Billboard is taking a hardline stance that audiences have a right to know if the music they’re consuming is generated by artificial intelligence.The publication announced Tuesday that it is committing to greater transparency around artificial intelligence in music, including identifying songs in its charts and editorial coverage that use AI.
The move comes as AI-generated music continues to flood streaming services, raising fresh questions about how it should be classified, whether it should be eligible for charts and what its proliferation means for audience trust.For nearly a century, Billboard‘s charts have served as the music business’ most visible measure of popularity, making the issue of AI disclosure more than a technical footnote.
If AI-generated songs can appear alongside music made by real artists, the industry needs clearer ways to know what those songs are, how they were made and how audiences are engaging with them.“Ensuring transparency around AI-generated music requires collaboration across the entire industry from artists and labels to DSPs, technology companies and industry organizations,” Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard’s EVP of Charts & Data Partnerships, said in the announcement.
Billboard said it is encouraged by the rise of new tools designed to tag and identify AI-created songs, including Luminate’s proprietary AI detection program.The organization also pointed to wider efforts from digital service providers and industry groups to mark AI-generated content across platforms.
The announcement is timely as AI-enhanced music embeds itself deeper into the music production landscape.Deezer reported in July that AI-generated tracks had exceeded half of all daily new music deliveries to its platform, following an April report that it was receiving nearly 75,000 AI-generated tracks per day.
Billboard‘s editorial leadership stressed that disclosure will be key as the line keeps moving.“Billboard will always ...