Soon after releasing his collaborative album with Ruger, BNXN celebrates another music certification milestone in his music career.
BNXN, formerly Buju, is named Daniel Etiese Benson and hails from Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. After he started his music career in 2021, he was featured on Mood as part of Wizkid’s critically acclaimed album Made In Lagos.
That feature propelled his career, and he has gotten a gold RIAA certification. It was announced on the official RIAA site to have sold over 500,000 units earning it a gold certification.
Why are music certifications like RIAA so important?
There are so many reasons why a music certification like RIAA is important. To start, RIAA stands for Recording Industry Association of America, representing the music industry in America. It is similar to the Recording Industry of South Africa of South Africa and the TurnTable Certification System of Nigeria of Nigeria.
First, earning a Gold or Platinum record signifies reaching substantial sales or streams. This is a widely recognised benchmark of success within a particular territory (US in RIAA’s case). It can be a massive milestone for artists, boosting their credibility and marketability. Think of it like a gold medal in the music industry. For example, at the RIAA, a unit sale may be one of the following;
- a sale of a digital album or physical album
- 10 track downloads from the album
- 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video streams from the album
Similarly, record labels, managers, and other industry professionals acknowledge RIAA certification. Achieving it can open doors for artists, leading to more performance opportunities, record label deals, endorsements, and overall recognition within that specific market.
Lastly, artists and record labels can use RIAA certification as a marketing tool. It allows them to promote the success of a recording, generate excitement among fans, and potentially boost further sales.
