ARIA to bar wholly AI-generated tracks from charts and awards

Australia’s recorded music industry will bar tracks wholly generated by artificial intelligence from the ARIA Charts and the ARIA Awards, while still allowing AI-assisted releases that remain substantially human-made. As reported in July, a coalition led by Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group had already pushed for chart rules that would keep wholly AI-made songs off official lists. The new Charts Code of Practice takes effect with the chart dated Aug. 31, which will be published on Friday, Aug. 28. ARIA said it will use the global music industry’s labelling standard introduced in July to distinguish AI-generated tracks from AI-assisted recordings. To qualify, a recording must be substantially human-made, with humans writing the song and performing the lead vocal and primary instruments. It must also use lawful AI services and raise no stream or chart-manipulation concerns. ARIA can decline to survey an ineligible recording, remove it from the charts, alter its position, withdraw accreditations and revoke any ARIA No. 1 Award. Artists and their representatives can contest exclusions through the updated disputes process. The policy follows scrutiny of Queensland DJ and producer Josh Fawaz’s cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”, which used AI-generated vocals and drums. AP reported that the track spent 16 weeks in the Australian top 20 and peaked at No. 2 in May, while ABC said Fawaz later described AI as a tool and updated the Spotify listing to note the vocals and drums were AI-generated. ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said the changes were meant to keep the charts transparent and dynamic while valuing human creativity. Billboard said ARIA is the first national chart body to set eligibility rules for recordings made with generative AI, and the association said it will keep the code under review as the technology develops.