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The music industry is striving to remove low-quality AI-generated content from reputable charts and has formulated a clear strategy for action. Labels such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group are demanding that global chart compilers implement strict barriers for songs created by algorithms without adequate human involvement.
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Listeners are increasingly encountering viral tracks that, upon closer analysis, turn out to be the product of artificial intelligence. The market’s biggest players are expressing similar outrage at this trend.
An alliance of nearly 12 record labels, led by the three giants Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group, has launched an initiative to change the rules governing global music charts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the major labels are demanding that tracks from the AI-synth category be disqualified, preventing them from entering the charts.
However, the proposed regulations do not call for a complete ban on the use of algorithms in music. A song will be eligible for chart placement if its foundation is created by a human, with technology playing only a supporting role. To be eligible for the charts, a track must meet three strict criteria.
The first requirement stipulates the use of exclusively licensed and legal AI models that were trained without infringing on copyrights. The second condition mandates that a human play the leading role in the song’s creation. The third criterion is the complete absence of any evidence of inflated play counts or other manipulation of streaming metrics.
In a joint statement, representatives of record labels openly noted that a significant portion of the AI-generated music flooding streaming platforms was created using tools trained on artists’ catalogs without their consent. In addition, such content regularly features in schemes involving the falsification of play counts.
The catalyst for this intensified action was last year’s events, when the AI country music project Breaking Rust attracted widespread attention by entering the digital country music sales chart. However, appearing on such digital download charts does not indicate genuine mass popularity, since in the era of streaming dominance, roughly 1,000 sales are enough to make it onto such a list.
Currently, record labels are taking a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group are actively collaborating with tech giants Nvidia, Spotify, and Stability AI to create officially licensed AI tools. On the other hand, they are waging an uncompromising legal battle against unlicensed services.
In 2024, Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group filed lawsuits against the AI music generators Suno and Udio for copyright infringement. Warner Music Group subsequently settled its disputes with both platforms, while Universal Music Group reached a settlement with Udio last year.
This dual approach – where record labels sue AI developers while simultaneously signing licensing agreements with them – indicates that the industry views AI music as an inevitable stage of development and seeks to dictate its own terms rather than completely block new technologies.
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