An album going platinum means it has sold over 1 million units. These units include permanent digital downloads, physical album sales, and streaming figures combined. The platinum certification is awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and represents a significant commercial success milestone for the album.
Details on Certification
- For albums, 1 million units sold qualifies for platinum status in the United States.
- Units are counted as actual sales (physical or digital), and a certain number of streams are converted into album unit equivalents for the certification (1,500 on-demand streams count as 1 album sale).
- The award reflects substantial popularity and commercial achievement in music.
Thus, to go platinum is to have a music album reach sales and consumption that equal or exceed one million units, earning an official recognition of success in the music industry.