Up until now, The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has awarded gold and platinum certifications based solely on the quantity of sales reached by albums. Following the evolution of the musical marketplace, RIAA has announced this week that on-demand audio and video streaming, along with the traditional album sales, will now count in the certification process. The change has already had its effects: 17 artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay, the Weeknd, and Big Sean, have been awarded with new gold and platinum records.
Cary Sherman, RIAA’s CEO and chairman, has commented the change in a statement, which says: “For nearly six decades, whether it’s vinyl, CDs, downloads or now streams, the Gold & Platinum Program has adapted to recognize the benchmarks of success in an evolving music marketplace“.
The statement added that, “we know that music listening—for both for albums and songs—is skyrocketing, yet that trend has not been reflected in our album certifications. Modernizing our Album Award to include music streaming is the next logical step in the continued evolution of Gold & Platinum Awards, and doing so enables RIAA to fully reward the success of artists’ albums today“.
Despite the new formula, a single stream will not count as a sale: 1,500 on-demand audio or video streams (made through services like Spotify and Apple Music, where you can choose what to listen to) will amount to one album sale or 10 single-song sales. Below, a list of all the records affected by the new rules.
Alt-J, An Awesome Wave (Atlantic Records): Gold
Big Sean, Dark Sky Paradise (Def Jam Recordings): Platinum
Brett Eldredge, Bring You Back (Atlantic Nashville): Gold
Coldplay, Ghost Stories (Atlantic/Parlophone): Platinum
Elle King, Love Stuff (RCA): Gold
Fifth Harmony, Reflection (Epic): Gold
Halsey, Badlands (Astralwerks): Gold
Hozier, Hozier (Columbia): Platinum
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly (Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope): Platinum
Michael Jackson, Thriller (Epic/Legacy): 32X Multi-Platinum
Miranda Lambert, Platinum (RCA Nashville): Platinum
Romeo Santos, Fórmula Vol. 2 (Sony Latin): 11X Diamante/RIAA Latin G&P Program
Sam Hunt, Montevallo (MCA Nashville): 2X Multi-Platinum
Shawn Mendes, Handwritten (Island Records): Platinum
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness (XO/Republic Records): 2X Multi-Platinum
Vance Joy, Dream Your Life Away (Atlantic Records): Gold
Wale, Ambition (Atlantic Urban): Gold
#Peace.Love.RIAA
