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The Australian Recording Industry Association updated its eligibility code this week to exclude wholly or largely AI-generated recordings from its charts, requiring that a track be substantially human-made with human authorship, lead vocals and primary instrumentation. According to the industry body, artificial intelligence tools may still support mastering, effects such as autotune or drum machines, yet the core creative elements must originate with human artists. A Research and Markets assessment placed the global AI-in-music market at 5.55 billion dollars in 2026 and projected expansion to 12.86 billion dollars by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 23.4 percent, underscoring the speed with which the technology has entered commercial production.
The policy change follows widespread radio airplay and chart success for a cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” by Australian DJ and producer Josh Fawaz, whose track reached number two on the overall ARIA chart and topped the dance singles list before he added generative-AI credits for drum and vocal elements. ARIA figures show the recording received 11,659 spins across 18 weeks on the airplay chart, outpacing contemporaneous releases by Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims while generating more than 48 million streams on Spotify alone. News.com.au reported that commercial radio stations heavily featured the song, intensifying debate over fairness for human creators competing in what ARIA described as the most crowded market in history.
ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said in a statement that the revisions give every artist releasing music in Australia a clear rule to follow while calling on radio stations and promoters to adopt parallel standards that support human artistry. “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,” Herd stated. She added that artists already incorporate AI tools but that music generated wholesale by services built on artists’ recordings represents a separate matter whose success the charts should not reward.
The ARIA update directly adopts principles rolled out by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry on July 30, 2026, which require that any AI service be properly authorised and lawful, that the track be substantially human-made and that it raise no concerns over stream or chart manipulation. IFPI data indicate the organisation is applying the framework initially across charts in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia while collaborating with national groups to extend it to more than 20 additional official charts worldwide. Billboard reported that the global body also emphasised transparent labelling of AI involvement for listeners on streaming platforms.
An earlier ban on an AI-created song in Sweden this year and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s July 2025 pledge to deliver the strongest possible protections for Australian creatives illustrate a broadening international response to generative technology. Albanese described unauthorised use of artists’ work to train AI models as theft that deprives creators of control and compensation. In an interview with Channel Nine’s Today show, Peking Duk member Adam Hyde welcomed the ARIA move, stating that AI-generated music was removing the human experience from life after the electronic act posted an AI-assisted version of its own 2014 hit with a pointed caption about radio play.
Under the revised ARIA code, artists and labels must declare any AI involvement when submitting tracks for chart consideration, and the association retains authority to adjust positions retrospectively or request return of number-one awards if substantial AI generation is later confirmed. Representatives may challenge exclusion decisions through an updated disputes process. The framework explicitly excludes recordings that appear intended to manipulate charts or streams, reinforcing the industry’s focus on authentic human creativity amid rapid technological change.
