New ARIA Rules Require ‘Substantially Human Made’ Music

From this week, all releases must be ‘substantially human made’ to be eligible for inclusion in Australia’s music charts, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said. The new code aims to ‘promote the human nature of artistry.’

Controversy Over AI-Assisted Song on Charts

The decision follows a controversy around a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz, which recently topped the ARIA dance singles chart and peaked at number 2 on the country’s overall chart. The song has become a staple of commercial radio station playlists and has been streamed more than 48 million times on Spotify alone.

Fawaz later added generative AI credits to the song after a backlash. ARIA said that Australian artists were competing for attention ‘in the most crowded market in history’ and that it was ‘not interested in promoting or celebrating the success of music that does not contain human artistry.’

AI Assistance Permitted, But Full Creation Not

Under the new rules, AI assistance can still be used, but humans must have written the song, and have performed the lead vocal and primary instruments. AI can also still be used for mastering songs and, for example, using drum machines and auto tune.

Earlier this year, a song was banned from Sweden’s music charts because it was created by AI. And in July, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said AI guidelines would be rolled out in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia for use in their official charts.

The updated code, based on the IFPI directive, also excludes music that raises ‘stream or chart manipulation concerns.’

ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said: ‘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 added: ‘A chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent.’

Artists will be required to declare AI use when they submit a song for chart consideration. ARIA said that if it later emerged music was largely, it could retrospectively adjust chart positions, and if the piece topped the charts, it may request that awards given for reaching Number One were returned.

Artists and their representatives will be able to challenge their exclusion. Among the artists supporting the move are Australian electronic act Peking Duk. Last month, they shared an AI-assisted version of their 2014 hit High on Instagram, captioned: ‘When you re-record your own song with AI so Australian radio will play it.’

Band member Adam Hyde told Channel Nine’s Today show that music was ‘removing the human experience from life.’ In July last year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised ‘the strongest possible protection’ from AI for Australian creatives. Albanese pledged that writers and musicians would be able to choose if and how their work was used in the training of AI, saying it would be ‘theft’ if creatives lost that control and were not paid for its use.