YouTube has debuted a new trending chart that tracks the popularity of music based exclusively on the number of views using real-time data, according to Rolling Stone. YouTube’s new chart, which will refresh multiple times a day, comes following Billboard’s announcement that starting June 29, it will modify its formula to give more weight to paid streaming when calculating the Billboard charts.
The Billboard Hot 100, which tracks the popularity of songs via sales, radio play and streaming, will now award one point per play for paid streams while awarding two-thirds of a point per play for ad-supported streams and one-half of a point per play for programmed streams.
The change in methodology (Billboard previously gave equal weight to paid and free streams) questions the future democratization of the music industry. In an interview with Rolling Stone, economically biased Apple music head Jimmy Iovine questioned the validity of charts based on free streams: “Billboard could have a free chart if they want, but the chart that people argue for, that they strive to be number one on, has to be a real chart.”
YouTube, with its staggering 1.8 billion users per month, said it is “just getting started” and more trending charts and data points will be released in the future. Stephen Bryan, YouTube’s head of label relations, told Rolling Stone, “The trending chart is an evolution that’s based on understanding. We think it’s going to be incredibly helpful to the industry in providing the clearest view in what’s happening in music today.”
Varying methodology when calculating charts and trends could significantly impact the industry. Bryan addresses the impact saying, “Billboard is essentially saying the only music fans that count are music fans that have credit cards and are paying for subscriptions.”
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