Abstract:
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has announced that from Friday, music generated primarily or entirely by artificial intelligence will no longer be eligible to enter the ARIA official music charts. However, if the work only uses AI as an auxiliary tool and the overall work is still based on human creation, it can still participate in the ranking.
ARIA, which is responsible for operating Australia's popular music charts, recently updated the "Chart Code of Conduct" to echo the relevant principles proposed by the global recording industry. The new regulations clarify that music produced using generative AI is only eligible to be on the list if it is "substantially created by humans" and there is no risk of brushing up traffic or manipulating the charts.
According to the new regulations, ARIA can remove ineligible works from the list, adjust their rankings, and revoke relevant list awards. Artists and their representatives can appeal against exclusions. The new rules will be officially implemented starting from the list announced this Friday.
ARIA CEO Annabel Hurd said that it is quite common for musicians to use AI tools, but it is another matter to rely entirely on AI services based on the artist's existing recordings to generate music. She said the regulations provide clear standards for all those distributing music in Australia and called on all institutions involved in deciding what music Australian listeners are exposed to and promoted, especially radio stations, to take similar measures to support human artistic creation.
This move is related to a controversial incident in July this year. Queensland DJ and producer Josh Fawaz's cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" became the most played song on Australian radio and rose to No. 4 on two ARIA charts. It also sparked criticism from people in the music industry as outsiders questioned the song's use of generative AI technology.
Fawaz said at the time that he was only using AI "as a tool." He later added in the track description on Spotify that the vocals and drum sounds for the piece were generated by AI.
ARIA’s new policy refers to the principles released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in July this year. IFPI represents the global recorded music industry and said more than 20 official music chart projects have adopted rules to distinguish human-created recordings from content generated entirely by AI.
An ARIA spokesperson told the media that according to IFPI rules, if the lead vocal or key instrumental part of the work is generated by AI, it may not be eligible for the list. This means that Fawaz’s cover song may not comply with the new ARIA regulations.
IFPI pointed out that one of its concerns is that some AI models may use artists’ music training without authorization from the rights holders. Currently, there is a broader debate between the creative industry and AI companies over copyright issues, with many AI companies’ technology development being accused of using copyrighted materials without the permission of artists.
Unlike ARIA, which directly restricts AI-generated music from being listed on the list, Spotify is currently taking another transparency measure. The platform promises to add identification to the identity of AI virtual artists and will not include them in recommended content by default; however, this identification is for the identity behind the artist's account, not whether the specific recording is produced using AI.
The Australian federal government is also developing new rules on AI and data centers, which are expected to include "strong copyright protections for Australian creators."
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