One of the most frequently played songs on Australian radio in the past month is now facing potential exclusion from official charts due to new regulations imposed by the Australian music industry.
The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), responsible for overseeing the nation’s official music charts, recently declared that songs entirely generated by artificial intelligence will no longer be permitted on the ARIA charts.
ARIA spokesperson Andrew Knowles stated to CBC News that recordings must have a significant human element to be considered for the ARIA charts.
However, music pieces where generative AI is solely responsible for creating the creative aspects will not be considered eligible.
Knowles clarified, stating, “For example, if the lead vocals or instruments were generated by AI rather than a human, the song would not qualify. If human performance is the core of the recording and AI is used minimally, the recording remains eligible.”
ARIA also mentioned its authority to disqualify songs suspected of manipulating streams or charts, emphasizing compliance with applicable copyright laws. Tracks generated by generative AI will not be eligible for the prestigious ARIA Awards in Australia.
ARIA’s Chief Executive Annabelle Herd stated, “These amendments reflect our commitment to embracing the human element of artistry in a rapidly evolving environment.”
“The ARIA charts will continue to be a transparent reflection of Australia’s music consumption. However, rewarding unauthorized AI creations would undermine the core values of the music we represent,” she added.
The crackdown comes following the success of Brisbane DJ and producer Josh Fawaz’s rendition of Madonna’s Like a Prayer, featuring AI-generated vocals and drums, which spent 16 weeks on the Top 20 Australian Singles chart.
Fawaz’s controversial version, reaching No. 2 on the chart in May and retaining the fourth position as of Tuesday, has sparked a heated debate on the use of generative AI in music production.
Music producer Mitch Thomas criticized Fawaz online, accusing him of solely relying on AI for music production. Thomas suggested that Fawaz’s music resembled work generated by the gen AI platform Suno.
Fawaz responded to Thomas, dismissing the allegations and highlighting that AI was merely a tool in his music creation process.
The new regulations will take effect next Monday, disqualifying completely AI-generated tracks from the ARIA charts. Nevertheless, music with AI assistance may still be considered eligible, as per a statement released to the Associated Press.
ARIA confirmed that Fawaz’s rendition of Like a Prayer did not meet the eligibility criteria based on information provided by the artist.