YouTube boycotts Billboard charts over unfair stream counts

YouTube has ceased providing its streaming data to Billboard, citing dissatisfaction with the music charts' "outdated formula." Lyor Cohen, YouTube's global head of music, explained that the current system unfairly prioritizes subscription-supported streams over ad-supported ones, not mirroring how fans engage with music today.

This action follows Billboard's recent adjustment to its analytics, which narrowed the disparity between paid and unpaid streams from a 1:3 ratio to 1:2.5. However, YouTube finds this change insufficient, advocating for every stream to be counted equally, whether from a paid subscription or ad-supported platform, emphasizing that "every fan matters."

The consequence of YouTube's data withdrawal will first impact charts released on January 16. While this dispute unfolds, established holiday music traditions, like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" chart performance, will remain unaffected.