Songs Created by AI Banned from Australia's Music Charts

From this week, all releases must be "substantially human made" to be eligible for Australia's charts.

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) explained that new code seeks to “promote the human nature of artistry”. The rule was sparked by a controversy over a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz, which topped the ARIA dance singles chart, reached number 2 on the overall chart and amassed over 48 million Spotify streams. Fawaz later crediting generative AI after backlash.

ARIA said that Australian artists are competing for attention in “the most crowded market in history” and it was “not interested in promoting or celebrating the success of AI‑generated music that does not contain human artistry”.

Under the new rules, AI can still be used for mastering, drum machines or autotune, but humans must write the song, perform the lead vocal and primary instruments. Artists must declare AI use when submitting a track for chart consideration.

If a release is later found to be largely AI‑generated, ARIA could retroactively adjust chart positions and demand the return of any awards for reaching number one. Artists can challenge their exclusion. Peking Duk, an Australian electronic act that recently shared an AI‑assisted rendition of their 2014 hit High on Instagram, supports the move, arguing that AI “removing the human experience from life”.

The decision follows a similar ban on a purely AI‑created song in Sweden and global IFPI initiatives to roll out AI guidelines across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. The updated code also addresses “stream or chart manipulation concerns”.

“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 said. “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.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised the “strongest possible protection” from AI for creatives, pledging that writers and musicians could choose how and whether their work is used in AI training, describing unlicensed use as theft and demanding payment.

Related topics: Australia, Artificial intelligence, Music.