What are Equivalent Album Units?
Equivalent Album Units (EAU) provide a way to convert streaming numbers into a metric comparable to traditional album sales. In the modern music industry where streaming dominates, EAU helps artists, labels, and industry professionals understand the true impact of their streaming numbers.
The standard conversion rate, established by industry organizations like the RIAA and used for Billboard chart calculations, is 1,250 streams equals one album unit.
How to Calculate Equivalent Album Units
The formula is straightforward:
[\text{EAU} = \frac{\text{Total Number of Streams}}{1250}]
Where:
- Total Number of Streams is the cumulative stream count from platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and others
Calculation Example
Suppose an artist has achieved 20,000 streams.
[\text{EAU} = \frac{20,000}{1250} = 16 \text{ units}]
Those 20,000 streams are equivalent to 16 album sales.
Larger Scale Example
An album with 5,000,000 streams:
[\text{EAU} = \frac{5,000,000}{1250} = 4,000 \text{ units}]
Five million streams equals 4,000 album sales in terms of chart and certification calculations.
Certification Thresholds
| Certification | Album Units Required | Streams Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 500,000 | 625,000,000 |
| Platinum | 1,000,000 | 1,250,000,000 |
| Multi-Platinum (2x) | 2,000,000 | 2,500,000,000 |
| Diamond | 10,000,000 | 12,500,000,000 |
Why This Matters
Chart Position
Billboard and other music charts combine:
- Traditional album sales
- Track equivalent albums (10 track downloads = 1 album)
- Streaming equivalent albums (1,250 streams = 1 album)
Revenue Comparison
While the metric helps compare listening activity, actual revenue varies significantly between a stream (fractions of a cent) and an album sale (typically $7-15).
Artist Development
Understanding EAU helps artists:
- Set realistic streaming goals
- Compare performance across releases
- Communicate success in familiar terms
Industry Negotiations
Labels and managers use EAU to demonstrate artist value in negotiations, compare artists across different eras, and project future performance.
Important Context
The 1,250 ratio has been stable since 2016, but its a somewhat arbitrary equivalence. While useful for comparison, remember:
- Not all streams are weighted equally across platforms
- Premium and ad-supported streams may differ
- The ratio may change as the industry evolves