A new regulation by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has barred songs that are largely or wholly created by artificial intelligence from appearing on the country’s official music charts.
From the start of this week, every release must be “substantially human made” to qualify for chart eligibility. ARIA says the rule will promote the human nature of artistic expression and prevent the disproportionate rise of AI-produced tracks that may be engineered for commercial advantage.
The decision follows a high‑profile incident involving Australian DJ Josh Fawaz’s AI‑generated tribute to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” The track topped the ARIA dance‑singles chart and reached number two on the overall chart, amassing over 48 million streams on Spotify. After backlash, Fawaz added generative‑AI credits to the song, but the controversy highlighted concerns about unlicensed AI output in official rankings.
ARIA’s new code permits AI to assist in certain stages—songwriting support, vocal or instrumental augmentation, mastering, and the use of drum machines and auto‑tune—provided humans write the core composition and perform the lead vocal and primary instruments. The guidelines mirror an IFPI directive that aims to curb “stream or chart manipulation” and outline similar measures for Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
“Artists already use AI tools in their work; the charts can and should evolve to accommodate that, but music generated wholesale by services built on artists’ recordings is a different matter,” ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said. “A chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent.”
Under the new policy, artists will be required to declare any AI assistance when submitting a track for chart consideration. If it is later discovered that a song is predominantly AI‑generated, ARIA could retroactively adjust chart positions and, in the case of a number‑one hit, demand the return of awards related to that achievement.
Australian electronic act Peking Duk, which has released an AI‑assisted version of its 2014 hit “High,” voiced support for the rule. Band member Adam Hyde told the Today show that AI‑generated music “removes the human experience from life.”
The policy arrives amid growing international attention to the ethical use of AI in the music industry. Sweden already banned an AI‑created track from its charts, and the IFPI’s upcoming guidelines could set a global precedent. Artists and their representatives will be able to challenge exclusions, creating a new layer of legal and ethical scrutiny for the emerging technology.
Politically, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged “the strongest possible protection” for Australian creatives earlier this year, proposing that artists could choose if and how their works are used to train AI systems, with compensation as a key issue. The new chart rule thus sits at the intersection of artistic integrity, industry regulation and technological innovation—an evolving debate that will shape how music is valued in a future increasingly populated by AI‑created content.
