Music streaming service TIDAL is the latest service to target AI-generated music, introducing a new policy that prevents music generated entirely by AI from monetizing on its platform. Additionally, TIDAL uses automated tools to remove AI-generated music that attempts to impersonate artists or groups, the company said.
“We are committed to protecting and rewarding organic creativity to avoid undermining artists’ ability to connect with TIDAL subscribers and build fandom. Many of you have told us that you don’t want to be exposed to or prompted to listen to music that is completely AI-generated,” TIDAL Vice President and Editor-in-Chief Tony Giarvino wrote in the announcement.
He clarified that TIDAL’s new policy is not intended to “knock down technological advances,” but rather focuses on protecting and rewarding artists’ “organic creativity.”
With this change, fully AI-generated music on TIDAL will be identified and tagged as such, and listeners will see an “AI” badge next to tracks that are considered 100% AI. These songs cannot be monetized, royalties collected, or sold directly to fans, the company said.
TIDAL’s policy joins others in the streaming music space, with services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and Qobuz developing their own policies to address the growing number of AI-generated tracks filling their services. Spotify updated its policies last year to label AI music and improve spam filtering, but acknowledged that AI tools are still used to varying degrees in the music production process. Apple Music has also adopted a tagging approach.
Deezer took a tougher position, stating that 44% of new music uploaded to its platform each day is generated by AI. Proactively remove AI tracks from recommendations and exclude them from editorial playlists. It also offers its AI detection technology to competitors and provides consumer tools to see if their AI music is slipping into a competing service’s playlists.
TIDAL’s policy could be an interesting test to see if demonetization can slow the flood of AI music that many listeners aren’t interested in.
“Regardless of what you read elsewhere, an AI takeover of the music industry (and your recommendations) is not inevitable if we take even greater steps now to monitor and control it,” Gervino said.
The company said the new policy is a “living document,” meaning it is subject to change as the universe evolves. Effective July 15, 2026.
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