'I'm Not About Promoting That Music': Annabelle Herd Speaks Out on AI Ban From ARIA Charts

ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd has spoken publicly about the recent changes to the local music charts, which now exclude wholly AI made recordings. 

Speaking on a panel at BIGSOUND in Brisbane on Wednesday about AI in music, Herd touched on the decision by ARIA and why it was made, but refused to name the song that largely sparked the move, Josh Fawaz' “Like a Prayer” remix.

“You would think [the announcement] would get quite a bit of local attention because of that particular song that - I'm not gonna name, it has been in the charts through gritted teeth - but I did not realise how crazy viral globally this was going to go,” Herd said.

"And I think it shows that when you push back a bit, the public really responds, not just in Australia... it's been everywhere.

“The overwhelming commentary is positive... you can see the little tech bots in there, 'They don't understand innovation!' What we've done is said to be eligible for the ARIA charts, your music has to be substantially human-made. It's not a ban on AI music altogether because we recognise that artists and producers and mixers and engineers are going to be using tools. So you can still do that, but we need the key creative components to be human. We've outlined specifically, lead vocals and lead instruments, instrumental components of the recording.”

For a recording involving generative AI to qualify, ARIA says it must be “substantially human made”, comply with relevant laws, including copyright and related rights, and raise no concerns around stream or chart manipulation.

The changes were brought into effect last Friday, and saw Fawaz' Madonna cover dropped from the charts altogether, after it regularly featured in the top five of the Australian Artist Singles list in recent months.

“But what I would say is that's a starting point,” Herd continued.

"And I think once we've kind of cleared that up, there's this whole middle section around where's the line? We don't know the exact answer to that. I think it's an answer as an industry we're going to need to establish - where do we feel as an industry, the creative integrity is, and where's that bar? It's going to be a bit of a case-by-case, and it's not going to be perfect, but we wanted to put a stake in the ground and say the ARIA charts are not for AI music.

“I'm not about promoting that music. They're not going to get space or slots in the charts from Australian artists in particular.”