As of August 26, 2026, The Australian Recording Industry Association has barred wholly AI-generated recordings from the official ARIA charts and the ARIA Awards. ARIA announced the change on 25 August 2026 in an update to its Charts Code of Practice, according to BBC News, Music Week, and Nikkei Asia.
Recordings that use generative AI in a supporting role remain eligible if they are substantially human-made. Nikkei Asia, citing an ARIA statement, said tracks can qualify only if “humans wrote the song and performed the lead vocal and the primary instruments,” among other requirements. Rolling Stone Australia reported that the technology used must be authorised and lawful, that the recording must comply with copyright and related rights, and that it must raise no concerns around stream or chart manipulation. The Independent reported that songs that use AI “to generate the entirety or the primary portion of the creative elements” will be ineligible.
The rules cover chart and awards eligibility. They do not stop anyone from releasing, streaming, or selling AI-generated music, The Next Web noted.
Music Week and Rolling Stone Australia said the change takes effect with the ARIA Chart dated Monday, 31 August 2026, published on Friday, 28 August. Other outlets described the start as Friday or Monday.
ARIA said the new code would help “promote the human nature of artistry,” BBC News reported. Chief executive Annabelle Herd said: “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.”
The update follows chart principles issued in July 2026 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which require official-chart entries to be substantially human-made. Stereogum quoted ARIA as saying: “Wholly AI-generated tracks will not be eligible for the ARIA Charts. Recordings that use generative AI in a supporting role remain eligible.”
Music Week reported that where ARIA determines a recording is ineligible, it may “decline to accept it for survey, exclude or remove it from the charts prospectively or retrospectively, adjust chart positions, withdraw accreditations, and revoke or request the return of any ARIA No.1 Award.” Artists can contest an exclusion.
The announcement followed a backlash over Australian DJ Josh Fawaz’s cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” BBC News said the track topped the ARIA dance singles chart and peaked at number 2 on the overall chart. Nikkei Asia reported that it peaked at No. 2 on ARIA’s top 20 Australian singles chart in May 2026 and later spent 16 weeks in the Australian top 20. Rolling Stone Australia reported that after an ABC investigation, credits were updated to acknowledge AI-generated vocals and drums.
ARIA had not confirmed that the Fawaz recording would be removed, The Independent reported. A spokesperson told the ABC that music featuring AI-generated lead vocals or key instrumental parts would likely be excluded under the new rules.