YouTube Rolls Out New Labeling System for AI-Generated Music

Streaming your daily tunes is about to come with a bit more clarity. YouTube has expanded its labeling system to mark AI-generated songs on YouTube Music. As AI music continues to flood streaming apps, the service’s latest move aims to keep listeners informed about what they’re hearing and whether it was produced by humans. These labels will eventually appear on the main YouTube app as well.

“Generative AI is opening up new ways for artists to create, experiment, and share music,” YouTube said through its official blog on Wednesday. “As these tools evolve, our listeners have told us they want transparency when they’re hearing an AI-generated track.”

The labels in question will appear on songs that YouTube identifies as created primarily with generative AI, based on its own detection tools and music partners. It’s not clear how much AI must be featured in a track to qualify for this label.

A YouTube spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

YouTube’s decision to mark AI music is the latest move to clarify the growing presence of AI-generated tunes across the music streaming landscape. Earlier this year, Apple Music unveiled a suite of tools to identify AI-generated content, saying new Made with AI labels will roll out by year’s end. Spotify now includes AI Personas, which help people confirm if musicians are actually people making human-made music.

Other streaming apps like Tidal, Bandcamp and Deezer have all made moves to crack down on the AI music boom.

Earlier this year, Deezer released a report stating that AI-generated music accounted for 44% of all new music delivered to its platform. Apple Music previously stated that over one-third of the tracks uploaded to its service are “100% AI.” Forbes reports that AI-generated music could be an industry worth billions of dollars by 2028.

The Recording Industry Association of America, International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the performers union SAG-AFTRA came together earlier this summer to push for a two-tiered labeling program to mark AI-produced songs as either AI-Generated or AI-Assisted.

“Fans want to know whether and how generative AI has been used in the music to which they listen,” IFPI CEO Vikki Oakley and RIAA CEO Mitch Glazier said in a joint statement. “Given how important human artistry and authenticity are to music lovers all over the world, these labels will provide an immediately understandable and easily scalable approach to transparency.”

The line between human and AI-generated audio is rapidly blurring. At least having a labeling system in place will let you know if you’re nodding your head to a banger made by a human or through other generative means.