The History of RIAA

When I write about music albums, whether debut or established, certification is listed with the United States mentioned first.  In the United States, RIAA is the reference for status determination.  

My question - What is RIAA?

(Source - Wikipedia)

RIAA stands for Recording Industry Association of America.  RIAA headquarters is in Washington, D.C.  RIAA consists of record labels and distributors.  RIAA was formed in 1952.

The RIAA mission -

1.  Protect intellectual property rights and First Amendment rights of artists

2.  Research the music industry

3.  Monitor and review relevant laws, regulations, and policies

As of 2001, the RIAA is responsible for certifying Gold and Platinum albums and singles in the United States.

Dominant members of the RIAA include Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group.  Other record labels include Atlantic, Capitol, RCA, Warner Bros., Columbia, and Motown.

The certification process -

- In 1958, a Gold Award was honored for singles and albums reaching $1,000,000 in sales.  

- In 1975, a Gold Award was honored for albums selling 500,000 copies.  

- In 1976, a Platinum Award was honored for albums selling one million copies.  

- In 1989, a Gold Award was honored for singles achieving 500,000 in sales.

- In 1989, a Platinum Award was honored for singles achieving one million in sales.

- In 1999, a Diamond Award was honored for ten million in sales.  

The digital certification process -

- In 2004, the RIAA included digital downloads (i.e.: iTunes) for certification and excluded such formats as CDs.

- In 2013, audio and video streaming (i.e.: Spotify, YouTube) were included in the certification process...100 streams equal one download.

- As of 2016, digital awards -

Gold 500,000 units

Platinum 1,000,000 units

Multi-Platinum 2,000,000 units (with 1,000,000 after)

Diamond 10,000,000 units

A unit for digital sales is defined by the RIAA - 1 digital download or 150 audio and/or video streams as 1 unit.

- As of 2016, album awards -

Gold 500,000 units

Platinum 1,000,000 units

Multi-Platinum 2,000,000 units (with 1,000,000 after)

Diamond 10,000,000 units 

A unit for album sales is defined by the RIAA - 

Sale of a digital album or physical album

10 track downloads from an album

1,500 audio and/or video streams from an album

My take away -

In my opinion, RIAA certification is as honorable as winning prestigious awards.