Billboard Will Reportedly Start Factoring YouTube Streams Into Album Charts

According to Hits Daily Double, Billboard may start taking into account YouTube streams as part of an album’s ranking on the Top 200 charts. So far YouTube views already count towards the Hot 100 and other album charts, and are even factored in by the Recording Industry Association of America when determining gold and platinum status. Lyor Cohen, head of global music at YouTube, is reportedly in charge of this change, hoping to evolve with the modern day styles of music consumption.

In a statement, RIAA Chairman and CEO Cary Sherman stood by the change, saying, “We know that music listening — for both for albums and songs — is skyrocketing, yet that trend has not been reflected in our album certifications. Modernizing our Album Award to include music streaming is the next logical step in the continued evolution of Gold and Platinum Awards, and doing so enables RIAA to fully reward the success of artists’ albums today.”

The latest change has yet to be confirmed by Billboard, but if put into effect, artists outside the mainstream major label machine may have a chance to land on the Billboard 200 chart. Previously, The Life of Pablo rocked a similar accomplishment stateside by becoming the first streaming-only release to achieve platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The Life of Pablo is now also the first album to go gold in the U.K. on streams only. Let us know if you agree in the comments section below.