Synthesizers Are Fine, But Algorithms Are Banned: Australia's Futile War on AI Music

The music industry maintains a highly elastic definition of authenticity. Drum machines and pitch correction are the invisible scaffolding of modern pop. Yet, the Australian Recording Industry Association has decided a line must be drawn. From this week, any track hoping to climb the official charts must be substantially human made. Gatekeepers are attempting to legislate soul, decreeing that machines may assist in the studio but cannot take the creative lead.

This regulatory zeal was provoked by a lucrative scandal. Australian DJ Josh Fawaz amassed over 48 million Spotify streams with a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer. The track conquered the ARIA dance singles chart and peaked at number two overall. Following industry backlash, Fawaz retroactively added generative AI credits. The revelation that an algorithm could effortlessly manufacture a hit sent a chill through a domestic market that ARIA describes as the most crowded in history.

Under the new code, mechanical sound reproduction is acceptable if the genesis remains biological. Artists must declare algorithmic assistance upon submission. Humans must write the composition and perform primary instruments and lead vocals. Traditional studio wizardry, such as mastering or auto-tune, escapes the ban. Should a track later be exposed as largely synthetic, ARIA reserves the right to retrospectively adjust chart positions and demand the return of awards.

ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd justified the intervention by stating the framework promotes the human nature of artistry. Elaborating on the distinction between tools and replacements, she noted: Artists already use AI tools in their work, the charts can and should evolve to keep room for that, but music generated wholesale by services built on artists' recordings is a different matter. Herd argued that rewarding unlicensed algorithmic output would undermine the recorded music industry.

Australia is not acting in isolation. A comparable ban on synthetic tracks was enacted earlier this year in Sweden, proving that protectionism in the pop market is gaining international traction. Similarly, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry announced that AI guidelines would be rolled out across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The updated code also explicitly targets music that raises stream or chart manipulation concerns.

Back in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised creatives strong protection, categorizing the unpaid use of human work for machine training as theft. Meanwhile, local electronic act Peking Duk supported the ARIA ban, with band member Adam Hyde complaining that synthetic music removes the human experience from life. This stance was somewhat undermined by the band's own Instagram stunt, sharing an AI-reworked version of their 2014 track High to mock the predictable tastes of local radio.

Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com