Tidal to demonetize AI-generated music while adding disclosure labels

Tidal announced it will not pay royalties on tracks it identifies as fully AI-generated, effective immediately. The company stated its priority is ensuring royalties go to works 'directly produced, written, and performed by people,' and said it would not 'knowingly attribute royalties' to wholly AI-generated music.

Starting July 15, Tidal will label tracks it identifies as 100% AI-generated with an icon. The platform did not specify the detection tools it will use but indicated that as tools improve, it plans to expand labeling to uploads that are 'substantially AI-generated.'

Tidal also intends to hold content distributors accountable by 'beginning to enforce' expectations that they properly label AI-generated music. The company warned that identifying AI-generated content should not be its sole responsibility.

In mid-July, Tidal will remove or block AI-generated music associated with fraudulent activity. This includes content designed to deceive listeners, interfere with authentic artists, high-volume uploads, or 'unusual streaming activity.'

The platform’s new policies align with moves by competitors. In April, Spotify launched a verification program that grants a 'Verified by Spotify' badge to confirmed human artists while excluding profiles that primarily upload AI-generated content. Deezer has also developed tools to detect fully AI-generated music and offers a service for users to scan playlists on other platforms for AI-generated tracks.