Tidal stops paying royalties on AI-generated music, adds warning label July 15

Tidal announced new AI music policies today that demonetize fully AI-generated tracks while stopping short of a ban. Starting immediately, tracks the platform identifies as 100 percent AI-generated will no longer earn royalties. On July 15, those tracks will also carry a visible label—an icon Tidal has not yet detailed—to inform listeners what they're hearing.

The move splits the difference between outright prohibition and unrestricted hosting. Tidal frames the policy as protecting artists while keeping AI-generated music accessible to users who want to stream it. The company did not specify how it will identify AI-generated tracks, whether through metadata supplied by uploaders, algorithmic detection, or manual review. It also left open the question of hybrid works—tracks that blend AI-generated elements with human performance or production.

The demonetization takes effect today, giving rightsholders no advance notice if they've already uploaded AI-generated material. Tidal joins a growing list of platforms grappling with how to handle synthetic music, though most have either banned it outright or remained silent on enforcement. The July 15 labeling deadline gives the company two weeks to finalize the icon design and roll out the tagging infrastructure.

How Tidal will handle edge cases remains unclear—AI-assisted mixing, AI-generated stems in otherwise human compositions, or tracks that use AI for mastering but not melody. The policy targets only "100 percent AI-generated" works, but the company has not published a rubric for that determination. Whether the labeling system will distinguish between different generative models or training datasets is also unaddressed. The real test will be whether other streaming services follow Tidal's demonetization-plus-labeling model or continue to avoid the issue entirely.