Faced with the proliferation of songs created using generative artificial intelligence, several major music industry organizations are proposing the creation of a labeling system to distinguish works produced by artists from those created, in whole or in part, by algorithms. The goal is to provide greater transparency for listeners, as this type of content proliferates on streaming platforms.
This initiative is led by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Grammy Awards organizers, and several organizations representing independent music. The project's promoters now hope to convince major streaming platforms, distributors, and aggregators to adopt this new standard.
Two categories to distinguish the creations
The system is based on two distinct labels. The first, called "AI-Generated," would apply to tracks where the majority of the creative elements were produced by artificial intelligence. This would include tracks entirely created from simple text instructions, as well as those where the lead vocal or a key instrumental part is artificially generated.
The second label, "AI-Assisted," would be reserved for works in which human contribution remains predominant. The compositions, main instrumental parts, and vocal performances would have to be created by artists, while artificial intelligence could intervene for certain stages of creation, arrangement, or production.
The platforms called upon to play the game
Professional organizations now want to work with online music services to have this information appear directly in the metadata of tracks. The goal is to allow users to easily identify the origin of the content they listen to and to strengthen trust in the catalogs offered.
To date, Deezer remains the leading platform to systematically flag tracks generated by artificial intelligence. In June, the French company went even further by launching a free detector allowing users to analyze their playlists to identify tracks created entirely by AI.
Spotify and Apple remain cautious
Spotify recently introduced a "Verified by Spotify" badge, designed to certify that an artist is a real person and not an AI-generated avatar. However, the platform declined to comment on the certification project presented by industry organizations. Apple Music did not react at the time of the announcement.
For Graham Davies, managing director of the Digital Media Association, which represents several streaming platforms, the arrival of more detailed metadata would be a significant step forward. According to him, better identification of AI-generated content would provide users with the transparency that has become essential as these technologies gain increasing prominence in the music industry.
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