Steps to Become a Member and Get Certified

Step 1: Submit Membership Application

Complete the MRAA membership application and pay the required $100.00 non-refundable application fee. This application helps MRAA screen potential members and review basic eligibility before approval. Click to submit membership application.

Step 2: Application Review

MRAA reviews each application to confirm that the applicant is a legitimate artist, creator, influencer, label, brand, business, or entertainment professional seeking recognition through the MRAA system. You will receive email response after review.

Step 4: Activate Your Membership

Once the annual membership fee is paid, MRAA will activate the membership and may create a member profile or member record for the approved applicant.

Step 5: Submit Certification Request and pay fee(s)

After becoming a member, the applicant may request certification for a release, artist, influencer, brand, label, business, or qualifying achievement. Click to submit certification application and fee.

Step 6: Certification Review and Authentication

MRAA reviews the submitted information using its structured certification process. This may include reviewing submitted records, public-facing numbers, platform data, social media activity, metadata, screenshots, reports, and other supporting documentation.

Step 7: Certification Decision

After review, MRAA will determine whether the submitted information supports the requested certification level.

MRAA may:

• Approve the certification

• Request additional information

• Deny the request if the information is incomplete, unverifiable, or does not meet certification standards.

Step 8: Receive Official Certification

If approved, MRAA will issue an official certification record, which may include:

• Certified number

• Recipient name

• Release or achievement title

• Certification level

• Certification date

• Digital verification record

• Official MRAA certification page

Step 9: Choose Award or Plaque Option

Purchase of an award, plaque, or commemorative display is optional and solely at the discretion of the certified member. Approved members may choose to order a physical plaque, framed award, or display piece through a preferred independent framer or authorized award provider. Physical awards, framing, premium display options, shipping, handling, and any related fulfillment costs are separate from MRAA certification fees and may be billed directly by the selected provider. To purchase, click here!

MRAA Membership and Certification Pricing

Professional Recognition at an Accessible Price

The Music Recognition Awards and Accolades Association of America provides artists, labels, creators, influencers, brands, and entertainment professionals with a structured pathway to document and certify measurable achievements.

MRAA’s certification pricing is designed to remain accessible to independent applicants. Current certification review fees are set approximately 40% below the published RIAA certification fees used as a general pricing benchmark.

MRAA is an independent recognition organization and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Temporary Certification Status Notice

Certification-Level Issuance Is Temporarily on Hold

MRAA certification-level reviews and the issuance of new certification levels are temporarily on hold while MRAA completes updates to its certification standards, application system, and review procedures.

During this temporary hold:

• Applicants may review the certification requirements.

• Membership applications may continue to be submitted.

• Interested applicants may submit a certification-interest form.

• Certification fees should not be collected until the applicant is notified that certification reviews have resumed.

• No final certification level, certified number, certificate, public listing, or physical award authorization will be issued during the hold.

• Expedited certification review is temporarily unavailable.

Applicants who submit an interest form may be contacted when certification processing resumes.

Certification pricing shown below will take effect when certification-level reviews reopen.

Streamlined MRAA Pricing

Unless otherwise required by law, application, membership, certification, review, administrative, and processing fees are nonrefundable once the applicable service or review has begun.

Membership Pathway

MRAA membership is the preferred certification pathway for artists, labels, creators, influencers, brands, businesses, and entertainment professionals.

Individual Membership

$200 annually

Designed for individual artists, producers, songwriters, creators, influencers, managers, and entertainment professionals.

Business or Label Membership

$500 annually

Designed for record labels, distributors, management companies, agencies, brands, entertainment businesses, and other qualifying organizations.

Membership Application

A $50 nonrefundable application fee is required when submitting a new membership application.

The application fee covers initial screening and does not guarantee membership approval.

Approved applicants will receive instructions for paying the applicable annual membership fee and activating their member account.

[Apply for MRAA Membership]

Member Certification Review

$210 Per Certification Request

Active MRAA members may request certification at the member rate of $210 per certification request when certification processing is open.

One request may cover one qualifying:

• Song or single

• Album or EP

• Music video

• Artist achievement

• Creator achievement

• Influencer achievement

• Brand achievement

• Label achievement

• Business achievement

• Campaign or other eligible accomplishment

A certification request must clearly identify the work, person, organization, release, or achievement being submitted.

Non-Member Certification Bypass

MRAA membership is the preferred pathway for applicants seeking certification. However, qualified applicants who do not wish to purchase an annual membership may request certification through the Non-Member Certification Bypass.

Non-Member Certification Fee

$270 per certification request

The bypass fee allows a qualified applicant to submit one certification request without purchasing an annual MRAA membership.

The fee does not provide:

• Annual membership

• Member-profile access

• Member discounts

• Voting or organizational privileges

• Access to member-only programs

• Coverage for additional certification requests

• A physical plaque or framed award

Each additional non-member certification requires a separate certification request and fee.

[Apply Through the Non-Member Bypass]

What the Certification Fee Covers

The member or non-member certification review fee may cover:

• Certification application screening

• Administrative processing

• Submitted-document review

• Data and analytics review

• Public-number comparison

• Metadata review

• ISRC and UPC review, when applicable

• Platform and public-record comparison

• Request for additional documentation

• Certification-level determination

• Certified-number assignment

• Digital certification record

• Digital certificate preparation

• Public certification listing, when approved

• Final certification decision

MRAA may use submitted records, public-facing numbers, distributor reports, platform analytics, streaming information, radio activity, video activity, social-media information, metadata, performance-rights documentation, and other credible supporting materials when reviewing an application.

