Australian radio listeners heavily favored a rendition of Madonna’s iconic song “Like a Prayer” last month. However, the track faces exclusion from official charts due to new guidelines established by the Australian music industry. The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) recently declared that tracks entirely generated by artificial intelligence (AI) will no longer be eligible for the country’s music charts.
ARIA’s spokesperson, Andrew Knowles, stated that recordings must have a significant human element to be considered for the ARIA charts. Tracks where generative AI primarily creates the creative aspects, such as lead vocals or instruments, will be disqualified. Nevertheless, recordings that utilize AI in a minor capacity alongside human performance will still be eligible.
The association emphasized that tracks suspected of stream or chart manipulation will be removed, ensuring compliance with copyright laws. Additionally, recordings produced by generative AI will not be eligible for the prestigious ARIA Awards. ARIA’s Chief Executive, Annabelle Herd, emphasized the importance of preserving the human aspect of music amidst technological advancements.
The crackdown follows the popularity of Brisbane DJ and producer Josh Fawaz’s version of “Like a Prayer,” which integrated AI-generated vocals and drums, ranking high on the ARIA charts. However, concerns and criticisms regarding the use of generative AI in music production have sparked controversy. Music producer Mitch Thomas criticized Fawaz online, accusing him of entirely AI-generated music.
Despite the ongoing debate, the new regulations will come into effect next Monday, barring wholly AI-generated tracks from the ARIA charts. Fawaz’s rendition of “Like a Prayer” was found to be ineligible based on the information provided by the artist.