Complex sentence: The Recording Industry Association of America did not institute its gold record certification program until 1958, by which point Crosby's record sales were barely a blip; prior to that point, gold records were awarded by an artist's own record company.
Split into simpler sentences: The Recording Industry Association of America did not institute its gold record certification program until 1958, by which point Crosby's record sales were barely a blip. Prior to that point, gold records were awarded by an artist's own record company.