YouTube Music launches new labels as AI-generated music floods streaming platforms
The label will appear on the player page and include songs entirely generated by AI or partially, such as AI involved in composition and vocals.
Key points
- YouTube Music launched AI labels on Wednesday for tracks created with generative AI.
- Labels appear on the player page and extend to the main YouTube app.
- Partners can declare Fully Gen AI, Partly Gen AI, or No Gen AI.
YouTube Music announced Wednesday that it is rolling out a new labeling system to improve transparency around songs created with generative AI. The labels will let listeners identify tracks made using AI, including in composition and vocals.
The label appears on the player page, and clicking it provides more information about AI's specific role in the track's creation. The labels will also extend to the main YouTube app.
How the labels work
YouTube said it worked with music partners and used its own detection tools to identify AI-generated music. According to its help page, partners can declare generative AI use through three designations: Fully Gen AI, Partly Gen AI, or No Gen AI.
Fully Gen AI applies to tracks entirely generated by AI. Partly Gen AI covers works where artists added their own live elements to AI-generated components. Tracks edited with pitch-correction tools such as Auto-Tune fall under No Gen AI.
Industry approaches compared
The move comes as AI-generated music expands across streaming services. Apple Music plans to introduce Made With AI labels later this year. Spotify has AI labels and a music spam filter.
Deezer reported in July that it receives nearly 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks daily. It labels detected AI music, excludes it from algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists, and withholds royalties from fraudulent streams. TIDAL also labels fully AI-generated recordings and allows listeners to disable them.
YouTube is focusing on disclosure rather than blanket restrictions. AI involvement alone does not make a track ineligible for monetization. YouTube also experiments with AI-powered music creation, including its tool Dream Track.
