THE 2026 NEW CHART RULES, EXPLAINED

Effective starting this week, Billboard is implementing a new formula for streaming on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100.

While the new formula will increase the overall figures for all albums on the Billboard 200, it favors streaming-heavy artists and is somewhat disadvantageous for the majority of K-pop artists, as they largely rely on pure album sales—especially from Week 2 onward. No K-pop artist has achieved over 100K debut units from streaming alone, and even when recomputing all previous K-pop albums using the new formula, no pre-2026 K-pop album would surpass 65K streaming units.

For first-week sales, the new rules will not make a significant difference, though they could make or break a No. 1 debut when the gap with No. 2 is small. From Week 2 onward, as pure sales naturally decline, the new rules are more likely to push K-pop albums down the chart in favor of streaming-heavy artists.

Importance of Premium/Free Trial streaming

BUT, even if the new rules favor streaming-heavy artists, they present an opportunity for fans to adapt to the evolving landscape of music consumption. This also underscores the importance of using PREMIUM/FREE TRIAL streaming, as these carry full weight on Billboard, thereby improving overall album and single units.

PREMIUM STREAMING + FANDOM PARTICIPATION IS KEY FOR CHART LONGEVITY!