Australia Bans AI-Generated Music From Official Charts

Australia has become one of the first countries to formally exclude AI-generated music from its official charts, implementing new eligibility rules that require all releases to be "substantially human made."

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) announced the policy change this week, stating it aims to "promote the human nature of artistry" as musicians navigate an increasingly crowded marketplace.

The Catalyst: A Controversial Madonna Cover

The rule change follows a high-profile controversy surrounding Australian DJ Josh Fawaz's cover of Madonna's "Like A Prayer." The track climbed to number two on Australia's overall chart and topped the ARIA dance singles chart, accumulating more than 48 million Spotify streams and securing heavy rotation on commercial radio.

Fawaz added generative AI credits to the song only after facing public backlash, highlighting the difficulty of identifying AI-assisted production in released music.

What's Allowed Under the New Rules

The updated code draws clear boundaries around AI use in music production. Human creators must write the song and perform the lead vocal and primary instruments. AI assistance remains permissible for specific technical applications including mastering, drum machines, and auto-tune processing.

Artists must now declare AI use when submitting songs for chart consideration. ARIA reserves the right to retrospectively adjust chart positions if undisclosed AI generation comes to light, and may request the return of awards for songs that reached number one.

Why It Matters

This policy establishes a precedent for how music industries worldwide might regulate AI-generated content in commercial contexts. As generative AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, the line between human creativity and machine output grows increasingly blurred. Australia's approach attempts to preserve economic opportunities for human musicians while acknowledging that AI tools have legitimate uses in production workflows. The policy also addresses a fundamental question about cultural products: whether charts meant to celebrate human artistic achievement should include works created primarily by algorithms trained on existing recordings.

Global Movement Toward AI Restrictions

Australia joins a growing international effort to address AI in music charts. Sweden banned an AI-created song from its charts earlier this year. In July, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry announced AI guidelines would be implemented across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd emphasized the distinction between AI as a tool and AI as a replacement: "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."

Australian electronic act Peking Duk voiced support for the restrictions. Band member Adam Hyde told Channel Nine that AI-generated music was "removing the human experience from life."

The policy aligns with broader government commitments. Last July, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged "the strongest possible protection" for Australian creatives, promising that artists would control whether and how their work trains AI systems.

These details were first reported by the BBC.