Digital streams to count for Gold and Platinum songs

• The RIAA made the change to reflect current consumption habits of music fans
• 56 titles to receive inaugural Digital Single Award certifications
• The awardees come from a broad range of genres including rock%2C hip-hop and country

The Recording Industry Association of America today announced the integration of streams of its historic Gold & Platinum Program, the industry's premier award for recognizing artistic achievement in the marketplace. On-demand audio and/or video song streams will now be counted toward the 500,000 (Gold), 1 million (Platinum) and 2 million-plus (multi-Platinum) thresholds required for G&P's Digital Single Award certification.

The inaugural certifications include 56 titles spanning many musical genres included for the newly expanded Digital, l Single Award. The RIAA is awarding 11 Gold, 18 Platinum and 27 multi-Platinum new "combined" Digital Single Awards counting both downloads and streams.

"Including music streaming in Gold & Platinum awards marks the continued evolution of the industry's premier program for recognizing artistic achievement," said Cary Sherman, Chairman & CEO, RIAA. "We're thrilled that our awards will now more fully recognize artists' commercial success today."

Here's a sampling of the artist/songs the RIAA is awarding with new certifications: Adele/Rolling in the Deep, Aerosmith/I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Carly Rae Jepsen/Call Me Maybe, Drake/Started from The Bottom, Frank Ocean/Thinkin Bout You, Imagine Dragons/Radioactive, Journey/Don't Stop Believin, Justin Bieber/Baby, Justin Timberlake/Suit & Tie, Kanye West/Stronger, Kelly Clarkson/Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You), Kenny Chesney/The Boys Of Fall, Lady Gaga/Bad Romance, Lana Del Rey/Video Games, Michael Jackson/Billie Jean, P!nk feat. Nate Ruess/Just Give Me A Reason, Train/Drive By, Whitney Houston/I Will Always Love You.

This new expansion of the G&P Program was a year-long project by the RIAA, led by Sherman, and a variety of label marketing, business and data analysis executives. The new certification approach, including the formula of 100 streams being equivalent to one download, is an approximate barometer of comparative consumer activity; the financial value of streams and downloads were not factored into the equation.

The RIAA developed its Gold & Platinum Awards Program in 1958 to honor artists and create a standard by which to measure the commercial success of a sound recording. The program trademarked the Gold record and formalized the industry practice of presenting awards to artists for music sales achievements.