Australia's ARIA Bans AI-Generated Music from Its Charts, Effective August 28

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has updated its Code of Practice to ban recordings that are entirely or mostly AI-generated from Australia's official charts, effective August 28, 2026. Tracks that use AI only partially, or as an assist to work that remains fundamentally human-created, can still count toward the charts — as long as there's no suspicion of streaming or chart manipulation.

According to Far Out Magazine, the revision aligns with principles put forward by the global recording industry, and gives ARIA real enforcement power once the rule takes effect.

What the new rule allows ARIA to do

Under the amended rules, ARIA can remove ineligible recordings from contention, revoke chart awards already given out, and adjust chart positions. Artists and their representatives will be able to appeal any exclusion decision.

ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said the new rule gives everyone who releases music in Australia "a clear rule to work to." She also called on other parties who decide what Australian audiences hear and promote — radio in particular — to support "human artistry" by making similar changes to their own standards.

Why this happened: Josh Fawaz's "Like a Prayer"

The move follows Josh Fawaz's AI-generated cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer." Last month, it became the country's most-played song on radio and climbed to No. 4 on two separate ARIA charts. Fawaz initially described using AI "as a tool," then updated the track's Spotify credits to state that the vocals and drums were AI-generated.

Not the first market to draw this line

Earlier this year, Sweden also excluded a viral AI-generated song from its official chart: Jakub's "I Know, You're Not Mine – Jag Vet, Du Är Inte Min" was pulled from the national chart despite strong Spotify performance.

On the other side of the ledger, in November 2025, AI artist Xamoa Monet became the first AI musical act to reach a Billboard airplay chart.