Star Metro - Australia's top music charts ban AI songs

Under new rules in force from Friday, music must be "substantially human made" in order to be eligible for the charts, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said.

"Wholly AI-generated tracks will not be eligible for the ARIA Charts," the group said.

It said its charts would exclude songs that use AI "to generate the entirety or the primary portion of the creative elements".

But "recordings that use generative AI in a supporting role remain eligible," it added.

The move follows growing concern in the music industry over a surge in AI-generated music hitting the airwaves.

In July, a cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" soared to the top of the charts in Australia but drew scrutiny after it was revealed to have used AI-generated vocals and drums.

Streaming giant Spotify has said it will launch a new "AI Persona" badge clearly identifying content producers that are AI-generated and not real people.

More than one-third of new uploads to Apple Music are entirely created with AI, a platform executive told Billboard this year.

That month several major music industry organisations unveiled a labelling system for content created with generative AI that they would like to see widely adopted.

"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," ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said.

"The ARIA Charts will always remain a transparent measurement of the music Australia consumes, but a chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent," she said.

W.Fortin--SMC