Fully AI-created songs will no longer be eligible for Australia’s official music charts under revised guidelines unveiled by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The changes, announced this week, will come into effect with the chart dated August 31 and introduce a formal split between recordings produced primarily by artificial intelligence and those where AI is used only as a supporting tool.
Under the new rules, generative AI recordings can still qualify if they are substantially human-made and do not raise concerns about artificial manipulation of streams or chart positions. ARIA will apply an industry-wide distinction announced in July that separates AI-generated music, where AI creates all or the main creative elements, from AI-assisted music, which remains substantially human-created despite some generative AI involvement.
ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said artists were already using AI in creative ways, and the charts should leave room for that. She called on all parties involved in deciding what gets played and promoted to Australian audiences — particularly radio — to support human artistry and implement similar changes in their own codes.
ARIA may now refuse ineligible recordings, remove them from charts either retroactively or in advance, adjust chart positions, and withdraw accreditations. It can also revoke an ARIA No. 1 Award, while ineligible tracks will not qualify for an ARIA Award. Artists and their representatives will have the right to challenge exclusions by providing evidence that a recording satisfies the rules.
The move is part of a broader initiative led by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents the global recording industry. IFPI set out principles in July for official charts worldwide, requiring eligible AI-assisted recordings to remain substantially human-made, rely on lawful and authorized AI services, and avoid artificially inflating streams.