Recording Industry Association of America

Recording Industry Association of America
AbbreviationRIAA
Formation1952 (1952)
TypeLicensing and royalties, technical standards
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., U.S.
Location
  • United States
Chairman and CEO
Mitch Glazier
Websiteriaa.com

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legally sold recorded music in the United States".[1] RIAA is headquartered in Washington, D.C.[2][3]

RIAA was formed in 1952.[4] Its original mission was to administer recording copyright fees and problems, work with trade unions, and do research relating to the record industry and government regulations.[5] Early RIAA standards included the RIAA equalization curve,[6] the format of the stereophonic record groove and the dimensions of 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm records.[7]

RIAA says its current mission includes:[1]

  1. to protect intellectual property rights and the First Amendment rights of artists
  2. to perform research about the music industry
  3. to monitor and review relevant laws, regulations, and policies

Between 2001 and 2020, RIAA spent between $2.4 million and $6.5 million annually on lobbying in the United States.[8] RIAA also participates in the collective rights management of sound recordings, and it is responsible for certifying gold and platinum albums and singles in the United States.

  1. ^ a b "Who We Are". RIAA. Archived from the original on November 12, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  2. ^ "Privacy Policy Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine." Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on September 13, 2011. "RIAA, 1025 F Street NW, 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20004."
  3. ^ "RIAA Archived December 31, 2015, at the Wayback Machine." Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on September 13, 2011. "We are located at 1025 F ST N.W., 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20004."
  4. ^ "RIAA Celebrates 50 Years Of Gold Records". RIAA News Room. August 11, 2008. Archived from the original on August 18, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ "New Disk Trade Org To Swing Into Action", Billboard Magazine, September 22, 1951, pages 13 and 20
  6. ^ "RIAA phono equalization article by Don Hoglund". graniteaudio.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  7. ^ "RIAA Standards For Stereophonic Disc Records". aardvarkmastering.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2006. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  8. ^ "Recording Industry Assn of America: Summary". Lobbying Spending Database. OpenSecrets. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2014.

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