AUSTRALIA’S music charts have officially slammed the brakes on AI-made hits.

From this week, songs that are largely or wholly created by AI are banned from appearing on the ARIA charts, with all releases now needing to be “substantially human made” to qualify. ARIA says the new code is designed to “promote the human nature of artistry” in a brutally crowded music market.

The clampdown follows a very modern chart scandal: Australian DJ Josh Fawaz’s cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer, which recently topped the ARIA dance singles chart and climbed to number two on the overall chart. The track became a commercial radio regular and has been streamed more than 48 million times on Spotify alone. After backlash, Fawaz later added generative AI credits.

ARIA isn’t banning AI tools outright — but it’s setting clear boundaries. Under the rules, AI can assist, but humans must have written the song and performed the lead vocal and primary instruments. AI use is still permitted for mastering, and tools like drum machines and auto-tune remain fine.

Artists will have to declare any AI use when submitting a track for chart consideration. If ARIA later finds a song was largely AI-generated, it can retrospectively adjust chart positions — and if it hit number one, ARIA may request any awards for reaching the top spot are returned. Artists and their teams can challenge exclusions.

ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said the charts should evolve alongside artists who use AI tools, but drew a line at music “generated wholesale” by services built on artists’ recordings — warning that rewarding unlicensed AI output would undercut recorded music.

The move mirrors actions elsewhere: Sweden banned an AI-created track from its charts earlier this year, and the IFPI has said AI chart guidelines will be rolled out in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also promised “the strongest possible protection” for creatives, arguing it would be “theft” if their work was used to train AI without control or payment.