At the top of 2026, YouTube decided to remove itself from the Billboard charts. Overall, it was a big deal as artists who typically dominate the YouTube charts found themselves struggling to remain on the Billboard Hot 100 and 200.
YouTube's reasoning behind the decision was simple. Album consumption units on the Billboard 200 equalled 2,500 ad-supported streams and 1,000 paid-subscription streams. YouTube felt as though their ad-supported model was being weighted in a biased fashion that created a raw deal for artists.
Today, Lyor Cohen revealed in a blog post for YouTube that as of January 16, 2027, YouTube will be partnering with Billboard again. This time around, album consumption units will total 1,500 ad-supported streams.
Billboard Comes To An Agreement With YouTube
“We are returning to the Billboard charts starting in 2027,” Cohen explained. “Billboard’s new methodology better reflects how fans engage with music today across both subscription and ad-supported services.”
What Does This Mean For Artists?
For artists who tend to do better on YouTube, like NBA YoungBoy, this is a good thing. Instead of needing 2,500 plays to reach one album sale, they only need to reach 1,500 plays. The YouTube to Spotify/Apple Music ratio used to be 2.5/1. Now, it is at 1.5/1. This is a net benefit for all artists, as it means their album sales will immediately see an increase.
Billboard has seen just how popular ad-supported streaming is these days. Younger folks listen to albums on YouTube, and as a result, their listenership needs to be weighted properly. Artists who have thrived on the platform can now continue to do so, without the pressure of building their audiences on other services.
Over the next few months, we will get to see firsthand how this decision impacts sales figures. Artists who have built their fanbases on YouTube could very well see themselves a top the Billboard charts in short order.
