There is no single universal formula that determines how many streams are equivalent to one sold record; this equivalence depends on the country, the purpose of the count, and in some markets, the type of streaming.
In the United States, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), which issues sales certifications, introduced a system in 2016 to adapt to modern music consumption methods. This system converts various forms of digital engagement, such as purchases and streams, into a metric called Album Equivalent Unit (AEU), which corresponds to sold albums.
Current rules require that only plays on official platforms count towards one Album Equivalent Unit (AEU), not views on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Stories. For example, if a certain album was streamed 8,539 times on Spotify in a year, it counts as 5.7 equivalent album units for the artist.
For sales certifications issued by the RIAA, three factors are considered: net sales, TEA, and SEA. Meanwhile, Billboard, which compiles popular sales charts, uses its own rules that differ from RIAA's. For Billboard, one SEA today equals 1,000 premium plan streams or 2,500 ad-supported streams.
In Brazil, the official body that issues and confirms Gold, Platinum, and Diamond level certifications is Pro-Música Brasil (PMB), formerly known as ABPD (Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos). PMB is affiliated with IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry).
The conversion coefficients applied to tracks are as follows: [There is no explicit description of coefficients in the text, other than the general statement that more plays are required in Brazil than in the US]. The formula works the same for national and international artists. However, there is a difference in certifications because the Brazilian market consumes significantly more local music (such as sertanejo, funk, MPB) than foreign music. Therefore, Pro-Música Brasil sets lower targets for foreign artists so they can compete and receive awards.
The current criteria are as follows: National: 40,000 units (requires 200 million audio streams); International: 20,000 units (requires 100 million audio streams); National: 80,000 units (requires 400 million audio streams); International: 40,000 units (requires 200 million audio streams); National: 300,000 units (requires 1.5 billion audio streams); International: 160,000 units (requires 800 million audio streams).