Are RIAA certifications no longer relevant?

[Don]

With so many classic bands twice or three times removed from their older labels, should certifications really carry the same weight anymore if only newer acts under big companies are the one's getting them done. Older catalogs that appear evergreen on the selling charts never seem to garner any more awards when the sales figures say they clearly should have been upped a few more platinum units since their last audit. As this is paid for the record company that holds the catalog, if an artist doesn't work for them anymore, what incentive do they have to pay for an official counting?

Should the RIAA just totally revamp the system when it comes to legacy acts that no longer are under contract with a particular record company even though that company continues to sell that artist's work?

[Seven Wishes2]

?!

I was told there would be no math.

[amaron]

I believe they don't mean anything anymore, specifically because album sales don't mean anything anymore.

Stone Temple Pilots, a band who would sell 1m+ with any album haven't even gone gold with their new CD IIRC.

Do they add Digital Album sales to the gold/plat numbers?

[Don]

I believe they don't mean anything anymore, specifically because album sales don't mean anything anymore.

Stone Temple Pilots, a band who would sell 1m+ with any album haven't even gone gold with their new CD IIRC.

Do they add Digital Album sales to the gold/plat numbers?

Ten downloads from one album, even if it's the same track over and over again count as one album sale overall and is counted toether with CD sales when it comes to Billboard's Album chart.

[amaron]

I believe they don't mean anything anymore, specifically because album sales don't mean anything anymore.

Stone Temple Pilots, a band who would sell 1m+ with any album haven't even gone gold with their new CD IIRC.

Do they add Digital Album sales to the gold/plat numbers?

Ten downloads from one album, even if it's the same track over and over again count as one album sale overall and is counted toether with CD sales when it comes to Billboard's Album chart.

But isn't the Soundscan numbers what the awards are based off of?

[Argus]

I would venture to say the RIAA is passe and YouTube hits garner more sales than any other form of publicity these days. Case ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4a8QtvOkBQ

53,210,676 Audio only hits 29,623,335 Video Hits

[Don]

I believe they don't mean anything anymore, specifically because album sales don't mean anything anymore.

Stone Temple Pilots, a band who would sell 1m+ with any album haven't even gone gold with their new CD IIRC.

Do they add Digital Album sales to the gold/plat numbers?

Ten downloads from one album, even if it's the same track over and over again count as one album sale overall and is counted toether with CD sales when it comes to Billboard's Album chart.

But isn't the Soundscan numbers what the awards are based off of?

"We are often asked why we don’t just use sales figures from SoundScan. SoundScan measures over-the-counter sales at music retail locations, while the RIAA®'s certification levels are based on unit shipments (minus returns) from manufacturers to a wide range of accounts, including non-retail record clubs, mail order houses, specialty stores, units shipped for Internet fulfillment or direct marketing sales, such as TV-advertised albums. Another difference is that SoundScan's archive only begins in 1991, while the RIAA has tracked artists' sales levels for more than 50 years."

[Andrew]

Nothing is relevant anylonger. Whole business is all screwed up.

[steveo777]

Nothing is relevant anylonger. Whole business is all screwed up.

As evidenced by the pop flavors of the month that manage to go multiple platinum on no talent, no creativity and shit production.