RIAA Certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Certification is not automatic; for an award to be made, the record label must pay a fee to have the sales of the recording audited. The audit is conducted against unit shipments (most often an artists’ royalty statement is used), which includes albums sold directly to retailers and one-stops, direct to consumer sales (music clubs & mail order) and other outlets. Shipments that could potentially be returned to the label can not be counted.
Currently, the normal RIAA certifications for albums are:
* 500,000 units: Gold album.
* 1,000,000 units: Platinum album.
* 2,000,000 units: Multi-Platinum album.
* 10,000,000 units: Diamond album.