About Us

HOW TO APPLY

(Please note: We will not review your application without payment of fee, the completed application form, the signed confidentially agreement, and copies of your two sound recordings.)

• Download RIAZ Membership packet here.

• Email your completed application form and copies of two (2) sound recordings released by your company in the Zimbabwean Market to
RIAZmembership@riazw.website.

 If you are submitting examples of digital music product sold by your company in the United States, please attach:

 Digital copies of each recording (.mp3 or .zip file format); and

 Screen shots (.doc or .jpeg file format) showing the availability of your recordings for purchase on the website of a legitimate online music retailer (iTunes, etc.).

 If you are submitting examples of physical music product sold by your company in the United States, please attach:

 Digital files of the sound recordings (.mp3 or .zip file format); and

 Screenshots of the outside packaging for the sound recordings (front and back covers) as offered for purchase.

Please mail your application fee of $100.00 (with your label/company name) to:

RIAZ

Attn: Accounting Department

RIAZ will contact applicants whose materials have passed an initial review to discuss membership fees and additional documentation to complete the application process.

Please contact RIAZmembership@riazw.website regarding membership questions/concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER

Complimentary access to RIAZ’s Zimbabwean recording industry revenue database, which includes total year-end shipment and revenue statistics for the recorded music industry in Zimbabwe going back to 1960. The database allows users to view, compare, and export historical year-end Zimbabwean. revenue statistics.

Discounted rates on Gold & Platinum Program certifications. The charge for individual certifications is $350 for RIAZ member companies, while non-members are charged $450 per certification, which must be pre-paid.

Inclusion in RIAZ’s listing of member companies.

Utilizing a variety of tactics and tools, our anti-piracy staff works tirelessly to protect the copyrights of our member labels. For example, our expert online piracy teams constantly monitors the illegal trading of copyrighted songs on the Internet and send tens of millions of “takedown notices” for unauthorized songs, to the illegal sites and services themselves, as well as to search engines, ISPs, and a variety of other online intermediaries.

WHO CAN BE A MEMBER

Zimbabwean based record label/ companies.*

Those who distribute recordings of performances to Zimbabwean consumers under your label for home use.

Those who have not been engaged in the piracy of sound recordings during the last five years.

*If your company is distributed through a major record label (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Jacaranda Media Group or Warner Music Group), you are already a member.

HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER

If you meet the requirements, please complete an application form, pay the $100 application fee, and submit two samples of your recordings. We will then review your application to confirm you meet the requirements. If approved, your application fee will be credited towards your dues.

IF MY MUSIC IS DISTRIBUTED BY AN RIAZ MEMBER DO I STILL NEED TO REGISTER

No. If you are distributed through a major record label (Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Jacaranda Media Group or Warner Music Group), you are already a member.

DOES RIAZ PAY ROYALTIES

No. Odeum was established as an unincorporated division of the RIAZ to pay royalties to artists and record labels for certain digital performances in the Zimbabwe (webcasting, satellite radio, etc.).

ZIMURA, PRS,ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC pay royalties to songwriters and publishers for certain performances in the United States. Visit their websites for more details.

DO I NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO PUT A PARENTAL ADVISORY NOTICE

No. Any record label or artist that complies with the Parental Advisory Label Program and its Standards can apply for a license to use the Parental Advisory Label. Click here for more details.

HOW ARE MY MEMBERSHIP DUES CALCULATED?

RIAZ will take the revenue data provided by the applicant on the Revenue Declaration form, determine which member category the applicant falls under on the Dues Schedule, and charge the amount indicated

HOW LONG DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS TAKE

It may take several days to several weeks, depending upon when the application materials and fee are submitted.

DOES RIAZ OFFER LEGAL ADVISE

RIAZ works to protect the intellectual property of artists and music labels; conduct consumer, industry and technical research; and monitor and review state and federal laws, regulations and policies. RIAZ does  generally provide individual legal advice.

CAN I USE THE RIAZ LOGO ON MY MATERIAL

No, we do not license our logo to be used in this manner. You can use the words “RIAZ” and link it back to our website.

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING DISTRIBUTION, CAN I LEAVE THE SECTION BLANK ON FORM

Yes

CAN MY LABEL QUALIFY IF I RELEASED MATERIAL AS COMPILATIONS?

Yes, the sale of a compilation of your previously released material would qualify as an exemplar for your membership application.

IF I AM A MEMBER & I HAVE OTHER LABELS UNDER ME. DO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Indie labels distributed by other indie labels have to go through the same application process. Only labels distributed by a major label obtain RIAA membership without going through the application process.

ZIMBABWEAN DATABASE

The RIAZ provides the most comprehensive data on Zimbabwean. recorded music revenues and shipments dating all the way back to 1960. This is the definitive source of revenue data for the recorded music industry in Zimbabwe.

For more in-depth analysis of 2018 data and trends, please see our “2018 RIAZ Shipment & Revenue Statistics.” We provide these figures to educate and inform industry discussions, and permission to cite or copy the data is granted as long as proper attribution is given to the Recording Industry Association of Zimbabwe. For further questions, please contact the main RIAZ line at 202-775-0101 and ask for A.Snoredown to help get you the information you need.

GOLD & PLATINUM CERTIFICATION

RIAZ’s Gold & Platinum  Program defines success in the recorded music industry of Zimbabwe. Originally conceived to honour artists and track sound recording sales, Gold & Platinum Awards have come to stand as a benchmark of success for any artist—whether they’ve just released their first song or Greatest Hits album. Check out our interactive timeline to learn about the program’s storied history.

