Editing RIAA certification (section)

== Description and qualifications ==
[[File:Platinum records, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Juliens Auctions Preview 2011-03-08.jpg|thumb|RIAA certifications for [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Madonna]] and [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] on display at [[Julien's Auctions]]]]

A Gold record is a song or album that sells 500,000 units (records, tapes, and compact discs). The award was launched in 1958;<ref name="riaa history">{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701162808/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php?content_selector=historyx |archive-date=July 1, 2007 |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php?content_selector=historyx |title=History Of The Awards |work=RIAA.com}}</ref> originally, the requirement for a Gold single was one million units sold and a Gold album represented $1&nbsp;million in sales (at wholesale value, around a third of the list price).<ref name="white" /> In 1975, the additional requirement of 500,000 units sold was added for Gold albums.<ref name="white" /> Reflecting growth in record sales, the Platinum award was added in 1976, for albums that sold one million units and for singles selling two million units.<ref name="white">{{cite book |title=The Billboard Book of Gold & Platinum Records |url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofg00whit |url-access=registration |first=Adam |last=White |publisher=Billboard Books |date=1990 |page=viii |isbn=978-0-7119-2196-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/chart-watch-extra-where-thriller-ranks-193809485.html |title=Chart Watch Extra: Where "Thriller" Ranks |first=Paul |last=Grein |work=Chart Watch |publisher=Yahoo Music |date=November 30, 2012 |access-date=December 5, 2012}}</ref> The Multi-Platinum award was introduced in 1984, signifying multiple Platinum levels of albums and singles.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XTo8AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA308 |title=Rock and Roll: An Introduction |author=Michael Campbell |author2=James Brody |page=308 |publisher=Thomson Schirmer |edition=2nd |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-111-79453-8}}</ref> In 1989, the sales thresholds for singles were reduced to 500,000 for Gold and 1,000,000 for Platinum, reflecting a decrease in sales of singles.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Billboard Book of Gold & Platinum Records |url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofg00whit |url-access=registration |first=Adam |last=White |publisher=Billboard Books |date=1990 |page=[https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofg00whit/page/3 3] |isbn=978-0-7119-2196-2}}</ref> In 1992, RIAA began counting each disc in a multi-disc set as one unit toward certification. Reflecting additional growth in music sales, the Diamond award was instituted in 1999 for albums or singles selling ten million units.<ref name="riaa history"/> Because of these changes in criteria, the sales level associated with a particular award depends on when the award was made.

[[Nielsen SoundScan]] figures are not used in RIAA certification; the RIAA system predates Nielsen SoundScan and includes sales outlets Nielsen misses.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} Prior to Nielsen SoundScan, RIAA certification was the only audited and verifiable system for tracking music sales in the U.S.; it is still the only system capable of tracking 100% of sales (albeit as shipments less returns, not actual sales like Nielsen SoundScan).{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} This system has permitted, at times, record labels to promote an album as Gold or Platinum simply based on large shipments. For instance, in 1978 the ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (soundtrack)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' soundtrack shipped Platinum but was a sales bust, with two million returns.<ref>Hollie, Pamela, "Record Industry: Big Changes". ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 12, 1980, p. 27</ref> Similarly, all four solo albums by the members of [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] simultaneously shipped Platinum that same year but did not reach the top 20 of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup |last=Lendt |first=C.K. |year=1997 |page=95}}</ref> The following year, the RIAA began requiring 120 days from the release date before recordings were eligible for certification, although that requirement has been reduced over the years and currently stands at 30 days. Upon criticism on why the RIAA won't adopt SoundScan as its source, Hilary Rosen, president of the recording association, defended their system: "We think the certification process represents an accurate sales picture and we’re comfortable with the numbers we release."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-15-ca-20083-story.html |last=Philips |first=Chuck |title=Sold, Shipped, What's the Diff?: About 2 million albums, in the case of 'The Lion King,' pointing up the disparity between industry's sales tally and SoundScan's |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 15, 1995 |page=67 |access-date=June 24, 2012}}</ref>

In the digital era, changes in the way music is consumed resulted in changes in the certification criteria. Actual album sales had dropped significantly, while digital download followed by streaming became increasingly dominant. On-demand audio and video streams started to be counted towards Digital Single units consumed in 2013.<ref name=streams /><ref name=digital /> Track downloads and audio and video streams were then included in album certification in 2016 using formulas converting downloads and streams into the album units for certification purpose.<ref name="album streams" />