Australia’s music charts are drawing a hard line against AI-generated songs, and it’s about time someone did. Starting this week, ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association), the body behind the country’s official charts, says every eligible release must be “substantially human made” to even qualify for a spot.
Why did this happen now?
The trigger seems to be Australian DJ Josh Fawaz, whose AI-assisted cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer topped the ARIA dance chart and climbed to number 2 overall. The track has been streamed over 48 million times on Spotify, and Fawaz only added generative AI credits after people called him out. That’s the kind of controversy that forces an industry to actually make a rule instead of just talking about one.
What actually counts as human made?
Here’s the good news if you’re an artist who dabbles in AI tools: you’re not banned outright. You can still use AI for mastering, drum machines, or auto-tune. The rule is that a human has to write the song and perform the lead vocals and main instruments. Cross that line into fully AI-generated territory, and you’re out of chart contention.
ARIA isn’t stopping at just blocking new entries either. If a song is later found to be mostly AI-made, the chart position can be adjusted after the fact, and if it hit number one, ARIA might even ask for the award back. Artists do get a chance to challenge their exclusion, so it’s not a completely closed door.
Not everyone sees AI as the enemy here. Peking Duk actually re-recorded their 2014 hit High using AI just so Australian radio would play it, poking fun at the whole situation on Instagram. Meanwhile, band member Adam Hyde called AI generated music a way of “removing the human experience from life,” which sums up why ARIA felt the need to step in.
Australia isn’t alone either. Sweden banned an AI-made song from its charts earlier this year, and more regions are expected to roll out similar rules soon, according to the BBC. Australian PM Anthony Albanese has already vowed to give creators the “strongest possible protection” from AI, so this chart shake-up fits into a bigger push happening across the country.