Australia draws the line on AI-generated music

International

THE machines can make the music, but they will no longer be able to take it to the top of Australia’s music charts on their own.

Songs created largely or entirely by artificial intelligence will no longer qualify for Australia’s official music charts under new rules introduced this week by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

Chart-eligible releases must now be “substantially human made”, with ARIA saying the change is intended to “promote the human nature of artistry”.

The regulation follows controversy over an AI-assisted cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz. The track topped the ARIA dance singles chart, reached No. 2 on the overall chart and has been streamed more than 48 million times on Spotify. Fawaz later added generative AI credits to the song following a backlash.

ARIA said Australian artists were competing for attention “in the most crowded market in history” and that it was not interested in promoting or celebrating AI-generated music without human artistry.

AI itself is not banned under the new rules. Humans must have written the song and performed the lead vocal and primary instruments, while AI can still be used for mastering. Technologies such as drum machines and auto-tune are also permitted.

ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said the changes were intended to preserve human creativity while allowing artists to use emerging technology.

“These changes reflect our intent to remain dynamic and promote the human nature of artistry in what is, to say the least, a rapidly developing space,” she said in a BBC report.

Herd said artists already use AI tools in their work and the charts should accommodate that, but distinguished such use from music generated wholesale by services built on artists’ recordings. She said allowing unlicensed AI output to compete would weaken the foundation of the recorded music industry.

Artists must declare AI use when submitting songs for chart consideration. ARIA said it could later adjust a song’s chart position if it was found to be largely AI-generated and could seek the return of awards for a No. 1 position.

The updated code also excludes music raising “stream or chart manipulation concerns”.

The rules follow an International Federation of the Phonographic Industry directive, with similar AI guidelines planned for official charts in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. Earlier this year, Sweden also barred an AI-created song from its charts.

Australian electronic act Peking Duk has backed the move. Band member Adam Hyde said AI-generated music was “removing the human experience from life”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge to provide “the strongest possible protection” for Australian creatives also includes giving writers and musicians control over whether and how their work is used to train AI systems.(MyTVCebu)