Apple Music has told partners that music “materially generated” on AI platforms such as Suno will carry a “Made With AI” label on the service from later this year.
At least, that is, if record labels and distributors tag the music with the relevant metadata before it reaches the platform.
The move was announced in a message to industry partners from Apple on Thursday (August 20), obtained by MBW.
It will make a tagging system visible to listeners that Apple Music has run behind the scenes since March, when it introduced what it calls AI Transparency Tags.
Those tags let record labels and distributors flag AI use across a track, its composition, its artwork, or a music video, and have so far been visible only in Apple‘s content delivery feed.
“When record labels and distributors submit any piece of content that was materially generated using AI, we ask that they tag it as such,” Apple wrote in today’s memo to partners.
“Later this year, we will also make these tags visible to Apple Music users in the form of Made With AI Labels.”
Apple added that content providers “will be required to include AI Transparency Tags in any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI-platform-generated.”
“We define AI-platform-generated content as anything that is primarily derived from a generative AI service,” the company said.
You’ll notice that the “requirement” here sits with the supply chain, not the platform: Apple Music does not detect AI content itself for the purpose of the labels, relying instead on labels and distributors to declare it – the approach it took when it launched the tags in March.
Apple‘s reliance on self-reporting stands in contrast to news from Spotify issued earlier this month.
On August 11, Spotify announced an “AI Persona” badge for artist profiles built around an AI-generated identity.
Spotify said it “won’t rely on self-disclosure alone” for these badges, and will review profiles itself to flag those whose public identity “appears to represent photorealistic AI-generated identities.”
Spotify’s “AI Persona” badge marks the artist, though, not the music. For that, Spotify uses the same kind of self-disclosed credits that Apple‘s labels rely on (with Spotify so far only committing to displaying AI tags in song credits).
Elsewhere, Deezer deploys its own technology to detect when a track is suspected of being AI-made, and clearly labels it accordingly.
Today’s news arrives against a relevant regulatory backdrop: the EU AI Act’s transparency rules, in force since August 2, require providers of generative AI systems to embed machine-readable markers in the content they produce.
Generative AI services that were already on the market before that date – Suno among them – have until December 2 to meet the marking requirement.
Suno said on August 6 that it would adopt audio watermarking and fingerprinting “in the coming weeks,” to work with distribution platforms on “combatting fraud and misuse.”
Markers embedded at the point of generation would, in theory, make AI tracks easily identifiable downstream – giving labels and distributors a technical means of spotting AI content before they tag it for Apple Music or other DSPs.
The RIAA and IFPI announced in July a music industry push to get AI-made tracks clearly labeled across the world’s most notable streaming services.
Apple Music‘s message to partners today, in full:
Introducing Made With AI Labels in Apple Music
In March, Apple Music introduced AI Transparency Tagging in the content delivery feed. When record labels and distributors submit any piece of content that was materially generated using AI, we ask that they tag it as such.
Later this year, we will also make these tags visible to Apple Music users in the form of Made With AI Labels.
As we implement Made With AI Labels, content providers will be important partners. They are best positioned to know how their content was created, and the AI Transparency Tags that should be used.
Content providers will be required to include AI Transparency Tags in any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI platform generated. We define AI-platform-generated content as anything that is primarily derived from a generative AI service.
The goal with our Made With AI Labels is to provide listeners with as much transparency as possible. For more on how Apple Music handles AI-generated content, please refer to our Music Style Guide.Music Business Worldwide
Apple Music is set to introduce a « Made With AI » label for music that has been « materially generated » using artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as Suno. This announcement was made in a memo to industry partners on August 20, 2023, and aims to enhance transparency regarding the use of AI in music production. The new labelling system will be visible to listeners later this year, provided that record labels and distributors tag the music with the necessary metadata before it reaches Apple Music.
The initiative follows the introduction of AI Transparency Tags in March, which allowed music labels and distributors to indicate AI involvement in various aspects of a music track, including its composition, artwork, and music videos. These tags have so far been hidden within Apple’s content delivery system but will soon be accessible to users as « Made With AI » labels.
Apple Music’s directive emphasizes that content providers are responsible for tagging any content that has been significantly generated using AI. The company defines « AI-platform-generated content » as anything primarily derived from a generative AI service. This approach places the onus of compliance on the labels and distributors rather than Apple Music itself, which will not independently verify whether AI was used.
This strategy differs from that of Spotify, which recently announced an « AI Persona » badge for artist profiles based on AI-generated identities. Unlike Apple, Spotify has committed to reviewing profiles to identify those representing photorealistic AI-generated identities, although it still relies on self-reported disclosures for music tags.
In contrast, Deezer employs its technology to detect tracks that are suspected of being AI-generated and labels them accordingly. Apple Music’s announcement comes amid the implementation of the EU AI Act, which requires generative AI services to embed machine-readable markers in their content. Generative AI platforms like Suno have until December 2 to comply with this requirement, and Suno has announced plans to adopt audio watermarking and fingerprinting to aid distribution platforms in identifying AI-generated content.
This initiative aligns with a broader movement within the music industry, as organizations such as the RIAA and IFPI have called for clear labeling of AI-generated tracks across major streaming services. Apple Music’s goal with the « Made With AI » labels is to provide listeners with greater transparency regarding the origins of the music they consume.
The full memo from Apple Music highlights the importance of collaboration with content providers, who are best positioned to understand how their content was created. It stresses that the inclusion of AI Transparency Tags is mandatory whenever AI has played a significant role in producing the content, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to transparency in an evolving music landscape.
In summary, Apple Music’s upcoming « Made With AI » labels represent a significant step towards transparency in the music industry, allowing listeners to understand the extent of AI’s role in music production. By relying on labels and distributors to report AI involvement, Apple Music is creating a system that encourages accountability while aligning with regulatory requirements and industry standards.
