IN THE U.S & EUROPE,A WEEK AFTER AN ARTIST RELEASES A NEW ALBUM,THE NUMBER OF CDs SOLD IN THE FIRST WEEK IS ALWAYS RELEASED.USUALY VIA SOUNDSCAN,A BODY THAT TRACKS THE RECORDS OF HOW MANY COPIES AN ALBUM SELLS IN THE FIRST WEEK & EVEN YEARS AFTER, THESE FIGURES RELEASED BY THEM ARE A 100% AUTHENTIC & IT LETS THE PARTIES INTERESTED KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL OR UNSUCCESSFUL AN ALBUM IS, IN AMERICA,ARTISTS WHO SELL 500k+ COPIES RECEIVE A GOLD PLAQUE,1MILLION+ COPIES RECEIVE A PLATINUM PLAQUE,10MILLION+ COPIES RECEIVE A DIAMOND PLAQUE, RECORD KEEPING OF ALBUM SALES IN THE U.S & EUROPE IS VERY ORGANISED BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PROPER RECORD LABEL/MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION STRUCTURE,THIS HELPS EVERYONE INVOLVED(LABELS/ARTISTS) KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THEY ARE ENTITLED TO FROM THE SALES OF CDs AT THE END OF EVERY WEEK & OVER TIME IN GENERAL, THE CASE IS VERY DIFFERENT IN NIGERIA.THE BIGGEST ARTISTS IN THE COUNTRY CANNOT AUTHORITATIVELY PUT OUT A FIGURE OF EXACTLY HOW MANY CDs THEY WERE ABLE TO SELL ON A PARTICULAR ALBUM BECAUSE IN MOST CASES ARTISTS SELL OFF THE PUBLISHING RIGHTS OF THEIR ALBUMS TO MARKETERS IN THE POPULAR ALABA MARKET FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY,MAKING THESE MARKETERS THE ONLY ONES WHO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY CDs THEY SELL.IN A LOT OF CASES THESE MARKETERS MAKE A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN WHAT THEY PAID OFF THE ARTIST OR LABEL, AS BIG AS MUSIC HAS GROWN IN NIGERIA,I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME THE INDUSTRY IS RESTRUCTURED, FROM RECORD LABELS TO THE MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS, IT'S GOING TO BE TASKING AT THE BEGINNING BUT IT WOULD DEFINITELY PAY OFF IN THE LONG RUN, THIS IS MY OPINION,MAY I HAVE YOURS, THANKS-DOUBLE SIX/PHAT WALL MUZIK.