Australia bans AI songs from charts follow Madonna cover backlash

Australia’s official music charts have banned tracks created entirely by artificial intelligence, following a debate sparked by an AI cover of Madonna’s Like a Prayer.

Under the new policy announced by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), songs must be “substantially human-made” to qualify for inclusion on the charts or to be considered for the annual ARIA Music Awards. While tracks that use AI in a limited, supporting role will still be allowed, fully machine-generated music is officially out.

The policy shift arrives hot on the heels of a controversy surrounding a dance cover of Madonna’s 1989 hit by Australian DJ Josh Fawaz. The track climbed high up the ARIA charts and racked up millions of streams on Spotify, only for listeners and industry peers to discover that its vocals and drums were generated using AI.

ARIA Chief Executive Annabelle Herd explained that the update is designed to protect the integrity of human creativity in an increasingly crowded market.

“These changes reflect our intent to remain dynamic and promote the human nature of artistry in what is – to say the least – a rapidly developing space,” Herd said in a statement. She added that rewarding unlicensed AI output would “undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent.”

The decision has won widespread support across the Australian music community. Electronic duo Peking Duk backed the move, with band member Adam Hyde telling Channel Nine’s Today show that generative technology risks “removing the human experience from life.”

“There is so much good art in Australia and something like AI coming along and kind of sweeping the charts… it’s like, get it out,” Hyde said.

Even Josh Fawaz, whose viral track helped trigger the debate, welcomed the updated regulations, calling it a “great move” in a social media post while defending AI’s utility as a creative tool.

Experts note that the policy is part of a broader global effort to tackle intellectual property concerns and protect artists from predatory data-scraping. Ivan Zavada, a senior lecturer in composition and music technology at the University of Sydney, told Al Jazeera that the rules are a “necessary step” to safeguard genuine performance.

Under the guidelines, artists submitting music must declare their use of AI. Songs utilising the technology in a supporting capacity must rely on legal AI services, feature human-written compositions and have human artists performing the lead vocals and primary instruments. ARIA holds the power to retrospectively alter chart positions or revoke awards if tracks are later found to violate the rules.