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YouTube may still be the place many people instinctively go to watch music videos, but when Taylor Swift dropped it Video about Opalite On Friday, he was noticeably absent from the podium. In fact, it won’t land YouTube Until Sunday, two days after its release on other streaming platforms.
So why is the Opalite music video only available on? Apple music and Spotify Premium now? It likely has to do with a dispute between YouTube and Billboard, which ranks the week’s most popular songs and albums.
In December, the painting changed its location Chart methodology So paid and subscription-based streams are weighted better than ad-supported streams. Bulletin board The weighting has begun higher paid streams than ad-supported ones in 2018. This latest shift has narrowed that ratio from 1:3 to 1:2.5, putting numbers from platforms like YouTube at a disadvantage.
After the change, YouTube Published a statement about its dispute with Billboard, calling the charts company’s methodology an “old formula.” She added: “This does not reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the tremendous engagement from non-subscription fans… We are simply asking that every stream be counted fairly and equally, whether subscription-based or ad-supported – because every fan matters and every play should count.”
YouTube said that as of January 16, 2026, its data will no longer be delivered to Billboard or considered in its charts.
For artists like Taylor Swift who rely on early streams to boost their Billboard rankings, that could make YouTube a less attractive option for debuting new content. So the Opalite video will still make its way to YouTube, but you’ll have to wait until Sunday, February 8 at 8 a.m. ET to watch it there. Representatives for Swift, YouTube and Billboard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
YouTube has an ad-supported streaming service as well as a paid service called YouTube Premium. However, even YouTube Premium subscribers cannot watch the Opalite music video on Friday. (I’m a subscriber and can confirm it’s not found anywhere.) According to Statista, in March 2025, YouTube had 125 million Paid subscribers through its premium and music services. (YouTube Music is included in its Premium subscription.) This pales in comparison 2.5 billion total users on YouTube, and the majority of them still rely on this ad-supported offering.
It remains to be seen whether or not YouTube and Billboard will mend their affairs, and whether this is just a temporary bump, as Taylor Swift put it in Opalite.