AceShowbiz - YouTube has announced that its streaming data will once again be included in the calculation of Billboard music charts beginning in 2027. This marks the return of YouTube’s video streams to Billboard’s rankings after a temporary hiatus that began in early 2026.

The decision was confirmed by Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music, who shared in a blog post that the platform’s streaming metrics will be reintegrated into Billboard’s charts starting next year. Cohen explained that Billboard has updated its methodology to better capture how fans engage with music across both subscription and ad-supported formats.

Earlier this year, YouTube stopped providing its streaming data to Billboard due to concerns over the chart’s previous weighting system, which favored subscription-based streams more heavily than ad-supported ones. In response, YouTube created its own music charts to reflect trends on its platform independently.

Following YouTube’s announcement, Billboard revealed new chart rules that will take effect on January 16, 2027, using data collected from January 1 to 7. Under the updated system, one album consumption unit will equal 1,500 ad-supported streams or 1,000 paid subscription streams from a project’s tracklist. This contrasts with the current formula, which requires 2,500 ad-supported streams or 1,000 paid streams per album unit. Additionally, one album unit still corresponds to either one full album sale or the sale of 10 individual tracks from an album.

Industry experts anticipate that this change will benefit genres like hip-hop and Latin music by increasing the weight of ad-supported streams on digital service providers (DSPs). Brian Zisook, co-founder of Audiomack and a music industry analyst, noted that this adjustment will likely lead to greater representation of these genres on Billboard charts.

As fans and artists await the official return of YouTube data to Billboard, the music industry continues to evolve how streaming figures reflect artist popularity. This move reinforces the importance of diverse listening habits, including both paid and ad-supported consumption, in chart calculations.

For those interested in the impact of hip-hop on the music charts, Billboard has also released a video exploring the genre’s 50-year influence on its rankings, providing historical context to these ongoing changes.

This article is based on reporting originally published by Xxlmag.