Bundesverband Musikindustrie

[3] It is a member of the London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), consisting of music associations of 70 countries.

[4] BVMI, which is responsible for certifying Gold and Platinum certification awards, is led by Dieter Gorny [de], who has been the chairman since 2009.

Phono Press also known as ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie) was the body in charge of tracking records sales and the certifications.

The change in the certification-levels of the Singles was affected by both inclusion of Streaming as well as an increase in sales of downloads that has been seen in recent years.

[11] 100 streams with the running time of at least 30 seconds or more, are considered as one single download.