Australian radio stations heavily featured a cover of Madonna’s popular song “Like a Prayer” last month. However, this cover may face exclusion from official music charts in Australia due to new regulations established by the Australian music industry. The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), responsible for overseeing the nation’s music charts, recently declared that songs entirely created by artificial intelligence will no longer be permitted on the ARIA charts.
According to ARIA spokesperson Andrew Knowles, the association stipulated that recordings must have a significant human contribution to be considered for the charts. Tracks primarily generated by generative AI software will be disqualified from chart eligibility. Notably, if AI has produced the core creative components of a track, such as lead vocals or instruments derived from prompts rather than human performance, the recording will be ineligible. ARIA will also have the authority to remove any recordings suspected of manipulating chart positions or streams, ensuring compliance with copyright laws. Additionally, songs produced solely by generative AI will not qualify for the prestigious ARIA Awards.
ARIA’s Chief Executive Annabelle Herd emphasized the importance of maintaining the human aspect of music creation in a rapidly evolving landscape. She highlighted the organization’s commitment to transparency in reflecting the music consumed by Australians. Herd expressed concerns that rewarding unlicensed AI-generated content would undermine the essence of recorded music that ARIA represents.
The decision follows the success of Brisbane-based DJ and producer Josh Fawaz’s rendition of “Like a Prayer,” featuring AI-generated vocals and drum sequences. Despite reaching the second spot on the ARIA’s Top 20 Australian Singles chart in May and retaining a high position until now, the track has sparked controversy and debate concerning the utilization of generative AI in music production.
Critics, including music producer Mitch Thomas, accused Fawaz of exclusively using AI to create his music and singled out the gen AI platform Suno as a potential production tool. Fawaz defended his approach, describing AI as a supplementary tool rather than the sole creator of his music. The new regulations are expected to take effect next Monday, enforcing the ban on entirely AI-generated tracks from the ARIA charts. However, music created with AI assistance may still qualify, as confirmed by ARIA in a statement provided to the Associated Press.
CBC News verified that Fawaz’s cover of “Like a Prayer” failed to meet the eligibility criteria set forth by ARIA based on information provided by the artist.