Australia's ARIA Just Banned AI-Generated Songs From Its Charts

What sparked the change

The policy was sparked in large part by a specific incident: a cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" by Queensland-based DJ Josh Fawaz, featuring AI-generated vocals and drums, that topped the Australian charts after spending weeks in the top 20. The BBC reported that the cover had amassed over 48 million streams on Spotify alone. The backlash it prompted was fierce, and it pushed ARIA to formalize a line it had been approaching for a while.

How the new rule works

Under the new code of practice, music produced with generative AI can only appear on the charts if it was "substantially human made" and raises no stream or chart manipulation concerns. Wholly AI tracks are also banned from eligibility for ARIA's Music Awards. Songs where AI was used as a tool, rather than as the primary creative force, will remain eligible.

To enforce that distinction consistently, ARIA introduced a new labelling system with two categories. Music is classified as "AI-Generated" when artificial intelligence creates the entirety or primary portion of a recording's creative elements. It's classified as "AI-Assisted" when AI is used for only some expressive elements. Songs in the "AI-Assisted" category remain fully eligible for charts and awards.

When it takes effect

The changes apply to ARIA's August 31 charts, making this the first chart week under the new rules. Because this is the first formal chart eligibility policy of its kind globally, other markets are expected to be watching closely to see how it plays out.

Why this matters for independent artists

If AI plays a role in your process - mixing help, production tools, arrangement assistance - the "AI-Assisted" category is designed to keep you eligible. ARIA's rule is drawn around who's doing the primary creative work on a track, not whether AI touched it at all. What's worth watching from here is how quickly other charts adopt a similar framework, since ARIA is now the reference point for what formal AI eligibility rules look like in practice. Artists who understand where the "substantially human made" line sits now are better placed if more charts in more countries start drawing it the same way. Building a visible, well-documented creative process - and a track record of real reviews and coverage backing up the human work behind a release - is also the kind of thing that supports a "substantially human made" case if it's ever questioned, which is part of what real curator coverage through Musosoup naturally builds over time.