A coalition of international music organisations has announced a unified approach to labelling the use of generative artificial intelligence in sound recordings.
Developed by IFPI, RIAA, A2IM, WIN, IMPALA, The Grammys, SAG-AFTRA and the Human Artistry Campaign, the voluntary programme will distinguish between recordings that are AI-Generated and those that are AI-Assisted. It is intended for broad adoption by digital music services and other organisations across the music ecosystem.
The labels will use visual icons, supported by metadata and related delivery systems, to give listeners clearer information about whether and how generative AI was used in a recording.
AI-Generated
This label will apply where generative AI was used to create all or the primary portion of a recording’s creative elements.
AI-Assisted
This label will apply where a recording was created substantially by humans and expresses human creativity, but generative AI was used for some expressive elements.
Supporting transparency and trust
The organisations behind the programme said the labels are intended to provide an understandable and scalable approach to transparency while recognising that artists are using AI in different ways.
The announcement points to the growing volume of AI-generated material reaching music services. It cites Deezer’s report that AI-generated tracks represented 44% of new music delivered to its platform in April, alongside a statement from Apple Music that more than one-third of tracks uploaded to its platform were “100% AI”.
For the independent music community, the initiative is also intended to support trust between artists and fans. WIN CEO Noemí Planas said clear labelling supports the human-centred and safety-first approach set out in the WIN Principles for Generative AI. IMPALA Executive Chair Helen Smith described the programme as an important first step towards a wider provenance system for the music sector.
WIN’s principles call for AI development to respect copyright, prioritise human creativity, protect creators and the public, provide transparency and develop in collaboration with the music community.
Implementation and scope
The participating organisations will work with digital music services, distributors, aggregators and standard-setting bodies on implementing the labels across the industry.
The system will initially apply only to the use of generative AI in sound recordings. It will not cover lyrics, musical composition, music videos or cover artwork at this stage. The labels are expected to become available for use in the near future and may evolve as technology and regulatory requirements change.