Music streaming figures now contribute to Gold and Platinum certifications

With online streaming increasingly becoming the norm for those who would previously have bought albums in past generations, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have now announced that data from album streams will now be added to the formula of how they calculate Gold and Platinum sales certifications.

Previously, the organisation had added digital downloads and even ringtones to the traditional formats of CDs and vinyl, but now they’ve announced that figures from services such as Spotify, Deezer, Rdio, as well as video on-demand platforms like Vevo, will be added into the mix.

100 online streams will now be classed as the same as a single physical or digital sale. Billboard also report that this will see records by Emeli Sandé, 30 Seconds to Mars, Cher Lloyd and many more now receive honours thanks to the rule change.

[via FACT]