Aligning itself with the Billboard 200 consumption methodology, the RIAA today confirmed that it will incorporate track streams and sales into its album certification program.
Similar to the Billboard approach, the new certification methodology treats 1500 single streams**, 10 single sales, and 1 album sale as equivalent levels of consumption. Each counts for one certification unit.
In conjunction with that announcement, the RIAA certified a handful of albums, some of which would not have qualified based on sales alone.
Two newly certified albums? Fifth Harmony’s “Reflection” and Halsey’s “Badlands.”
The certifications confirm US unit totals of at least 500,000.
**Unlike the Billboard 200, the RIAA’s certification procedure accounts for on-demand audio and video streams. The Billboard album chart only includes audio streaming data.
