Australia to Exclude AI-Generated Music from Official Charts, India Considers Impact

Australia is set to remove entirely AI-generated recordings from its official music charts starting next week, while allowing music that uses generative AI in a supporting capacity. This move raises a significant question for India's music industry: should official charts differentiate between music substantially created by humans and music substantially generated by AI?

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has updated its Chart Code of Practice to ensure that AI-assisted recordings are eligible only if they are "substantially human-made" and do not risk chart manipulation. The new rules will affect the chart dated August 31.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) announced in July a global framework for the eligibility of AI-developed recordings on official charts. This framework requires compliance with copyright laws and clear signaling of AI use. However, India is not listed among the national chart programs adhering to these IFPI principles.

India has its own industry-recognized chart, the IMI International Top 20 Singles chart, which currently covers non-Indian language tracks. Publicly available information from IMI does not indicate any specific rules regarding AI-generated music. While Australia's decision is relevant, the Indian music market's approach may differ. The core question remains whether AI-generated music should compete on the same terms as human-created music for chart positions in India.

Chart position is more than just a measure of streams; it's a cultural and commercial ranking that influences visibility and an artist's perceived success. The ease with which AI can produce music cheaply presents a challenge for chart systems, requiring them to distinguish genuine audience demand from potential large-scale uploads and artificial streaming activity.

Spotify has already implemented measures to combat music spam, including AI-generated content, and supports industry standards for AI disclosures. The platform has also introduced AI Persona badges for profiles representing AI-generated individuals, though this relates to artist identity rather than music creation methods, as reported by MediaNama.

Indian labels are navigating this evolving landscape, viewing AI as both a potential risk to existing music catalogs and a source for new licensing opportunities. As AI-generated music becomes more prevalent, the value of authenticated, human-created music with clear provenance may increase, according to industry leaders like Saregama's Managing Director Vikram Mehra.