YouTube Backs Down, Will Feed Streams to Billboard Again in 2027

YouTube and Billboard are back on speaking terms. The video giant will resume sending its streaming numbers to the chart company in 2027, according to an announcement Monday, closing a fight that started in December 2025 when YouTube yanked its data. At the heart of it: how much a free, ad-supported listen should count next to a paid one.

Billboard blinked on the formula. Under the old rules, 1,000 paid streams matched 2,500 ad-supported streams when tallying album consumption units. The new system sets 1,000 paid streams equal to 1,500 ad-supported streams, so paid plays still carry more punch but free ones now move chart positions further. YouTube had argued the old weighting shortchanged the millions of fans who listen without a subscription.

Lyor Cohen, YouTube's global head of music, made the case loudly at the time, calling Billboard's approach outdated in a blog post and arguing it ignored how listeners actually behave. He pointed out that streaming accounts for 84% of U.S. recorded music revenue. Billboard's revision answered the core complaint by shrinking the paid-versus-free gap.

The reunion matters most for independent artists and acts with big international fan bases, whose numbers pile up through music videos, live performances and lyric videos on the platform. For Billboard, the return means a fuller read on how music gets discovered and played. YouTube's streams rejoin the count in 2027.