YouTube to return to Billboard chart calculations in 2027

Starting next year, music performance data from YouTube will once again be included in Billboard chart rankings. The Google-owned platform had previously stopped providing its data to Billboard in December 2025, arguing that the charts failed to provide enough value to free, ad-supported music listening.

Streaming performance is a key part of the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts, alongside various album genre and multi-metric song charts. Billboard has historically placed more weight on paid subscription listens compared to free ones. While this general policy remains in place, Billboard announced today that it is adjusting the calculation for the margin between paid and free streams.

From January 2027, the company will count 1,500 ad-supported streams as one album consumption unit, matching the equivalent of one album sale or 1,000 paid listener streams. Previously, Billboard required 2,500 ad-supported streams to equal one album consumption unit.

Following these updated equivalence rules, YouTube has agreed to resume sharing its data with the charting company. Regarding the decision to return, YouTube stated: "We are returning to the Billboard charts starting in 2027. Billboard's new methodology better reflects how fans engage with music today across both subscription and ad-supported services."