Tidal to Label AI-Generated Music and Remove Fraudulent Material

Music streaming service Tidal says it will start labeling music that’s wholly generated by artificial intelligence and will also remove tracks that are fraudulent or deceptive. The company will implement automated tools in mid-July to identify and tag such music. 

Listeners will start to see an “AI” icon next to music that it detects as 100% AI-generated. For now, the icon applies only to songs that are fully AI-generated, though some tracks may use AI for certain elements rather than the entire composition. The company said it will “expand these policies to music that is substantially AI-generated when AI detection technology is sufficiently reliable to do so.”

Tidal will also remove royalties for AI-generated music. Monetization will only be available to original music “that is directly produced, written and performed by people.” Forbes reported that the AI-generated music market could be worth $4 billion by 2028.

The company is also taking a firm position on blocking or removing AI-generated music associated with fraudulent activity. According to the new AI policy, “fraudulent activity includes (but is not necessarily limited to) AI-generated music that aims to deceive listeners, interfere with authentic artists and their audience, or involves high-volume uploads or unusual streaming activity.”

AI policies have become necessary for music streaming services for two main reasons: AI music tools such as Suno have made it easy to generate full songs with little or no musical training, and streaming services like Tidal also allow customers to upload their own music.

While the announcement was focused on users, artists can dispute an AI designation according to Tidal’s published terms and conditions.

“Any creator who believes their work has been incorrectly flagged can contact our Support team, and we’ll work with them promptly,” a Tidal representative told CNET. 

As streaming platforms face the rapid rise of AI-generated music, several major services have begun rolling out their own detection and enforcement tools. The industry’s response has largely focused on labeling synthetic content and limiting abuse of automated uploads. 

Some Tidal competitors, such as Deezer, have released AI detection tools. Spotify also tightened its AI policies in September last year. Its approach is broadly similar to Tidal’s and includes a “spam filter” tool, though the company also encourages artists to report AI-generated fakes directly.