RIKE to start certifying gold and platinum sales in Kenya – Nairobi News

The chairman of the Recording Industry of Kenya (RIKE), legendary record producer Eric Musyoka, believes that once the association is up and running, it will help increase the value of a Kenyan artiste.

In the music industry, gold and platinum certifications refer to awards given to albums or singles based on their sales performance.

These certifications are usually issued by music industry associations or organisations, such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the United Kingdom, and similar bodies in other countries.

“Apart from advocating for the welfare of artists and working with the government on policies that affect artists, our core mandate will include certifying album sales, digital downloads, song plays and issuing ISRC codes – the International Standard Recording Code for all recorded works in the world,” explains Musyoka.

The ISRC code allows you to track your music when it is used anywhere in the world, making it easier for everyone to collect royalties because of this unique ID number.

“Currently, the distributor of the once music is the one who issues these codes, but in the future we want RIKE to do it as it’s the standard best practice around the world”.

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Musyoka argues that the only reason the music industry is booming in the US is the existence of a vibrant Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and equivalent to RIKE.

“The RIIA is the body that certifies album and record sales whenever you hear about gold and platinum. They do the charts as well as being heavily involved in the Grammy’s. Their function, apart from producing data about the industry, is to give artists clout. For example, you can’t get Burna Boy for less than a million dollars now because he’s a Grammy winner. That is the level we want to get to as RIKE,” he adds.

There are currently only three such associations in Africa, with the Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA) and the Recording Certification of Nigeria (RCN).

What do gold and platinum certifications mean?

Gold certification

An album or single is certified Gold when it reaches a certain level of sales, typically measured by the number of units sold or streamed.

The specific sales threshold required for gold certification varies by country and by format (e.g. physical sales, digital downloads or streaming).

In the United States, for example, the RIAA certifies an album as gold when it has sold 500,000 units (including both physical sales and equivalent streaming units).

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Platinum certification

Platinum certification is awarded to albums or singles that have achieved an even higher level of sales than Gold.

Again, the sales threshold for platinum certification varies by country and format. In the United States, an album is certified platinum when it sells one million copies.

These certifications serve as recognition of commercial success in the music industry. Artists and record labels often use gold and platinum certifications as a way to showcase their achievements and promote their music.

In addition, these certifications can influence consumer perceptions and contribute to an artist’s overall reputation and marketability.