AI-generated music to be banned from ARIA charts

In short: Australia's main music charts have announced a ban on AI-generated music to start this week. The Australian Recording Industry Association says wholly AI-generated tracks will not be eligible for the ARIA Charts, though recordings using AI in a supporting role will remain eligible. It comes after a song produced with AI became the most-played track on Australian radio and reached number four on two ARIA charts in July. Songs created mostly or entirely by artificial intelligence will be excluded from Australia's official music charts from this Friday, under new rules set down by the recording industry. However, AI-assisted recordings can still chart if they are substantially human made. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which runs the charts of the most popular music in Australia, has updated its Charts Code of Practice to put it in line with principles put out by the global recording industry. The updated code excludes music that has used generative AI unless it is "substantially human-made" and "raises no stream or chart manipulation concerns". The new code lets ARIA remove ineligible recordings, alter chart positions and revoke chart awards. Artists and representatives can contest exclusions. The change will apply to the charts released on Friday. ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said while artists were already using AI tools, music generated wholly by services built on artists' recordings was a different matter altogether. "This gives everyone who releases music in Australia a clear rule to work to," she said. "We call on all parties who have a role in deciding the music played and promoted to Australian audiences, particularly radio, to support human artistry and implement similar changes across their own codes." AI-generated music storming up the charts The decision follows scrutiny of Queensland DJ and producer Josh Fawaz's cover of Madonna's Like a Prayer, which became the most-played song on Australian radio and reached number four on two ARIA charts in July. The track attracted criticism from music figures who believed generative AI had been used. Fawaz said he used AI "as a tool" and later updated the track listing on Spotify to say the vocals and drums were AI-generated. ARIA's move draws from the principles published in July by the global body representing the recorded music industry, which said more than 20 official chart programs were adopting rules intended to distinguish human-created recordings from wholly AI-generated material. An ARIA spokesperson told the ABC that the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) rules would likely disqualify music with lead vocals or key instrumentals are AI generated, suggesting Fawaz's song may not qualify under the new rules. IFPI said its concerns included AI models trained on artists' music without authorisation from rights holders. Loading...Spotify has taken a different transparency measure when it comes to AI music. It has pledged to badge AI personas and exclude them from recommendations by default, however that badge applies to just the identity behind an artist profile, not whether AI was used to make a particular recording. ARIA's move comes amid a wider dispute between creative industries and AI companies, many of which have built their technology using copyrighted material without artists' permission. The federal government is working on new rules for AI and data centres that would include "strong copyright protections for Australian creators".