Billboard just made ‘free’ streams worth more on its US charts. YouTube is still not happy – and is pulling its data.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

In other words: paid streams will still be weighted more favorably than ad-supported plays, but by a smaller margin than before.

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.

“Billboard uses an outdated formula that weights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported,” Cohen said in a statement.

“This doesn’t reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don’t have a subscription.”

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.”

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).

Added Cohen: “Streaming is the primary way people experience music, making up 84% of US recorded music revenue.

“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.”

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.

“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.”

2018: Billboard tips the scales toward paid

The question of how to weight different types of streams has been contested since Billboard first introduced tiered streaming values in 2018.

Prior to that change, all streams — whether from paid services like Apple Music or ad-supported platforms like YouTube — were counted equally.

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.

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.”

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?!“

When the 2018 changes were implemented, paid subscription streams were weighted more heavily than ad-supported streams on both charts.

On the Hot 100, paid streams were given full point value, ad-supported streams two-thirds, and programmed streams half. On the Billboard 200, it took three times as many ad-supported streams (3,750) as paid streams (1,250) to equal one album unit.

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.

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.

Meanwhile, on-demand paid subscription platforms contributed $11.685 billion to recorded music rightsholders, up 4.6% YoY.

The disparity in revenue per stream between paid and free tiers is at the heart of the debate.

As Iovine put it in 2017: “The fact is that ‘free’ in music streaming is so technically good and ubiquitous that it’s stunting the growth of paid streaming. Two things have to happen: free has to become more difficult or restricted, and the paid services have to get better.”

Cohen’s announcement represents a reversal from 2019, when he welcomed YouTube’s inclusion in the Billboard 200, calling it a “very important moment in making the chart a more accurate representation of what people are listening to.”

At that time, Cohen said: “Genres like Latin, hip-hop and electronic, which consistently dominate the YouTube charts, will now be properly recognized for their popularity. This is another great step in bringing YouTube and the industry together.”

YouTube reported in October that it paid more than $8 billion to the music industry during the 12 months from July 2024 to June 2025, covering revenue from both advertising and subscriptions on the Google-owned platform.

In his statement today (December 17), Cohen directed fans to YouTube’s own charts as an alternative to Billboard’s lists.

“If you’re curious about what music is making waves on YouTube, you can visit our charts,” he said.

Music Business Worldwide