<P> At the industry level , in 1958 the Recording Industry Association of America introduced its gold record award program for records of any kind , albums or singles , which achieved one million dollars in retail sales . These sales were restricted to U.S. - based record companies and did not include exports to other countries . For albums in 1968 , this would mean shipping approximately 250,000 units ; for singles the number would be higher due to their lower retail price . The platinum certification was introduced in 1976 for the sale of one million units , album or single , with the gold certification redefined to mean sales of 500,000 units , album or single . No album was certified platinum prior to this year . For instance , the recording by Van Cliburn of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto from 1958 would eventually be awarded a platinum citation , but this would not happen until two decades after its release . In 1999 , the diamond certification was introduced for sales of ten million units . </P>
<P> At the industry level , in 1958 the Recording Industry Association of America introduced its gold record award program for records of any kind , albums or singles , which achieved one million dollars in retail sales . These sales were restricted to U.S. - based record companies and did not include exports to other countries . For albums in 1968 , this would mean shipping approximately 250,000 units ; for singles the number would be higher due to their lower retail price . The platinum certification was introduced in 1976 for the sale of one million units , album or single , with the gold certification redefined to mean sales of 500,000 units , album or single . No album was certified platinum prior to this year . For instance , the recording by Van Cliburn of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto from 1958 would eventually be awarded a platinum citation , but this would not happen until two decades after its release . In 1999 , the diamond certification was introduced for sales of ten million units . </P>
what does it mean for a single to go platinum
what does it mean for a single to go platinum
sale of one million units
sale of one million units