Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type (such as: album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (See also: List of music recording certifications).

Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after precious materials. The thresholds below are used in the United States and United Kingdom only. For other countries definitions, see List of music recording certifications:

The number of sales or shipments required for these awards depends upon the population of the territory in which the recording is released. Typically, they are awarded only to international releases and are awarded individually for each country in which the album is sold. Different sales levels, some perhaps 10 times lower than others, may exist for different music media (for example: videos versus albums, singles, or downloads).

Originally applied to LP records, certification is now most commonly awarded for compact disc (CD) sales.^{[citation needed]} Certification is often awarded cumulatively, and it is possible for a single album to be certified silver, gold, and platinum in turn. An album that becomes platinum twice over is said to be "double-platinum"; three-times over, "triple-platinum", etc., which can all be generalized with the term "multi-platinum". Artists can also become multi-platinum sellers if they have at least two albums in the same territory both going single Platinum. A poor-selling record is often jokingly said to have "sold lead" (the heavy metal lead), in contrast to attaining high status as a gold or platinum album.

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's self-titled debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. "Our Song", her third single, made her the youngest sole writer and singer of a number one song on the country chart. She received a Best New Artist nomination at the 50th Grammy Awards.

Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in late 2008. Buoyed by the chart success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", Fearless attracted a crossover audience and became the top-selling album of 2009. The record won four Grammy Awards, with Swift becoming the youngest ever Album of the Year winner. Fearless also received Album of the Year plaudits at the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards, making it the most awarded album in country music history. In 2010, Swift released her third album, Speak Now, which sold over one million copies in its first week. She then embarked on the 111-date Speak Now World Tour, which was attended by over 1.6 million fans and has become one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. The album's third single, "Mean", won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. Swift is currently recording her fourth studio album, due for release in the fall of 2012.

Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, she studied at the BRIT School before signing with Gut Records and striking a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing where she wrote for artists such as Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus.

Signed with Universal, Jessie J came to prominence following the release of her debut single "Do It Like a Dude" which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Charts. After scoring her first number one in the United Kingdom, France, Ireland and New Zealand with the song "Price Tag", she released her debut album Who You Are (2011) which charted at number two in the UK. Other releases from the album include "Nobody's Perfect", "Who's Laughing Now" and "Who You Are" which charted within the top 20 in the UK but the release of fifth single "Domino" spawned international chart success, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and becoming her second UK number one. Aside from her musical career, Jessie J is currently a coach and mentor on television show The Voice UK.

Toni Michelle Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide. She has a contralto vocal type.^{[citation needed]}

Braxton topped the Billboard 200 with her 1993 self-titled debut album and continued that streak with her second studio album Secrets, which spawned the number-one hits "You're Makin' Me High" and "Un-Break My Heart". Although she had successful albums and singles, Braxton shortly filed for bankruptcy, but then returned with her chart-topping third album, The Heat. In 2009, she returned to the spotlight with "Yesterday", a #12 R&B hit which serves as the first single off her new album Pulse, released on May 4, 2010, which debuted at #1 on Billboard R&B Album Chart. Braxton was involved in the 7th season of the reality show Dancing with the Stars. Her professional partner was Alec Mazo. She was voted off in week five of the competition. It was announced on October 6, 2010 that Braxton once again had filed for bankruptcy. A reality series entitled Braxton Family Values, starring Toni and her sisters, debuted April 12, 2011 on WE tv. WE tv ordered a 13-episode second season of the show after the third episode of the first season. On September 18, 2011, Braxton was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Julie Anne Peñaflorida San Jose (born May 17, 1994) in Novaliches, Quezon City, Philippines is a Filipina singer and actress who is a contract artist of GMA Network. Currently, she is a sophomore student at Angelicum College – Quezon City. She is taking up Communication Arts.

She was originally discovered on Eat Bulaga! on its segment "Little Miss Philippines" when she was three years old. that footage played in a VTR from its program "Showbiz Central" on its segment "My Secret Identity" last October 2, 2011.

San Jose started her career in 2005 when she competed in Popstar Kids, a national televised singing competition for children aged 7 to 11 hosted by Kyla. Having placed among the top five competitors of the said competition, she was offered a place in the show's spin-off band dubbed Sugarpop, with whom she recorded the albums Sugarpop and Sugarpop (Repackaged), and a hosting stint in Planet Q, QTV's children-oriented animal show. She made her acting debut in the telenovela Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan? and has also appeared in the Sunday noontime musical variety shows SOP and then Party Pilipinas, all with GMA Network.