The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has today (31 August) introduced new guidelines around the use of generative AI for artists wishing to have their music considered in the ARIA Charts. These changes draw a welcome line in the sand and send multiple strong messages to Australian artists and listeners.

Firstly, ARIA has made it clear that it will continue to support and celebrate human-centred creativity, rather than reward “a performance without a human,” situating music and the wider arts as a necessarily human endeavour. This must come as a great relief to musicians who wish to get on with the business of creating and sharing their music.

However, this ruling does not completely level the playing field: Australian artists must still compete with the vast deluge of AI-generated music uploaded to streaming platforms every day, diverting potential exposure and royalties away from the musicians who would otherwise attract more listens and more revenue, and whose works are still being used unlawfully to train AI models.

Alexis Weaver. Photo © Jordan Munns

In June 2026, APRA AMCOS found that the works of several prominent Australian artists had been unlawfully included...