{"slug": "the-major-labels-propose-rules-to-keep-ai-slop-off-the-charts", "title": "The major labels propose rules to keep AI slop off the charts", "summary": "Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group, along with other major labels, proposed global principles requiring songs to be 'substantially human made' to qualify for official music charts, aiming to keep AI-generated tracks off rankings. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry endorsed the proposal, which also mandates clear labeling of AI use and compliance with copyright and streaming rules, though no chart organization has yet adopted the guidelines.", "body_md": "Several record labels, including the big three — Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group — have proposed rules regarding [chart eligibility for AI songs](https://www.sonymusic.com/sony-music-corporate-non-home/believe-bmg-concord-dirty-hit-glassnote-records-hybe-mompop-music-partisan-records-sony-music-universal-music-group-and-warner-music-group-set-out-proposal-for-global-principles-for-eligibil/). In short, [they wouldn’t be](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-industry-news/record-labels-call-to-disqualify-ai-slop-songs-from-charts-1236659042/).\n\n# The major labels propose rules to keep AI slop off the charts\n\nTo be eligible for the charts, songs would have to be ‘substantially human made,’ whatever that means.\n\nTo be eligible for the charts, songs would have to be ‘substantially human made,’ whatever that means.\n\nThe proposal goes quite a bit further than a [labeling proposal](https://www.riaa.com/music-community-introduces-new-labeling-programto-distinguish-generative-ai-in-sound-recordings/) put forth by the RIAA, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), SAG-AFTRA, and others. That would create a set of standardized labels for AI-generated and AI-assisted music. The labels’ proposal would require songs be clearly labeled, but it would also keep them off international charts unless they met specific criteria, including being “substantially human made.”\n\nTo be eligible, the songs would also have to respect the terms of service of whatever AI service was used, the model would have to have the rights to any data it was trained on, and “not raise stream or chart manipulation concerns.” What sort of concerns and what constitutes “substatially human made” are currently vague. Sony Music, UMG, and Mom+Pop Music did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.\n\nThe [IFPI](https://www.ifpi.org/ifpi-rolls-out-global-principles-for-the-eligibility-of-recordings-developed-using-ai-in-official-music-charts-worldwide/) has thrown its weight behind the labels’ proposal, though no [charting organization](https://www.billboard.com/pro/umg-wmg-sony-propose-principles-ai-song-chart-eligibility/) has signaled any immediate plan to adopt the rules, the full list of which are:\n\nRecordings developed with generative AI services must not be included in official charts where there is reason to believe that they do not satisfy all of the following criteria:\n\nAny generative AI services used to develop the recording are properly authorised and lawful.\n\nThey are substantially human made.\n\nThey do not raise stream or chart manipulation concerns.\n\nThey comply with applicable laws, including those relating to copyright, related rights, and personality rights.\n\nThe making available of the recordings does not breach the terms of the generative AI service used.\n\nThe use of generative AI services to develop the recording is appropriately signalled to consumers on downstream services (e.g., digital streaming platforms), in accordance with any applicable legislation and/or industry labelling standards.\n\n**Follow topics and authors** from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-major-labels-propose-rules-to-keep-ai-slop-off-the-charts", "canonical_source": "https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/973741/ai-music-major-record-labels-charts", "published_at": "2026-07-31 16:36:48+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-31 16:45:33.931470+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["generative-ai", "ai-policy", "ai-ethics"], "entities": ["Universal Music Group", "Sony Music", "Warner Music Group", "International Federation of the Phonographic Industry", "RIAA", "SAG-AFTRA", "Mom+Pop Music"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-major-labels-propose-rules-to-keep-ai-slop-off-the-charts", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-major-labels-propose-rules-to-keep-ai-slop-off-the-charts.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-major-labels-propose-rules-to-keep-ai-slop-off-the-charts.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-major-labels-propose-rules-to-keep-ai-slop-off-the-charts.jsonld"}}