In the past month, a rendition of Madonna’s popular song “Like a Prayer” gained significant airplay on Australian radio stations. However, this cover version now faces exclusion from official music charts in Australia due to new guidelines established by the country’s music industry.
The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), responsible for overseeing the nation’s music charts, recently declared that songs entirely created by artificial intelligence will no longer be permitted on the ARIA charts. They emphasized that recordings must be predominantly human-made to be eligible for chart inclusion.
According to ARIA spokesperson Andrew Knowles, tracks where generative AI substantially generates creative aspects, such as lead vocals or instrumental elements, will be disqualified. Nevertheless, recordings that feature a human performance at the core, with minimal AI enhancements, will still qualify for the charts.
The association also retains the authority to remove songs suspected of manipulating streaming or chart data and requires compliance with all relevant copyright laws. Additionally, music produced by generative AI will be ineligible for prestigious ARIA Awards in Australia.
ARIA’s CEO, Annabelle Herd, stated that these adjustments aim to uphold the essence of human artistry in a rapidly evolving industry landscape. She emphasized the importance of maintaining transparency in measuring Australia’s music consumption without rewarding unauthorized AI-generated content.
The decision follows the presence of DJ and producer Josh Fawaz’s rendition of “Like a Prayer” on the ARIA’s Top 20 Australian Singles chart, featuring AI-generated vocals and music elements. The track faced criticism and sparked debates regarding the use of AI in music production.
Notably, Fawaz defended his music against claims of being entirely AI-generated, clarifying that AI serves as a tool rather than the sole creator of his compositions. The new regulations, effective from the upcoming Monday, will remove wholly AI-generated tracks from the ARIA charts, while AI-assisted music may still be considered for chart placement.
ARIA confirmed that Fawaz’s rendition of “Like a Prayer” did not meet the revised eligibility criteria based on the information provided by the artist.