TIDAL has become the latest streaming service to introduce new rules around AI-generated music, but it’s taking one of the strongest approaches yet. Alongside automatic AI labels for listeners, the platform will stop music it identifies as entirely AI-generated from earning royalties or accessing direct-to-fan monetisation.
AI-generated music is becoming impossible for streaming services to ignore. TIDAL’s new policy joins a wave of industry efforts to make AI content more transparent while limiting fraud and protecting genuine artists.
Under its new AI Policy, music identified as 100% AI-generated will receive a visible AI label within the TIDAL app from mid-July. The streaming service says that, as its detection technology improves, those labels will eventually expand to include music that is substantially AI-generated.
While TIDAL will continue accepting AI-generated music, it says artists using these tools will be held to a higher standard of content integrity. The platform will remove AI-generated music that exploits an artist’s name or likeness, attempts to deceive listeners, or is associated with fraudulent activity, including suspicious upload or streaming behaviour.
Perhaps the biggest change is that wholly AI-generated music will no longer earn royalties or be eligible for direct-to-fan sales on TIDAL.
TIDAL says its priority is ensuring royalties go to “original works directly produced, written, and performed by people.” At the same time, the company acknowledges that conversations around licensed AI models and how they should be monetised are still evolving.
The platform is also placing greater responsibility on distributors. As Music Business Worldwide reports, TIDAL says it expects distributors to identify AI-generated content before it reaches the platform and will begin enforcing that requirement.
TIDAL’s announcement follows a series of similar moves across the streaming industry.
Earlier this year, Qobuz introduced AI detection and labels for AI-generated content, while Apple Music launched transparency tags based on disclosures from labels and distributors. Spotify has also been testing AI labels in song credits and continues to crack down on impersonation and AI-enabled streaming fraud.
Meanwhile, Deezer has emerged as one of the most proactive platforms. It recently expanded its AI detection technology across streaming playlists after revealing that around 44% of all new music uploaded to the platform each day is fully AI-generated.
Although the details vary between platforms, many are introducing clearer AI labelling alongside new measures to combat impersonation, fraudulent uploads and royalty abuse.
For artists releasing original music, TIDAL’s policy shouldn’t be seen as a rejection of AI tools. Instead, it’s another sign that streaming platforms are distinguishing between AI-assisted creativity and music generated entirely by AI.
As disclosure requirements and AI detection become more common, accurate metadata and transparency will play a bigger role in digital distribution. Artists who are clear about how their music is created – and who own the rights to everything they upload – will be in the strongest position as platform policies continue to evolve.
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