Apple Music has announced that, from later this year, it will start adding ‘Made With AI’ tags alongside any tracks on its platform that were, well, made with AI. Or, to be a little more specific, content that was “materially generated using AI”... whatever that means.
The latest announcement follows the addition of ‘AI transparency tagging’ to Apple’s content delivery system earlier this year.
In a new email to industry partners, Apple reminds record labels and distributors that when they “submit any piece of content that was materially generated using AI, we ask that they tag it as such”. It then adds, “later this year we will also make these tags visible to users in the form of Made With AI labels”.
Most music streaming platforms are evolving their policies regarding AI-generated tracks, although different platforms are taking different approaches. Those policies need to deal with various issues. How does a platform identify AI-generated content? How does it label that content in its app? And does it treat AI-generated content differently to human-created content - and if so, how?
Deezer is automatically tagging AI-generated tracks using its own detection technology. Spotify is planning to label ‘AI personas’ rather than tracks, so artists who are AI-generated and don’t really exist. Tidal is not only labelling AI-generated tracks but also doesn’t allocate any royalties to them.
Apple is relying on labels and distributors to declare when AI has been used, with its ‘AI transparency tags’ asking companies providing new music to declare if AI was employed in creating the recording, the composition, the artwork and/or any accompanying music video.
In its new email, Apple says it believes that labels and distributors delivering music “are best positioned to know how their content was created and the AI transparency tags that should be used”.
When launched earlier this year the transparency tags were optional, but Apple’s new email says “content providers will be required to include AI transparency tags in any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI platform generated”.
With all the platform-led AI transparency policies - and the music industry’s own AI labelling initiatives - a big distinction is being made between AI-generated and AI-assisted music. Generally it’s entirely AI-generated music that is subject to labelling, and also any policies that might stop tracks from charting, being playlisted or earning royalties.
Though, of course, there is still plenty of debate regarding where to draw the line between tracks that were generated by AI and tracks that were generated by humans with the help of AI. In its new email Apple explains it wants tracks that were “primarily derived from a generative AI service” to be tagged, which is definitely a guideline, although “primarily derived” is very much open to interpretation.