Music recording certifications are typically awarded by the worldwide music industry based on the total units sold, streamed, or shipped to retailers. These awards and their requirements are defined by the various certifying bodies representing the music industry in various countries and territories worldwide. The standard certification awards given consist of Gold, Platinum, and sometimes Diamond awards, in ascending order; the UK and Australia also have a Silver certification, ranking below Gold. In most cases, a "Multi-Platinum" or "Multi-Diamond" award is given for multiples of the Platinum or Diamond requirements.

Many music industries around the world are represented by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The IFPI operates in 66 countries and services affiliated industry associations in 45 countries. In some cases, the IFPI is merely affiliated with the already operational certification bodies of a country, but in many countries with lesser-developed industries, the IFPI acts as the sole certifying body servicing the country or region's music industry. Still other countries not represented by the IFPI have certifying bodies operating independently, such as individual record companies which service the country or region's music industry as a whole.

Though all certifying bodies give awards for album sales or shipments, many also certify singles, paid digital downloads, streaming media, music videos, music DVDs, and master ringtones. Additionally, some certifying bodies have separate threshold scales for works of domestic or international origins, varying genres, lengths, and formats. From the 2010s digital streaming was included in some territories.

Albums Note: Top numbers represent threshold for domestic material, italicized numbers in parentheses represent threshold for international material if different from the domestic requirement. Other notes and exceptions are provided in footnotes below each table. "—" denotes that an award is not given by the certifying body.

+Thresholds of certification for albums, by country or territory Country/Territory Certifying body Thresholds per award Silver Gold Platinum Diamond Based on Argentina Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers (CAPIF) Note: Only as of 1 July 2016 — 10,000 20,000 135,000 Australia Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) 20,000 35,000 70,000 500,000 Shipments Austria International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Austria Note: As of January 1, 2013 — 7,500 15,000 — Belgium Belgian Recorded Music Association (BRMA) — 10,000 20,000 100,000 Sales, downloads and streaming combined Brazil Pro-Música Brasil (PMB) Note: As of 1 January 2010 — 40,000(20,000) 80,000(40,000) 300,000(160,000) Shipments Bulgaria Bulgarian Association of Music Producers (BAMP) — 1,000 2,000 — Sales Canada Music Canada These unit levels were reduced from 50,000 for gold and 100,000 for platinum for releases since 1 May 2008 — 40,000 80,000 800,000 Shipments Chile International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Chile Note: Only as of 2009 — 7,500 15,000 — Shipments China State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television — 20,000(10,000) 40,000(20,000) 400,000(200,000) Shipments Colombia Asociación Colombiana de Productores de Fonogramas (ASINCOL) Note: As of 1 January 2003 — 10,000(5,000) 20,000(10,000) 200,000(100,000) — Croatia Croatian Phonographic Association (HDU) 1,000 3,000 5,000 10,000 Sales Czech Republic International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Czech Republic Note: As of 9 March 2026 — — Subscription stream equivalent Denmark IFPI Danmark Note: As of 7 January 2011 — 10,000 20,000 — Shipments Ecuador International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Ecuador — 3,000 6,000 — Finland Musiikkituottajat Note: Only as of 1 January 2010 — 10,000 20,000 — Sales France SNEP Note: Only as of 1 July 2009 — 50,000 100,000 500,000 Sales Germany Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) — 75,000 150,000 750,000 Shipments; streaming from June 2023 Greece IFPI Greece — 6,000(3,000) 12,000(6,000) — Shipments Hong Kong International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Hong Kong Note: As of 1 January 2008 — 15,000(7,500) 30,000(15,000) — Sales Hungary Association of Hungarian Record Companies (MAHASZ) Note: Only as of 14 December 2012 — 2,000(1,000) 4,000(2,000) — Iceland Félag hljómplötuframleiðenda (FHF) — 2,500 5,000 50,000 Sales and streaming India Indian Music Industry (IMI) — 100,000(4,000) 200,000(6,000) — Sales Indonesia Asosiasi Industri Rekaman Indonesia (ASIRI) — 35,000(5,000) 75,000(10,000) — Sales Ireland Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) — 7,500 15,000 —Shipments Israel Israeli Federation of the Phonographic Industry — 15,000(10,000) 30,000(20,000) — Shipments Italy Federation of the Italian Music Industry (FIMI) Note: As of 1 January 2014 — 25,000 50,000 500,000 Sales Japan Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) — 100,000 250,000 1,000,000 Shipments Latvia Latvian Music Producers Association (LaIPA) — 5,000 9,000 — Lebanon International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Lebanon — 20,000(1,000) 40,000(2,000) — Malaysia Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) — 5,000 10,000 — Sales Mexico Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) — 70,000 140,000 700,000 Sales and streaming Netherlands NVPI — 20,000 40,000 — Shipments New Zealand Recorded Music NZ — 7,500 15,000 — Shipments Nigeria TurnTable Certification System of Nigeria 12,500 25,000 50,000 — Streaming Norway IFPI Norge Note: Only as of 1 January 2018 — 10,000 20,000 — Sales and streaming Paraguay Sociedad de Gestión de Productores Fonográficos del Paraguay (SGP) — 5,000 10,000 — Peru Unión Peruana de Productores Fonográficos (UNIMPRO) — 3,000 6,000 — Philippines Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI) — 7,500 15,000 150,000 Sales, downloads and streaming combined Poland Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) Note: Only as of July 2005 — 15,000(10,000) 30,000(20,000) 150,000(100,000) Sales, downloads and streaming combined Portugal Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP) — 3,500 7,000 70,000 Romania Uniunea Producătorilor de Fonograme din România (UPFR) colspan="5" Russia National Federation of Phonograph Producers (NFPF) (2001–2018). InterMedia (since 2010). Note: Only as of 2019 — 25,000(5,000) 50,000(10,000) Sales Singapore Recording Industry Association Singapore (RIAS) — 5,000 10,000 — Sales Slovakia International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Czech Republic Note: As of 9 March 2026 — — Subscription stream equivalent South Africa Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) — 15,000 30,000 — Sales+streaming South Korea Korea Music Content Industry Association (Gaon) Note: As of April 20, 2018 — — 250,000 1,000,000 Shipments Spain Productores de Música de España (Promusicae) — 20,000 40,000 — Shipments Sweden IFPI Sverige Note: Only as of 1 January 2018 — 15,000 30,000 — Shipments Switzerland International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Switzerland Note: Only as of 2013, excluding French and Italian Repertoire — 10,000 20,000 — Taiwan Recording Industry Foundation in Taiwan (RIT) Note: as of 1 January 2011 — 15,000(5,000) 30,000(10,000) — Sales Thailand Thai Entertainment Content Trade Association (TECA) — 10,000(5,000) 20,000(10,000) — Sales Turkey Mü-Yap — 50,000(3,000) 100,000(5,000) 150,000(10,000) Sales Ukraine International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Ukraine — 50,000(25,000) 100,000(50,000) 500,000(100,000) United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry (BPI) 60,000 100,000 300,000 — Shipments, streaming from June 2015 United StatesRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) — 500,00030,000 (Latin certification) 1,000,00060,000 () 10,000,000600,000 () Shipments and Streaming from 2016 Uruguay Cámara Uruguaya de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (CUD) — 2,000 4,000 — Venezuela Asociación Venezolana de Intérpretes y Productores de Fonogramas (AVINPRO) — 5,000 10,000 International or multi-national agencies Europe International Federation of the Phonographic Industry — — 1,000,000 10,000,000 Sales Europe Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA) 20,000 75,000 400,000 200,000 Shipments GCC International Federation of the Phonographic Industry — 10,000(3,000) 20,000(6,000) — Sales

