Several major music industry organisations have unveiled a labelling system for content created with generative artificial intelligence that they would like to see widely adopted.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced the voluntary labels alongside six other groups including the Grammys.
“Fans want to know whether and how generative AI has been used,” the chief executives of IFPI and RIAA said in a prepared statement.
“These labels will provide an immediately understandable and easily scalable approach to transparency.”
They unveiled two labels. The first would indicate music that is primarily “AI-generated” − cases where AI “was used to generate the entirety or the primary portion of the creative elements of the recording”.
This includes tracks generated “entirely” from AI prompts, as well as lead vocals and “key” instrumental tracks that are AI-generated, according to the statement.
The second label applies to “AI-assisted” music recording which are still “created substantially by humans and expresses human creativity” but contain “some expressive elements” that were generated with AI. However, humans must perform the lead vocals and primary instrumental tracks.
“Fans want to know whether and how generative AI has been used”
This voluntary labelling system is designed for “broad, global adoption,” including on streaming services.
Music streaming site Deezer systematically flags tracks generated with AI, which the company recently said appear in close to half of new uploads. In June, it launched an “AI music detector” which it said is 99.8% accurate.
Earlier this year, an Apple Music executive told Billboard that more than one-third of new uploads were entirely created with AI.
The Digital Media Association, a trade group representing streaming companies including Apple Music, Amazon and Spotify, said it was following the labelling announcement closely and looks forward to receiving more detailed and accurate AI metadata as a way to “strengthen our ability to give fans the transparency they deserve”.
