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YouTube has made the announcement that it will no longer share data with Billboard for the purpose of creating the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts. This decision was made because YouTube does not believe that these charts are computed in an open and honest manner. As stated by YouTube, the problem lies in the manner in which Billboard incorporates on-demand streams into its rankings: Streams from paid music streaming services are given more weight than streams sponsored by advertisements by the magazine, and it just so happens that YouTube is one of the streaming services that is supported by advertisements.

The value of achieving a position on the Billboard charts has diminished significantly over the years, much like the significance of having a book appear on the list of bestsellers published by The New York Times. In a world when the vast majority of people's media consumption is digital and available on demand, sales figures are not necessarily a reliable predictor of prosperity or popularity. One of the reasons why Billboard began incorporating digital streams into its calculations all the way back in 2007, and why it just yesterday indicated that it intends to make adjustments to the way it evaluates on-demand streaming, is because of this component.

The news that streaming will be given more weight was released by Billboard on Tuesday. The publication stated that this would "better reflect an increase in streaming revenue and changing consumer behaviors." At the moment, an album sale is considered to be a "album consumption unit" by Billboard. This unit can be broken down into either "3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams." The new ranking system, which is scheduled to go into effect in January 2026, states that "each album consumption unit will now equal 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams."

"The change means that it will take 33.3 percent fewer ad-supported on-demand streams of songs from an album, and 20 percent fewer paid/subscription on-demand streams of songs from an album, to equal an album unit," according to Billboard magazine. To phrase it another way, things are proceeding in YouTube's favor; yet, it appears that the corporation is not moving as swiftly as it would want.

YouTube describes the act of obtaining its data from Billboard as a struggle for fairness and equality; yet, this action is also tied to the platform's exhibition of its own strength. In addition to the fact that it already distributes billions of dollars to artists and labels from the revenue it generates from advertisements and subscriptions, it is evident that it also want the ability to create new chart-topping stars. According to the release made by YouTube, the company has stated that it is "committed to achieving equitable representation across the charts and hopes to be able to work with Billboard to return to their standards." "Until then, if you are interested in how music is trending on YouTube, you can check out the following:

Леонидас · Dec 18, 2025

According to an exclusive report by Reuters, China is getting closer to achieving its goal of becoming independent in the semiconductor industry than was previously anticipated.

A prototype of a machine that might ultimately be used to make semiconductor chips that are capable of powering artificial intelligence has reportedly been constructed by scientists in China, according to a report that was published by Reuters. The journal was informed by sources that a group of individuals in Shenzhen had finished the prototype of an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine earlier last year, and that the machine is reportedly currently being tested presently. According to reports, the EUV machine was constructed by engineers who had previously worked for the Dutch semiconductor supplier ASML. As reported by Reuters, China is planning to begin manufacturing its own EUV chips in the year 2028. However, other experts have predicted that the year 2030 is the more likely timeframe for this accomplishment.

We have provided an explanation below that delves into some of the specifics of EUV, which is a piece of technology that is quite difficult to understand. Due to the fact that it is at the core of the chips that are manufactured by firms such as Intel and TSMC, any company that is attempting to compete would also require access to EUV. It has been stated that the Chinese prototype is capable of producing the severe ultraviolet light that is required for the fabrication of chips, despite the fact that it is not yet capable of producing chips.

In the event that this breakthrough is confirmed, it would immediately place China in control of technology, which is considerably sooner than observers had anticipated. Until now, European Union Vision (EUV) has been mainly maintained out of reach by Western enterprises and has been used as a bargaining tool by the government of the United States. The ability of China to manufacture its own semiconductors is a matter that President Xi Jinping of China has expressed as a top goal for the country. "The aim is for China to eventually be able to make advanced chips on machines that are entirely China-made," according to a person familiar with the matter. "China wants the United States 100 percent kicked out of its supply chains."

Леонидас · Dec 18, 2025

This photograph was taken on January 17, 2025, in China, and it depicts a Facebook app logo being displayed on an iPhone while it is sold in an Apple Store. (This photograph was taken by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket and is viewed through Getty Images) (Images on SOPA obtained from Getty Images)

Making link sharing a part of a Meta Verified subscription is something that Meta is currently testing.

For a long time, creators and publishers have been concerned about Meta's capacity to limit links to content that is located outside of Meta. Presently, the organization is doing experiments with a novel plan that, in essence, places link-sharing behind a paywall for content creators on Facebook.

If a creator has a Meta Verified subscription, the number of links that they are able to share with another profile on a monthly basis will be determined by the test. According to a snapshot that was posted by social media strategist Matt Navarra, artists who participated in the test recently received an email from Meta warning them that "certain Facebook profiles without Meta Verified, including yours, will be limited to sharing links in two organic posts per month."

Indiasocialbook was informed by a representative of Meta that the test had been made. The test is presently affecting an undetermined number of Facebook pages and creators who are operating in "professional mode" on the platform. For the time being, publishers are not impacted. "This is a limited test to understand whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links adds additional value for Meta Verified subscribers," the representative was quoted as saying.

In spite of the fact that Meta appears to be making an effort to minimize the significance of the test, this is a significant change for the company. Due to the fact that a large number of creators and businesses rely on Facebook, limiting their capacity to send visitors to websites located outside of Facebook could be a huge effect. The fact that the firm prefers to put its superior customer care features behind the Meta Verified subscription, which begins at $14.99 per month, has already caused a great deal of frustration among creators. Making the ability to share links a premium service would be much less popular than it already is.