YouTube will stop sending music data to Billboard after being judged unfair

JAKARTA - YouTube will stop sending music streaming data to Billboard starting January 16, 2026. This step was taken because Billboard's chart calculation was considered unfair.

The problem lies in Billboard's counting system, which gives higher weight to paid streaming services than ad-supported streaming. According to YouTube, this outdated system ignores the contributions of billions of fans.

For YouTube, regardless of whether fans subscribe or not, every song playback should be counted. Moreover, fans who do not subscribe contribute greatly to music streaming revenue.

"We just ask that every stream is counted fairly and equally, whether it's subscription-based or ad-supported - because every fan matters and every play counts," YouTube said, quoted on Thursday, December 18.

The termination of the relationship with Billboard was also made with considerable consideration. YouTube said that they had discussed it for quite some time, but the result was still considered to be less respectful of artists and fans on YouTube.

Although it stopped sending data, YouTube said it would still be committed to representing a fair music chart. YouTube is also still open to working with Billboard in the future.

"We are committed to achieving fair representation across all charts and hope to work with Billboard to return to their charts," YouTube said.