MRAA Certification Levels

MRAA certification levels are based on verified qualifying activity and the evidence accepted during the certification review.

Steel Certification

Threshold: 100,000

Recognizes a release or qualifying achievement that reaches at least 100,000 verified qualifying units, plays, views, interactions, or other approved activity.

Bronze Certification

Threshold: 500,000

Recognizes a release or qualifying achievement that reaches at least 500,000 verified qualifying units, plays, views, interactions, or other approved activity.

Silver Certification

Threshold: 1 Million

Recognizes a release or qualifying achievement that reaches at least 1 million verified qualifying units, plays, views, interactions, or other approved activity.

Palladium Certification

Threshold: 5 Million

Recognizes a release or qualifying achievement that reaches at least 5 million verified qualifying units, plays, views, interactions, or other approved activity.

Rhodium Certification

Threshold: 10 Million

Recognizes a release or qualifying achievement that reaches at least 10 million verified qualifying units, plays, views, interactions, or other approved activity.

Californium Certification

Threshold: 100 Million

Recognizes a release or qualifying achievement that reaches at least 100 million verified qualifying units, plays, views, interactions, or other approved activity.

MRAA determines which submitted activities qualify, how different forms of activity are evaluated, and whether the submitted evidence supports a particular certification level.

Fixed Certification Rule

One certification payment covers:

• One certification request

• One qualifying release, recipient, campaign, or achievement

• The complete standard review

• The highest MRAA certification level supported by the evidence during that review

• One certified-number assignment

• One official digital certification record

• One public certification listing, when approved

Applicants are not charged separately for Steel, Bronze, Silver, Palladium, Rhodium, or Californium when multiple thresholds are confirmed during the same review.

For example, when the accepted evidence supports Rhodium certification, the applicant receives the highest approved level from that review rather than paying separately for each lower level.

A later request to recognize newly accumulated activity may require a new application, updated supporting evidence, and a new certification fee.

Certification Review Process

1. Submit the Request

The applicant completes the official certification application and identifies the release, recipient, organization, campaign, or achievement being submitted.

2. Pay the Applicable Fee

When certification processing is open, the applicant pays either:

• $210 as an active MRAA member, or

• $270 through the Non-Member Certification Bypass

3. Provide Supporting Evidence

The applicant may be asked to provide:

• Platform reports

• Distributor statements

• Streaming analytics

• Sales information

• Radio reports

• Video-view information

• Social-media analytics

• Public links

• Screenshots

• ISRC or UPC information

• Release metadata

• Performance-rights documentation

• Campaign reports

• Additional supporting records

4. Application Screening

MRAA checks the submission for completeness, eligibility, inconsistencies, duplicate claims, missing documentation, or other issues requiring clarification.

5. Data Review and Authentication

MRAA compares the submitted information with available records, public numbers, platform information, metadata, and other supporting evidence.

6. Certification Decision

MRAA may:

• Approve the certification

• Approve the certification at a different supported level

• Request additional information

• Place the request on hold

• Deny the request

• Close an incomplete or unsupported request

7. Official Certification Record

Approved certifications may include:

• Recipient name

• Release or achievement title

• Certification level

• Certification date

• Unique certified number

• Digital certification record

• Public verification page

• Official MRAA certificate

Important Certification Notice

Payment of a certification fee does not guarantee approval or guarantee that a particular certification level will be awarded.

Every certification request remains subject to:

• Eligibility review

• Documentation requirements

• Data authentication

• MRAA certification standards

• Final approval

• Fraud and accuracy screening

• Applicable policies and terms

MRAA may request additional documentation when submitted information is incomplete, unclear, inconsistent, duplicated, unsupported, unverifiable, or materially different from available records.

MRAA may deny, suspend, correct, downgrade, revoke, or remove a certification when information is later found to be inaccurate, misleading, fraudulent, materially incomplete, or inconsistent with MRAA standards.

Applicants are responsible for submitting truthful, accurate, complete, and properly authorized information.

Expedited Review

When available, an applicant may request expedited processing for an additional $100.

Expedited review:

• Moves an eligible request into a priority review queue.

• Does not reduce documentation requirements.

• Does not guarantee approval.

• Does not guarantee a particular certification level.

• Does not prevent MRAA from requesting additional information.

• Does not include rush plaque production or shipping.

Expedited review is unavailable while certification-level issuance remains on hold.

Optional Physical Award or Plaque

The purchase of a physical plaque, framed award, trophy, premium display, or commemorative product is optional.

Certification fees do not include:

• Physical plaques

• Framed awards

• Custom designs

• Engraving

• Premium materials

• Replicas or duplicate awards

• Packaging

• Shipping

• Insurance

• Taxes

• Third-party fulfillment expenses

Physical awards may be ordered from an MRAA preferred framer or authorized award provider after certification has been approved.

The selected provider may establish its own pricing, production schedule, shipping policies, design requirements, and payment terms.

MRAA certifies the achievement. The selected award provider produces the optional physical display.

¹Individual memberships are designed for one person and will typically involve a smaller number of titles or certification requests.

²Business memberships are intended for higher-volume applicants, such as record labels, management teams, and management companies that represent multiple individuals and manage larger catalogs. The higher business membership price reflects the increased number of titles, applicants, and overall level of review and administrative work required.

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