ARIA rules wholly AI-generated music ineligible for charts

ARIA has ruled that wholly AI-generated recordings will no longer be eligible for inclusion in the Australian music charts.

The industry body has updated its Charts Code of Practice to distinguish between recordings created entirely by generative artificial intelligence and music in which AI plays a supporting role.

AI-assisted recordings will remain eligible to chart under the new rules, provided the technology has been used lawfully and with the appropriate authorisation.

Human involvement required

Recordings involving generative AI must be “substantially human-made” to qualify for the charts.

They must also comply with relevant laws, including copyright and related rights, and must not raise concerns about streaming or chart manipulation.

The changes allow artists and producers to continue using AI as part of the creative and production process, while excluding recordings generated entirely by the technology.

The updated code places human involvement, lawful use and chart integrity at the centre of ARIA’s eligibility requirements.

The changes will take effect from the ARIA Chart dated Monday, August 31st, which will be published on Friday, August 28th. ARIA will use definitions introduced under a global music industry labelling standard in July to distinguish AI-generated from AI-assisted recordings.

ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said the rules were designed to recognise the growing role AI tools can play in artists’ creative processes without allowing entirely machine-generated music to compete on the same terms.

“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. Artists already use AI tools in their work; the Charts can and should evolve to keep room for that, but music generated wholesale by services built on artists’ recordings is a different matter,” she explained.

“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. We have worked closely with IFPI and a number of international industry bodies to understand how to best implement these changes in a way that is both clear and future-facing.

“This gives everyone who releases music in Australia a clear rule to work to. 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.”

ARIA has also outlined what can happen if a recording is found to breach the rules. The industry body can refuse to accept a release for its chart survey, remove it from the charts – including retrospectively, adjust chart positions, and withdraw accreditations.

In more extreme cases, ARIA can revoke or request the return of an ARIA No. 1 Award. Any recording ruled ineligible for the charts will also be unable to compete for an ARIA Award.

Artists and their representatives will have an avenue to challenge those decisions, with ARIA updating its disputes process to allow them to provide evidence supporting a recording’s eligibility.

Existing provisions requiring chart data suppliers to operate lawfully and allowing ARIA to exclude sales or streams that cannot be verified have also been strengthened.

ARIA said it will continue reviewing the Code as generative AI technology and the policy surrounding it evolve.