Top Dawg Entertainment’s Anthony Tiffith Calls New RIAA Certification Rules “BS”

In an attempt to keep up with the ever-changing music market, the Recording Industry Association of America (or the RIAA) has finally updated its rules in regards to album certification. “We know that music listening – for both for albums and songs – is skyrocketing, yet that trend has not been reflected in our album certifications.

Following a confusing Twitter announcement claiming Rihanna’s long-awaited studio album Anti had gone Platinum in a mere 15 hours (meaning it had moved over one million copies), the RIAA announced an update to their certification metrics. Up until now, only album sales counted toward a gold or platinum certification, despite the recent emergence and proliferation of streaming services.

In a press release today, the RIAA announced they would now factor in video and audio streams into the certification process for their Gold & Platinum Program.

The new system begins officially from today (February 1st) on, but as an inaugural gesture, the RIAA has unveiled a list of seventeen albums that did extremely well on streaming that will now be officially classified as Gold or Platinum. Additionally, the RIAA has changed the formula for their Digital Single Award from 100 on-demand streams equaling one download to 150 on-demand streams equaling one download. Nearly 60 years since its inception, the iconic Gold & Platinum brand is the preeminent form of recognition for success in the music marketplace.

The new rules affect a diverse collection of albums, mostly from newer artists. The RIAA also recently unveiled a new RIAA.com and Gold & Platinum database where fans can more easily search and share the award recognition.

Thanks to streaming, the top-selling album of all time got even bigger – the late Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

All certifications are calculated by the firm Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, which has audited title sales for the RIAA for more than 30 years.