As an old timer, I no longer know how the Billboard Charts are tabulated with physical formats barely available and the switch to streaming and downloads. Also, Billboard used to list all the gold and platinum records issued every month and it was a long monthly list. Now there are barely any issued.

In another thread, it was mentioned that Beyonce's album reached number one this week.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart [[dated Aug. 13) with 2022’s biggest week by a woman – and the second-largest week of the year overall – as the set launches atop the chart with 332,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 4, according to Luminate.

What is an equivalent album unit? Also, I never heard of Luminate, but just googled and it is the successor of Soundscan [[later Nielson Soundscan)

Soundscan used to be hooked up to many retail stores and provided those sales along with other info to Billboard.

So I guess my question is "How does Luminate determine 'the equialant of 332,000 album units'?"

Also, does the RIAA still issue gold and platinum records for physical units sold or do they also use the same formula of "equivalent units sold"

Just a curious old mind asking