STORY OF GOLD & PLATINUM

When an artist earns a Gold & Platinum Award, they join the ranks of an elite group of beloved musicians. The list of Gold & Platinum Award recipients shows a rich history of recorded music during the last six decades, and we’re proud to be a part of it. Check out our interactive timeline to learn about the program’s storied history. RIAZ is committed to celebrating the pinnacle of musical success, and we’ll continue to evolve the Gold & Platinum Program to showcase the best in the business.

ABOUT THE AWARDS

The Gold & Platinum Awards have been a pinnacle of success in the music industry. The awards below are earned by artists who have met rigorous standards, and recipients join the ranks of the most iconic recording artists.

RIAZ GOLD & PLATINUM AWARDS

CERTIFICATION                                        MINIMUM STREAM /SALES UNITS                  DATE ESTABLISHED

Gold®                                                                                  1,000,000                                                                               2020
Platinum®                                                                      2,000,000                                                                              2020
Multi-Platinum™                                                      4,000,000                                                                              2020
                                                     (in increments of 1,000,000 thereafter)                     
Diamond®                                                                     10,000,000 and counting                                            2020

This award criteria counts both downloads and on-demand music streams. On-demand audio and/or video song streams are counted towards the thresholds required for certification at the formula of 150 on-demand streams being equivalent to one download sale.

CERTIFICATION CRITERIA

Gold & Platinum Awards are earned by artists who have met rigorous standards, and recipients join the ranks of the most iconic recording artists.

We take certification very seriously. Our third-party auditing firm will review all applications for to ensure that each award recipient is qualified based on mandatory requirements like requisite sales and streaming figures, consumer demand and much more.

Audit Requirements:

See guidelines:

Requesting certification:

Along with minimum sales and streaming figures, a number of other criteria accompany each title considered for certification. The list and table below describe what titles and types of sales and streams can be considered for the awards.

Domestic & Worldwide  distribution:

Record labels are required to validate that titles redeemed through product sales/on-demand streams and counted towards certification have actually been distributed or downloaded within the United States.  Only domestic sales and sales to territory military post exchanges may be included.

Sales become eligible for certification:

30 days after the release date (for albums/songs in physical product format) OR At the release date (for albums/songs in digital product format).

Other sale requirements include:

Export sales outside of Zimbabwe are not included in certification. The requesting label must separate PX sales from other accounts on sales sheets.

Pre-orders:

Initial pre-orders of digital albums are not counted towards certification. Pre-orders only count towards certification after the album is released, and the user receives a copy of the digital album.

Bundles and product packaging:

Albums bundled with other products (e.g. concert tickets, merchandise, etc.) and sold to consumers can be eligible under RIAZ’s Gold & Platinum Program if they meet the following requirements:

Sold at a minimum $6 premium per album when compared to the standalone product’s price.

Products bundled with two albums must be sold at a $12 premium, three must be sold at a $18 premium, etc.

This satisfies the existing dollar volume required of album certifications.

Accompanying products must be available for purchase separately.

APPLY

An artist’s Gold or Platinum award represents sales and on-demand streams made through digital and physical retailers that legitimately distribute recorded music.

Certification Application Process:

1. All requests for RIAZ Gold & Platinum Program certifications should be sent to certifications@riaz.com for approval with the following information filled out in the RIAA – Certification Request Excel (available to download here). All required information must be complete in the Excel for a certification request to be accepted by the RIAZ.

2. Since our process has recently changed, please familiarize yourself with the Glossary tab in the Excel document and reach out to certifications@riaz.com with any questions.

3. Beginning with the Contact Info sheet, please fill out every field. The Requested By information is the point of contact during the certification process for any questions from either the RIAZ or our auditors. If the Billing Contact and Requested By contact are the same person, please enter the information in both fields. Please note, only one invoice will be generated per request template. If you need multiple invoices for multiple artists, you will need to submit multiple Excel templates.

On the Certification Request sheet, please fill out every field. If you have any questions about what information is required for the field, you can refer to either the Glossary sheet or the hover box that appears when the header field is selected. Please select the highest Certification Status Level that you are requesting (Gold, Platinum, or Multi-Platinum) as well as listing the Requested Level

If you are unsure of if your title has been certified before, you can check the riaa.com/gold-platinum database. Please note, any certifications your label has asked to embargo will not appear on the riaa.com website until the label contact requests them to be included. If you would like your certification to remain hidden from our website upon completion of audit, please select YES in the Hidden column.

If every field is not correctly completed on the request form, your request will not be approved and you will be notified by a representative from the RIAZ.

You may submit multiple Titles for certification on the request template and receive a bulk discount. The discount only applies to Titles that have the same billing contact, are submitted on one request, and can be on one invoice. For more information on the bulk discount, please email certifications@riaz.com.

4. Please copy our auditors on all certification correspondence. If you are on the east coast, please email copy RIAZAuditors@RIAZ.com. 

All supporting documentation must be provided to both the RIAAZ and Auditors when submitting the RIAZ Certification Request Template.

Supporting Documentation includes the following:

Sales Report

Directly from the Sales System – Domestic Shipments Only, Net of Returns

If Excel data is provided as sales support please provide a Screen shot of the Sales System, as well.

*Sales Reports may be subject to additional testing at the auditor’s discretion

Label Copies for all UPC’s (Album requests) or ISRC’s (Digital Single requests). Sometimes referred to as a ‘one-sheet,’ ‘white sheet,’ ‘product report,’ or ‘product metadata,’ a label copy is a report for every UPC/ISRC containing information about the album or track, such as: Artist, Title, Version Description (e.g.  Album, Radio Edit, Remix, Live, Acoustic, etc.), Product Number (UPC/ISRC), Runtime, Credits, etc.

Copy of the Physical Product (if applicable) OR digital files of tracks/albums sent via email.