Apple Music will begin labeling songs created with artificial intelligence later this year, the company said in an email to its industry partners that was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. The streaming service did not specify a launch date, only noting the labels will arrive "later this year."
The email states 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." Apple Music defines AI-platform-generated content as "anything that is primarily derived from a generative AI service." The company did not provide details on how these requirements would be enforced, nor did it clarify what constitutes a "material portion" of a track.
The announcement follows Apple Music's introduction of transparency tags in March, which allowed record labels and distributors to voluntarily disclose when content was "materially generated using AI." With the upcoming labels, these tags will become mandatory for content providers.
Apple Music's move comes weeks after an initiative led by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) called on streaming services to add AI labels similar to how explicit content is disclosed.
Apple is not alone in addressing AI-generated music. Spotify announced earlier this month that it would label AI artists and exclude them from editorial and algorithmic recommendations. However, Spotify's labeling focuses on artist profiles rather than individual songs, and its earlier April feature for labeling individual songs is voluntary. Spotify has said it receives tens of thousands of AI song credits submitted daily.
Other platforms have also taken steps: Deezer and YouTube Music ask distributors to flag AI-created songs and use tools to catch mislabeled content, according to PCMag.
Apple Music has also been tightening its policies around AI content. In April, Apple Music head Oliver Schusser told Billboard that over a third of new monthly uploads to the platform were AI-generated songs, though they accounted for less than 1% of overall usage (one report specifies less than half a percent). Apple Music also doubled its penalty fees on streaming fraud, with Schusser acknowledging AI content was a factor.
Beyond the streaming platforms, the discussion of AI in music has sparked broader conversations about creativity and disclosure. In a Rappler Communities discussion, participants debated whether AI use in creative work—such as grammar checkers or presentation formatting—should require disclosure. Gemma Mendoza, Rappler's head of strategic programs, raised the question of whether AI users might be "shortcutting" their way through music creation. The conversation also noted that Bandcamp has banned AI use on its platform.
As the music industry grapples with the rise of generative AI, Apple Music's forthcoming labels represent another step toward transparency, though questions about enforcement and the boundaries of "material" AI use remain unanswered.