{
  "id": 3192371,
  "title": "Songs created by AI banned from Australia's music charts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/songs-created-by-ai-banned-from-australias-music-charts",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-25T04:54:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Technology",
    "slug": "bbc-technology",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20vl4vm2pno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Starting this week, songs created primarily by AI are being barred from Australia's music charts. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has implemented a new code to emphasize the significance of human artistry in music. This move comes in response to a recent controversy involving a Madonna cover by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz, which had topped both the ARIA dance singles chart and the overall charts for several weeks. Fawaz later added generative AI credits to the song due to public backlash.\n\nARIA believes that Australian artists face fierce competition in the world's most saturated market and is not interested in promoting AI-generated music lacking human creativity. While AI assistance can still be employed, artists must have written the song, performed the lead vocal, and played primary instruments. AI can also continue to be used for mastering and generating drum machines and auto-tune effects.\n\nThe updated code, based on guidelines set by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), also excludes music that raises concerns regarding stream or chart manipulation. ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd stated that the changes aim to keep the charts dynamic and promote the human nature of artistry in an ever-evolving industry. She emphasized that a chart rewarding unlicensed AI output would undermine the essence of the recorded music they represent.\n\nArtists must now declare AI usage when submitting songs for chart consideration. If the charts later discover that a song is largely AI-generated, ARIA may adjust chart positions retroactively, and if the song reached the top spot, it may request the cancellation of awards. Among the artists supporting this decision are Australian electronic act Peking Duk, who released an AI-assisted version of their 2014 hit High on Instagram, which they captioned, \"When you re-record your own song with AI so Australian radio will play it.\" The band member, Adam Hyde, expressed concern that AI-generated music is stripping the human experience from life. In July 2022, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged strong protection for Australian creatives from AI, promising they would have control over how their work is used in AI training and that they would be compensated for its use.",
  "summary": "The move comes weeks after a DJ admitted using AI to remix a Madonna song that topped the Australian charts.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Australia’s top music charts ban AI songs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/australias-top-music-charts-ban-ai-songs",
        "published": "2026-08-25T00:46:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Australia’s top music charts ban AI songs to protect human artists",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/australias-top-music-charts-ban-ai-songs-to-protect-human-artists",
        "published": "2026-08-25T01:05:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "Songs created by AI banned from Australia's music charts",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/songs-created-by-ai-banned-from-australias-music-charts-3194593",
        "published": "2026-08-25T04:54:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Australia’s music charts ban AI-made songs amid backlash over Madonna cover",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/australias-music-charts-ban-ai-made-songs-amid-backlash-over-madonna",
        "published": "2026-08-25T06:00:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}