Music Canada’s Gold & Platinum Certification Program was launched in 1975 to recognize and celebrate milestone sales achievements in the Canadian music industry. Since its creation, the Program has certified over 20,000 albums, singles, digital downloads, ringtones, and music videos, creating a historical record of popular music success in Canada.
Who Can Apply for Certification?
Any recording artist or rights holder with music available to Canadian listeners may apply for certification, provided they meet Music Canada’s requirements. This includes:
- Artists
- Labels
- Distributors
- Authorized rights holders
Certification applications must meet all criteria outlined in Music Canada’s official Gold & Platinum Certification Guidelines, which are periodically updated.
Certification Levels and Criteria
Single Awards
| Tier | Units Required |
| Gold | 40,000 |
| Platinum | 80,000 |
| Multi-Platinum | 160,000 (increments of 80,000) |
| Diamond | 800,000 |
Formula:
Digital & Physical Single Sales + On-Demand Audio and Video Stream Equivalents = Total Units for Certification
Conversions:
- 1 digital or physical single sale = 1 unit
- 160 premium on-demand audio/video streams = 1 unit (160:1)
- 240 ad-supported on-demand audio/video streams = 1 unit (240:1)
Album Awards
| Tier | Units Required |
| Gold | 40,000 |
| Platinum | 80,000 |
| Multi-Platinum | 160,000 (increments of 80,000) |
| Diamond | 800,000 |
Formula:
Digital & Physical Album Sales + TEA (Track Equivalent Album) + SEA (Stream Equivalent Album) = Total Units for Certification
Conversions:
- TEA: 10 track downloads = 1 unit
- SEA: 1,500 on-demand audio streams = 1 unit
Different tiers apply to albums released before May 1, 2008. See the full historical criteria on Music Canada’s website.
Certification Requirements
To qualify, applications must:
- Be submitted by the rights holder, verified by Music Canada.
- Include verifiable and auditable evidence of Canadian physical sales, downloads, and/or streaming data from a Music Canada-approved Digital Service Provider (DSP).
- Reflect sales and streams within Canada only.
- Maintain fair market value pricing for downloads and physical sales.
- Provide domestic net shipment reports for physical media (CD, vinyl, cassette).
Additional Notes
- Alternative versions of tracks (e.g., remixes, instrumentals) only count if they appear on a version of the certified album.
- Greatest Hits and Compilation albums have specific eligibility rules based on release dates and track uniqueness.
- Multi-unit packages (e.g., 2-CD or 3-LP sets) count as multiple units only if priced accordingly.
- Sales and streaming discrepancies may result in certification refusal after verification.
Ineligible Data
The following do not count toward certification:
- Video streams served as paid advertisements (e.g., pre-roll ads, YouTube TrueView).
- Promotional or free downloads.
- Physical promo copies sent to radio or press.
- Unverified physical sales data not supported by a Music Canada-approved third party.
Learn More
If you believe you are eligible for a plaque, please create an Other Reason ticket through the Support portal of your Too Lost account.
For more details about Music Canada’s Gold & Platinum Certification Program and instructions on ordering plaques, please visit their website here.