First, YouTube came out with its own 2025 Wrapped, and now this? The streaming site is vocally defending its place in the music ecosystem, withholding its streaming data from Billboard because it feels like it’s not being fairly represented on the charts. “Billboard uses an outdated formula that weights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported,” YouTube’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, wrote in a December 17 blog. “This doesn’t reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don’t have a subscription.”
YouTube’s move is in response to changes Billboard made to its analytics. Since 2013, YouTube streams have been a factor in the “Billboard” charts. It’s how songs like “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus, “Harlem Shake” by Baauer, and Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. But free listens have counted less than paid ones. One stream of a KPop Demon Hunters track from a Spotify premium account is worth three plays on ad-supported YouTube. On December 16, Billboard announced it was narrowing the gap between paid and unpaid streams, from 1:3 to 1:2.5. But this is not enough for YouTube. “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,” Cohen wrote.
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The first charts to reflect this formulaic change will be on January 16, once YouTube has stopped sending its data. Don’t worry, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” run will not be affected.