I Australian, Belgian, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Mexican, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, British and American figures can include digital album sales. II GCC sales refer to sales in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. III For German sales, the thresholds in the table are for albums released from January 1, 2003. For albums released until September 24, 1999, the thresholds are 250,000 for Gold and 500,000 for Platinum. For albums released between September 25, 1999, and December 31, 2002, the thresholds are 150,000 for Gold and 300,000 for Platinum. Also, for Jazz albums, the thresholds are 10,000 for Gold and 20,000 for Platinum. Diamond-award is applicable to titles released on/after January 1, 2013. IV Hungarian sales figures provided refer to "Pop" albums. A separate scale is used for jazz, spoken word, classical, and world music albums: sales exceeding 1,500 and 3,000 for Gold and Platinum awards respectively. V Indian figures provided refer to "Hindi Films" and "International" scales. However, there are six separate release scales in all. Each scale is provided here with Gold and Platinum sales thresholds in parentheses: "Hindi Films" (100,000; 200,000); "Regional Films" (50,000; 100,000); "Regional Basic" (25,000, 50,000); "National Basic" (50,000; 100,000); "Classical/Non-Classical" (15,000; 30,000); and "International" (4,000; 6,000). In addition, there is a time limit for an album in one of the categories to reach gold and platinum, which is in one calendar year (for example: albums released on July 1, 2006, has only until June 30, 2007, for a Gold or Platinum award). VI Malaysian sales figures provided refer to albums released after 1 July 2009. For albums released before 1 July 2009, sales exceeding 10,000 and 20,000 for Gold and Platinum awards, respectively. Physical albums only; when combined with digital sales, thresholds are 15,000 for Gold and 30,000 for Platinum, whereby the digital sales are counted as 1/10 actual digital sales (10 downloads = 1 unit). VII For Mexican sales, albums add physical, digital and streaming sales, for singles digital and streaming sales are taken into account. It should also be noted that Mexico awards incremental gold certifications even after platinum has been achieved, so an album may be, for example, certified 2× Platinum + Gold. VIII Dutch sales figures provided refer to "Popular" albums. A separate scale is used for jazz, classical, and world music albums: sales exceeding 10,000 and 20,000 for Gold and Platinum awards respectively. IX In Norway, the thresholds were previously 15,000 units for Gold and 30,000 units for Platinum. X Polish sales figures provided refer to domestic "Pop" albums. Separate scales are used for jazz/blues/folk/source music/classical albums, and soundtracks. Each scale is provided here with Gold, Platinum, and Diamond sales thresholds in parentheses: "jazz/blues/folk/source music/classical" (5,000; 10,000; 50,000); and "soundtracks" (10,000; 20,000; 100,000). XI Swedish sales figures provided refer to "Pop" albums. A separate scale is used for children, jazz, classical, and folk music albums: sales exceeding 10,000 and 20,000 for Gold and Platinum awards respectively.