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The Recording Industry Association of America or RIAA is an organization that was created and paid for by large record companies. It is based in Washington, D.C. It symbolizes the entire recording industry of the United States of America. The RIAA also participates in the collection, management and distribution of music licenses and royalties.

The association is responsible for certifying gold and platinum albums and singles in the U.S. Its goals are:

1. to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists;
2. to perform research about the music industry;
3. to watch over and review laws, regulations and rules that apply to the music industry.