Australia Bans AI-Generated Songs From Official ARIA Music Charts
The Australian Recording Industry Association has updated its code of practice to exclude predominantly AI-generated songs, requiring human songwriting, vocals, and instrumentation.
New standards for official rankings
The Australian Recording Industry Association updated its code of practice to bar songs generated predominantly or entirely by artificial intelligence from official weekly sales and streaming charts. Under the updated framework, music made with generative tools qualifies for entry only if the work is substantially human-made and raises no concerns regarding stream or chart manipulation. Fully machine-generated recordings are also disqualified from eligibility for the annual ARIA Music Awards. While technical AI applications for mastering, rhythm tracks, and vocal pitch correction remain permitted, the association requires human artists to write the composition and perform all primary instruments and lead vocals.
Industry labeling and global guidance
To differentiate permitted tool usage from fully automated output, the association introduced standardized categorization tags recommended by global recording bodies, including the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and the Recording Industry Association of America. Releasing artists must formally declare generative technology usage during submission, categorizing tracks as either AI-assisted or AI-generated. The framework aligns with recent IFPI policies governing chart eligibility across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia, which require that AI services used during production be lawful and authorized. In a formal statement, ARIA chief executive officer Annabelle Herd addressed the balance between emerging technology and artistic protection.
The ARIA Charts will always remain a transparent measurement of the music Australia consumes, but a chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent.
- Josh Fawaz's AI-assisted cover becomes the most-played song on Australian radio
- ARIA updates code of practice to exclude predominantly AI-generated tracks
- New chart eligibility standards take effect across official Australian music rankings
Impact of the Josh Fawaz track
The policy revision follows public discussion surrounding a dance cover of Madonna's 1989 track "Like a Prayer" by Australian producer and disc jockey Josh Fawaz. The release became the most-played track on Australian radio stations in July, reached number one on the ARIA dance singles chart, placed second on the general national rankings, and accumulated over 48 million streams on Spotify. After scrutiny regarding its origins, Fawaz updated track metadata to credit generative software, revealing that both the vocal performance and drum instrumentation were created using artificial intelligence. ARIA officials subsequently noted that tracks relying on synthetic vocal and instrumental cores would no longer meet inclusion criteria.
Enforcement mechanisms and appeals
The updated code equips ARIA with retrospective enforcement powers, permitting administrators to reject songs before publication, remove charting tracks, adjust historical rankings, and revoke certifications or awards. Musicians and record labels facing disqualification can file formal appeals by submitting production documentation and session files to verify human authorship. The Australian organization also called on radio broadcasters and streaming platforms to apply similar criteria to their programming. Herd emphasized the distinction between assisting artists and wholesale machine generation.
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.
