SAN FRANCISCO (Hypebot) — YouTube this week launched new and revamped music charts in 44 countries, as part of what is likely the runup to its new music-centered paid subscription service. The new YouTube charts also offer an unfiltered alternative to some recently reconfigured Billboard rankings.
YouTube Music has unveiled a new Trending Chart and reconfigured its charts for Top Songs, Top Artists and Top Videos. A new combined destination for all YouTube Music charts has rolled out in 44 total global destinations including the US, Japan, Germany, Brazil and the UK at YouTube.com/charts.
YouTube is promising more charts and the addition of more countries in the coming weeks.
CHART WARS: YouTube vs Billboard
Billboard recently announced the recalculation of many of its charts, giving as much as three times more weight to paid streams over free streams. Some artists, like young Latin and Hip Hop artists whose fans congregate to free streaming, will be hurt by the change. Almost all streaming on YouTube is free and supported by ads.
“Billboard is essentially saying the only music fans that count are music fans that have credit cards and are paying for subscriptions,” argues Stephen Bryan, YouTube’s head of label relations.
Unlike Billboard’s weekly chart updates, the YouTube Trending chart will be updated multiple times each day.
YouTube chart changes include:
Trending (NEW): What’s new and hot in music right now
The new Trending chart is updated multiple times a day to provide a unique, real time view of the hottest new music fans are enjoying. The Trending chart is YouTube’s first dedicated external signal of the most viewed new music on the platform, providing an instant snapshot of what users are reacting to.
Top Songs: The most played songs on YouTube
The Top Songs chart highlights the number of views of a song on YouTube. Calculated by combining all official versions of a song (including the official music video, official song used in user generated content and lyric videos), the Top Songs chart reflects how users are consuming music on the platform and the multiple ways artists are using YouTube to share their music. The Top Songs chart is updated weekly on Sunday at 12pm PST.
Top Artists: The biggest artists on YouTube
The Top Artists chart highlights the most popular artists on YouTube, based on the total views of their entire discography – official music videos, official song user generated content, official live performances, remixes, lyric videos, album tracks, and collaborations. Top Artists is updated weekly on Sunday at 12pm PST.
Top Music Videos: The most viewed music videos
The Top Music Videos chart celebrates the music video experience on YouTube, highlighting the most viewed official music videos on the platform. Top Videos is updated weekly on Sunday at 12pm PST.
