally.
YouTube’s relationship with Billboard dates back to 2013, when its streaming data was first incorporated into song charts, including the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard became the first chart provider to include YouTube streaming data, later expanding its inclusion to the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2019.
Billboard began assigning greater weight to paid streams in 2019, a practice also adopted by international music organizations, including the IFPI. The company maintained that weighting streams based on consumer engagement, access and revenue better reflected listening activity across different services.
After more than a decade of collaboration, the disagreement led YouTube to pull its data earlier this year.
With the updated methodology, YouTube’s return in 2027 will once again bring eligible music video views and streaming activity into Billboard’s chart calculations.
