Australia's charts now require a human to have written the song and sung the lead — the rule starts Friday

The Australian Recording Industry Association has rewritten its Charts Code of Practice to exclude tracks made wholly or mostly by generative AI, with the change taking effect on Friday 29 August 2026. AI-assisted recordings stay eligible only if they remain substantially human-made — in practice a human must have written the song and performed the lead vocal and the primary instruments — and the AI services used must be licensed ones. ARIA can now remove ineligible recordings from the charts, revise chart positions and revoke awards, with an appeals route for artists who dispute a decision. The trigger was a cover of Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' by Queensland DJ and producer Josh Fawaz, which became the most-played song on Australian radio in July and reached number four on two ARIA charts before its vocals and drums were identified as AI-generated. ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said the policy 'gives everyone who releases music in Australia a clear rule to work to'. The move follows principles published in July by the international recording industry body IFPI, which more than 20 official chart programmes worldwide are now adopting.

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