r/Suno

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TL;DR: ARIA is drawing a line between using AI as a tool and letting AI be the artist.

Starting with the ARIA chart dated August 31, 2026, recordings that are wholly generated by AI will no longer be eligible for Australia's official music charts. Fully AI-generated works will also be ineligible for ARIA Awards.

AI-assisted music is still allowed, but there are conditions: the recording must be substantially human-made, with humans responsible for the core creative performance, and any generative AI used must be authorized and lawful.

The move follows controversy over an AI-involved version of Madonna's Like a Prayer by Australian producer Josh Fawaz. The track became a major hit, spending 16 weeks in Australia's Top 20, before Fawaz disclosed that AI had been used for elements including the vocals and drums.

ARIA's decision also aligns with new principles from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which are pushing for chart-eligible music to remain substantially human-made and for AI-involved recordings to be developed lawfully and without manipulation.

So the policy isn't really an outright “AI music ban.”

The distinction is:

• ❌ Wholly AI-generated track: Not eligible

• ❌ Fully synthetic music competing for ARIA Awards: Not eligible

• ✅ Human artists using AI as part of their creative process: Potentially eligible

• ✅ AI-assisted music that remains substantially human-made: Eligible, subject to the rules

The bigger question is whether this is the beginning of a broader industry standard. As AI-generated music becomes increasingly convincing, charts and awards are going to have to decide what exactly counts as a human performance — and where using a tool ends and replacing the artist begins.

Sources:

• ARIA / Australian reporting: ARIA's new chart eligibility rules and the Josh Fawaz controversy

• IFPI: Global principles for AI and official music-chart eligibility

• Associated Press: Reporting on the ARIA policy and AI-generated music's eligibility for awards

What do you think? Should fully AI-generated songs be allowed to compete on the same charts as human artists, or is ARIA making the right call?