Apple Music to tag AI-generated songs this year
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Apple Music has announced it will introduce "Made With AI" labels on its platform later this year, requiring record labels and distributors to tag tracks where a substantial portion of content was created using artificial intelligence. The move builds on the AI Transparency Tagging system Apple introduced in March, and reflects growing pressure across the music industry to make AI-generated content clearly identifiable to listeners. Apple has placed responsibility for disclosure on content providers, saying they are best positioned to know how tracks were made.
Apple Music vice-president Oliver Schusser has said more than a third of tracks uploaded to the platform are entirely AI-generated, and that the company uses in-house detection software to help assess AI usage, though it still relies on uploaders to disclose it. The announcement follows similar steps by rivals: Spotify now labels profiles of apparent AI-generated artists as "AI Personas", while Tidal labels AI tracks and excludes them from royalty payments. Industry bodies including the RIAA, IFPI, the Grammys and SAG-AFTRA have also jointly called for standardised AI labelling, as the sector continues to navigate the rise of generators such as Suno and Udio through litigation, licensing deals and competing in-house tools.
- Apple Music will add "Made With AI" labels to tracks later this year
- Labels/distributors must disclose substantial AI-generated content
- Over a third of uploads are reportedly fully AI-made; rivals already label AI content
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Apple Music is introducing labels that show when a song was made largely using artificial intelligence tools, so listeners can see at a glance how a track was produced. Under the plan, record labels and distributors will have to declare AI involvement when they upload music to the platform. This follows earlier transparency measures Apple brought in back in March.
The change comes against a backdrop of AI-generated music becoming increasingly common, with an Apple executive noting that over a third of tracks submitted to the platform are now made entirely by AI. Streaming rivals Spotify and Tidal have already brought in similar labelling systems, and industry bodies representing musicians and labels have called for clearer disclosure rules across the sector.
More broadly, the move fits into a wider reckoning within the music industry over how to handle AI, with companies pursuing different responses ranging from lawsuits and licensing deals to building their own AI tools. The debate touches on questions of transparency for listeners, fair credit and payment for human artists, and how streaming platforms should adapt as AI-made content grows.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters see labelling as a straightforward transparency measure that respects listeners' right to know what they are hearing, especially given that Apple's own data shows over a third of submissions are wholly AI-generated. They argue it protects human musicians from being unfairly crowded out or misrepresented, helps combat fraud such as bot-driven streaming farms exploiting AI tracks, and gives consumers meaningful choice, much as ingredient labelling does in other industries. Aligning with Spotify and Tidal also creates a consistent industry standard rather than a patchwork of rules.
The case against
Sceptics worry that mandatory tagging risks stigmatising a legitimate and rapidly maturing creative tool, potentially steering listeners away from tracks based on their means of production rather than their merit. They contend that defining what counts as 'substantially' AI-generated is inherently fuzzy, given how many human artists already use AI-assisted mixing, mastering or composition tools, which could create inconsistent or unfair enforcement. Some also see this as platforms and labels using disclosure rules to manage reputational risk and forestall regulation, rather than a genuinely neutral service to listeners, and fear it could disadvantage independent artists experimenting with new technology.
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Originally published by Variety as “Apple Music to Label AI-Made Tracks Later This Year”.