Finally, a new music recording certification body, Recording Certification of Nigeria (RCN), has emerged to start awarding gold and platinum music certifications to deserving music projects.
Prior to RCN’s existence, Nigerian music has only been certified by global bodies, such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Now, this new initiative provides a breath of fresh air for the industry, which currently seeks to bear its own voice amid the global stage it currently plays in.
Formed by the Nigerian-based music chart publication, TurnTable Charts, and thriving Nigerian music community, WeTalkSound, the RCN initiative would begin to award Gold and Platinum certifications to “quantify, set and celebrate artistic achievement in the country.”
The collective seeks to drive inclusivity with its certification to ensure that there is “a benchmark in which artistes of all genres are represented.”
Essentially, the metrics of music recording certification using the RIAA standards awards music for attaining a certain number of digital streams or sales, such as 500,000 units for Gold: 500,000 units; 1,000,000 units for platinum; and 10,000,000 units for Diamond. However, RCN’s standards use different metrics tailored to the Nigerian industry.
According to its founders, “Africa’s biggest music market can now boast of a standard certification body that will lay the foundation for bigger things to be achieved in the country.”
These are definitely unique times for the industry, as hope abounds for more Nigerian musicians who cannot break into global markets, as at now, to begin to enjoy some esteemed certification for their records. It also propels the country’s foreign image to other global markets, as Nigeria’s growing global acclaim definitely befits an accompaniment of a local standardized certification body.
