In an effort to further reflect how people listen to music, Billboard will now count video plays from YouTube, Apple, Vevo, and Tidal toward album-consumption data.
YouTube views have factored into the Billboard Hot 100 since 2013. The expansion to include album plays from video is meant to give a more accurate representation of the music landscape.
“Genres like Latin, hip-hop and electronic, which consistently dominate the YouTube charts, will now be properly recognized for their popularity,” said Lyor Cohen, global head of music at YouTube, to Billboard. “This is another great step in bringing YouTube and the industry together and we’re so grateful to Billboard and the music business at large for making this addition.”
The changes take effect in January.
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