Tidal to demonetize fully AI-generated music, will tag tracks it detects

Tidal announced a policy on June 29 that will strip all monetization from music identified as 100 percent AI-generated, effective July 15. The streaming service says royalties will not knowingly be attributed to wholly AI-produced tracks, though AI-assisted music remains eligible for payouts.

In a post on its website, Tidal stated its priority is ensuring royalties go to original works directly produced, written, and performed by people. The company will also tag any fully AI-generated track it detects so listeners can see what they are hearing.

How Tidal's AI detection and tagging works

Tidal said it will use automated tools to identify fully AI-generated music. For now, only tracks deemed wholly AI-generated will be demonetized. The company plans to eventually extend the tag and demonetization to music that is substantially AI-generated once detection tools improve.

Key elements of the new policy include:

• Fully AI-generated music will not earn royalties from streams.
• Such tracks will not be eligible for direct-to-fan sales or any other monetization mechanism.
• A tag will be applied to fully AI-generated music to inform listeners.
• Any AI-generated content that exploits an individual's or group's music, name, or likeness, or deceives listeners, will not be tolerated.
• Fraudulent activity like suspicious streaming or upload activity will also trigger removal or demonetization.

Industry context and what comes next

Tidal's move follows similar actions by competitors. Deezer earlier this year reported that AI-generated songs made up almost half of daily uploads on its platform and said it demonetizes the vast majority of them. Spotify has introduced a Verified by Spotify badge that is not available for AI-generated music or personas.

As detection technology matures, Tidal will extend its policy to cover substantially AI-generated music. For now, the service will also hold AI content to a higher standard of content integrity, meaning tracks that attempt to impersonate artists or mislead fans face removal. The streaming industry continues to grapple with how to compensate human creators as AI-generated music floods distribution pipelines.