Australia Bans Fully AI-Generated Songs from Official Music Charts

Australia’s official music charts will no longer accept songs that are created entirely or primarily by artificial intelligence (AI), following growing concerns about the technology’s impact on human musicians.

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) announced that the new rules will take effect on Friday. Fully AI-generated songs will also be ineligible for recognition at the annual ARIA Music Awards.

However, songs that use AI only as a supporting tool will remain eligible. Under the industry’s new classification system, music can be labelled either “AI-Generated” or “AI-Assisted,” depending on how much AI was involved in its creation.

The decision follows controversy surrounding Brisbane DJ Josh Fawaz, whose AI-assisted cover of Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like a Prayer” reached the top of an Australian dance chart. The song, which reportedly uses AI-generated vocals and drums, has received more than 48.5 million Spotify streams.

ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said the charts should recognise legitimate uses of AI but should not reward music created wholesale by technology that may rely on other artists’ work.

Experts have also warned about copyright and ethical concerns, particularly the use of artists’ work to train commercial AI systems without permission. They said AI will likely become an important part of music production, but stronger rules are needed to protect human creativity and intellectual property.

Key point: Australia is drawing a line between AI used as a creative tool and music produced almost entirely by AI, with fully AI-generated songs now excluded from its official charts.

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