Australia Bans AI‑Generated Songs from Music Charts to Preserve Human Artistry
From this week, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has declared that songs created by or largely funded with AI cannot appear on its official charts. The new rule insists that releases must be "substantially human made" to qualify, reflecting the association’s intent to "promote the human nature of artistry".
The decision followed a high‑profile case when Australian DJ Josh Fawaz’s AI‑generated cover of Madonna’s "Like A Prayer" topped the ARIA dance singles chart and reached number 2 overall. Despite initial backlash, Fawaz later added generative‑AI credits, yet the track remains banned under the updated policy.
ARIA clarified that while AI tools may still assist production—such as mastering, drum machines, or auto‑tune—humans must write the song and provide the lead vocals and primary instruments. The code also excludes music raising concerns of "stream or chart manipulation", and allows artists to declare AI use when submitting tracks. Artists could see their chart positions adjusted retroactively, and if a track tops the charts it may be required to return associated awards.
"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." – ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd
Herd added, "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. A chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent."
The ban echoes earlier moves in Sweden, where an AI‑generated track was removed from the national charts, and prefigures IFPI‑driven guidelines that will roll out in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
Australian artists have largely supported the shift. Electronic act Peking Duk released an AI‑assisted version of their 2014 hit "High" on Instagram and noted that AI removed "the human experience from life". They also highlighted the need for artists’ control over training data: "It would be theft if creatives lost that control and were not paid for its use."
