Key Takeaways
- Apple Music will require labels, distributors, and other providers to tag content when AI created a material portion, including tracks primarily derived from generative AI services.
- Tagged music, compositions, artwork, and videos will display a visible “Made With AI” label later this year, turning Apple’s previously optional disclosure system into a mandate.
- The change follows Apple’s disclosure that fully AI-generated music makes up more than one-third of monthly uploads but less than 0.5 percent of listening, as the industry develops broader "AI-Generated" and "AI-Assisted" labels.
Apple Music is making AI disclosure mandatory for labels, distributors, and other content providers delivering music to its platform.
In an email sent to industry partners on Thursday (August 20), Apple Music said content in which "a material portion" was created using artificial intelligence must carry the appropriate AI Transparency Tags. Music carrying those tags will receive a visible "Made With AI" label for Apple Music users later this year.
The move strengthens a disclosure system Apple introduced in March. The tags were initially optional and allowed content providers to identify AI use in sound recordings, compositions, artwork, and music videos.
"As we implement Made With AI Labels, content providers will be important partners," Apple said in the email. "They are best positioned to know how their content was created, and the AI Transparency Tags that should be used."
Apple said content providers will be required to include the tags "in any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI platform generated." The company defines AI-platform-generated content as "anything that is primarily derived from a generative AI service."
Apple’s published technical specifications similarly direct providers to disclose when AI generated a material portion of a sound recording, composition, artwork, or music video. However, as of Saturday (August 22), the publicly available specification still describes the tags as optional, suggesting the documentation has not yet been updated to reflect the newly announced requirement.
The change follows an April disclosure from Apple Music Vice President Oliver Schusser that more than one-third of the service’s monthly uploads were "100% AI-generated," while AI music represented less than 0.5 percent of listening.
Apple’s announcement comes as the music industry pursues a broader labeling standard. On July 10, the IFPI, RIAA, A2IM, WIN, IMPALA, the Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA and the Human Artistry Campaign announced a voluntary, two-tier system distinguishing "AI-Generated" recordings from "AI-Assisted" ones.
Under the proposal, an AI-assisted recording must be created substantially by humans, with people performing its lead vocals and primary instruments. "These labels will provide an immediately understandable and easily scalable approach to transparency," IFPI CEO Vikki Oakley and RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a joint statement.
The Digital Media Association, whose members include Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube, welcomed the effort to improve AI metadata across the music-distribution chain.
Apple has not announced a specific launch date for the visible "Made With AI" labels beyond saying they will appear later this year.
