Australia Bans AI-Generated Songs From Official Music Charts

Australia's recorded music industry announced on Tuesday that it will prohibit tracks entirely generated by artificial intelligence from appearing on official music charts. This decision aims to address concerns that burgeoning generative technologies pose a threat to artists' livelihoods. The move follows the significant success of an AI-generated variation of Madonna's "Like a Prayer," which featured AI-created vocals and drums. This track, produced by an Australian producer, spent 16 weeks within the Australian top 20, reaching a peak position of number two on the Australian Record Industry Association's (ARIA) top 20 Australian singles chart in May and holding fourth place as of Tuesday. Effective from Monday next week, wholly AI-generated tracks will be barred from the ARIA charts. However, the ARIA statement clarified that some music created with AI assistance will remain eligible for charting. To qualify, tracks must meet specific criteria, including that "humans wrote the song and performed the lead vocal and the primary instruments." Furthermore, AI-generated music will also be ineligible for nomination in the Australian music industry's prestigious ARIA awards. ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd stated that these changes are intended to maintain dynamism and champion the human element of artistry in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Herd emphasized that the ARIA Charts are designed to be a transparent measure of music consumption in Australia and that a chart rewarding unlicensed AI output would undermine the foundation of the recorded music industry. Additionally, any eligible music must be produced using legal AI services. This stipulation addresses the issue of music appearing on streaming services that may have been developed using AI tools trained on artists' music without proper authorization. The new Australian regulations align with international principles released in July by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), based in London. The IFPI, which represents the global recording industry, issued guidelines stating that for a track to qualify for official music charts, it must be "substantially human made." This international consensus underscores a growing trend among music industry bodies to define the boundaries of AI's role in music creation and its eligibility for commercial recognition.