Australia's ARIA Charts Ban AI-Generated Music to Protect Human Artists
SCMP · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Australia's recorded music industry announced Tuesday that it will bar tracks wholly generated by artificial intelligence from official charts, as burgeoning generative technologies threaten artists' livelihoods. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said wholly AI-generated tracks will be banned from the ARIA Charts from Monday next week, with new guidelines requiring music to be "substantially human made" to remain eligible. The move follows growing concern over a surge in AI-generated music hitting the airwaves, sparked partly by a controversy over an AI-generated cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" that spent 16 weeks in the Australian top 20.
Key Points
- Wholly AI-generated tracks will be banned from ARIA Charts from next Monday, but AI-assisted music with human songwriting and performance remains eligible
- Tracks must have humans write the song and perform the lead vocal and primary instruments to qualify for the charts
- An AI cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" peaked at number two on ARIA's top 20 Australian singles chart in May and remained in fourth place on Tuesday
- Streaming platform Spotify plans to launch an "AI Persona" badge to clearly identify AI-generated content that is not produced by real people
- More than one-third of new uploads to Apple Music are entirely created with AI, according to a platform executive
- AI-generated music will also be ineligible for the prestigious ARIA Awards, the industry's top honors
- Sydney Conservatorium of Music composer Alexis Weaver described the AI debate as "exceptionally fraught and very emotional" for artists
Why It Matters
The ARIA Charts represent a significant shift toward protecting human artistry as AI-generated content floods music platforms, with over one-third of new uploads to Apple Music now entirely AI-created. These new standards align with international guidelines from the London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, signaling a coordinated industry response to maintain authentic human creativity in music .
The ARIA Charts represent a significant shift toward protecting human artistry as AI-generated content floods music platforms, with over one-third of new uploads to Apple Music now entirely AI-created. These new standards align with international guidelines from the London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, signaling a coordinated industry response to maintain authentic human creativity in music .