About the Awards
The Gold & Platinum Awards have been a pinnacle of success in the music industry since 1958. The awards below are earned by artists who have met rigorous standards, and recipients join the ranks of the most iconic recording artists.
RIAA GOLD & PLATINUM AWARDS
| Certification | Minimum Units |
Date Established |
|---|---|---|
| Gold® | 500,000 | 1958 |
| Platinum® | 1,000,000 | 1976 |
| multi-Platinum® | 2,000,000 (in increments of 1,000,000 thereafter) | 1984 |
| Diamond® | 10,000,000 and counting | 1999 |
| Premios de Oro y Platino Recognizes successful albums and singles that are more than 50% Spanish language. The Latin Program Award counts album sales, song sales and on-demand audio and/or video song streams at the formula of 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale. |
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| Oro® | 30,000 | 2001 |
| Platino® | 60,000 | 2001 |
| multi-Platino | 120,000 (in increments of 60,000 thereafter) | 2001 |
| Diamante | 600,000 and counting | 2001 |
| Latin Single Award | 30,000 and counting of single sales and on-demand stream units | 2013 |
RIAA GOLD & PLATINUM CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
| Gold | Platinum | Multi-Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SINGLE AWARD* This award counts both downloads and on-demand music streams. On-demand audio and/or video song streams are counted towards the thresholds required for certification at the formula of 150 on-demand streams being equivalent to one download sale. |
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| Quantity All versions count once toward certification. |
500,000 units | One million units | Two million units |
| Requirements | Recertified at each million unit sales level. | ||
*Additional notes:
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| SHORTFORM ALBUM/EP AWARD* The Album Award counts album sales, song sales and on-demand audio and/or video song streams at the formula of 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale. |
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| Quantity | 500,000 units | One million units | Two million units |
| Requirements | Must include at least three but no more than five different songs. | Must include at least three but no more than five different songs. | Must include at least three but no more than five different songs. |
| Average minimum running time is 30 minutes. | Average minimum running time is 30 minutes. | Average minimum running time is 30 minutes. | |
| Recertified at each million unit sales level. | |||
| FULL-LENGTH ALBUM AWARD* The Album Award counts album sales, song sales and on-demand audio and/or video song streams at the formula of 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale. |
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| Quantity | 500,000 units | One million units | Two million units |
| Requirements | May combine sale of all configurations. | May combine sale of all configurations. | May combine sale of all configurations. |
| Enhanced CDs must contain at least 75% of audio content of regular CD. | Enhanced CDs must contain at least 75% of audio content of regular CD. | Enhanced CDs must contain at least 75% of audio content of regular CD. | |
| Recertified at each million unit sales level. | |||
| MULTI DISC SET | |||
| Quantity Package must include two or more CDs, or its tape and album equivalent. |
500,000 units | One million units | Two million units |
| Requirements | Each unit within set counts as one unit toward certification. | Each unit within set counts as one unit toward certification. | Each unit within set counts as one unit toward certification. |
| Minimum running time 100 minutes. | Minimum running time 100 minutes. | Minimum running time 100 minutes. | |
| Recertified at each million unit sales level. | |||
| MUSIC VIDEO SINGLE | |||
| Quantity | 25,000 units | 50,000 units | 100,000 units |
| Requirements | Must contain no more than two songs per video. | Must contain no more than two songs per video. | Must contain no more than two songs per video. |
| Maximum running time 15 minutes. | Maximum running time 15 minutes. | Maximum running time 15 minutes. | |
| 1 unit = 1 physical sale and excludes streaming and digital sales | Recertified at each 50,000 unit sales level. | ||
| MUSIC VIDEO LONGFORM | |||
| Quantity | 50,000 units | 100,000 units | 200,000 units |
| Requirements | Defined as a title that has not been theatrically released prior to distribution. | Defined as a title that has not been theatrically released prior to distribution. | Defined as a title that has not been theatrically released prior to distribution. |
| 1 unit = 1 physical sale and excludes streaming and digital sales | Recertified at 100,000 unit sales level. | ||
| MULTI-BOX MUSIC VIDEO SET | |||
| Quantity Package must include three or more video marketed as a set. |
50,000 units | 100,000 units | 200,000 units |
| Requirements | Each individual video within set is counted as one toward certification. | Each individual video within set is counted as one toward certification. | Each individual video within set is counted as one toward certification. |
| Recertified at each 100,000 unit sales level. | |||
| MASTER RINGTONE AWARD | |||
| Quantity | Recognizes the sale of more than 500,000 (and counting) ringtones | ||