The Australian Recording Industry Association announced that fully AI-generated tracks will no longer chart on ARIA’s official lists, marking the first major territory to implement such a blanket restriction.
The move comes after an AI-assisted cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” by Queensland DJ Josh Fawaz dominated Australian radio and hit number four on two ARIA charts in July, forcing the industry’s hand. ARIA’s updated Charts Code of Practice allows recordings that use AI in a supporting role to remain eligible, but anything wholly generated by artificial intelligence gets blocked. ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd made the reasoning clear, saying the organization wanted to “give everyone who releases music in Australia a clear rule to work to” and called on radio stations and streaming platforms to “support human artistry” across their own operations. The policy aligns with principles released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in July, which suggested that lead vocals or key instrumentals created by AI would disqualify tracks from charting globally.
Major record labels have proposed guidelines for AI music eligibility, but there is no blanket ban on Billboard charts or other US chart systems. The focus stateside remains on authorization and copyright compliance rather than outright exclusion. Spotify has taken its own middle-ground approach by badging AI personas and excluding them from recommendations by default, though that only applies to artist profiles, not individual tracks.