YouTube Announces Intention to Withdraw Data From Billboard’s Charts: ohnotheydidnt — LiveJournal

Billboard’s new methodology, announced on Monday (Dece 16), will tighten that ratio to 1:2.5, with one album unit now equalling 1,000 paid streams or 2,500 ad-supported streams. This means paid streams will still be weighted more favourably than ad-supported plays, but by a smaller margin than before.

Despite this, YouTube still isn’t happy. “Billboard uses an outdated formula that weights subscription-supported streams higher than ad-supported,” he said. “This doesn’t reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don’t have a subscription. 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.”

“Streaming is the primary way people experience music, making up 84 per cent of US recorded music revenue,” Cohen went on. “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.

Billboard is standing by its new chart calculations.

“Billboard strives to measure [music fans’] activity appropriately; balanced by various factors including consumer access, revenue analysis, data validation, and industry guidance. It is our hope that YouTube reconsiders and joins Billboard in recognizing the reach and popularity of artists on all music platforms and in celebrating their achievements though [sic] the power of fans and how they interact with the music that they love.”

Some fans are concerned that should Billboard and YouTube not work it out, artists and labels will put less effort into music videos. However, platforms such as Spotify are now offering the option to stream music videos. So, time will tell.