Australia has introduced a new rule for its official music charts. Songs that are largely or completely created by artificial intelligence can no longer qualify for the charts. From this week, every release must be “substantially human made” to be considered. The Australian Recording Industry Association, or ARIA, says the policy is meant to protect and promote the human nature of artistry.
The change follows a debate about an AI-assisted cover of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz. The track reached the top of the ARIA dance singles chart and rose to number two on the country’s overall chart. It also became common on commercial radio and was streamed more than 48 million times on Spotify. After facing criticism, Fawaz added credits describing the use of generative AI in the song.
ARIA says Australian musicians are competing for attention in an extremely crowded market. It does not want to celebrate music generated by AI services when the work contains little or no human artistry. However, the new code does not ban every use of AI in music. People must still write the song and perform the lead vocal and main instruments, while AI may assist with mastering, drum machines, or Auto-Tune.
The rules also address honesty and fairness in chart competition. Artists must declare any AI use when they submit a release for chart consideration. If a song is later found to be largely AI-generated, ARIA can change its chart position after the result has been announced. If the song reached number one, the organization may ask for awards connected with that achievement to be returned, although artists and their representatives can challenge an exclusion.
ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd described the music industry as a rapidly developing space. She said charts should evolve because artists already use AI tools, but she distinguished limited assistance from music produced wholesale by services built on artists’ recordings. The updated code also excludes music linked to concerns about stream or chart manipulation. Australian electronic act Peking Duk has supported the move, and one member said completely AI-generated music could remove the human experience from life.
Australia’s decision is part of a wider international discussion rather than an isolated action. A song was previously banned from Sweden’s charts because it was created by AI, and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has said similar guidelines will be introduced in several regions. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also promised strong protection for local creative workers, including the right to choose whether their work is used to train AI. The central question is how music charts can accept useful technology while continuing to recognize human effort, permission, and creative responsibility.