TIDAL to Label AI-Generated Music and Withhold Royalties in New Crackdown
Starting July 15, 2026, streaming platform TIDAL will implement a strict policy to label and withhold royalties from music tracks generated entirely by artificial intelligence. This initiative aims to protect human-originated content, allowing users to filter out fully AI-generated audio and removing content that impersonates real artists or exploits their likeness.
The Shift Toward Human-Centric Royalties
The music industry is currently grappling with a crisis of authenticity, as streaming services face an influx of synthetic content. TIDAL’s new policy, titled “Promoting Fairness and Economic Empowerment in the Era of AI-Generated Music,” explicitly states that the platform will not pay royalties to tracks created entirely by “text-prompted AI.” While the service will continue to host AI-assisted music, believing artists should maintain creative freedom, the company insists that its primary objective is to ensure that streaming revenue flows directly to human creators who write, produce, and perform their own work.
This move follows widespread concern among industry stakeholders. Data from previous industry studies indicated that 97 per cent of people “can’t tell the difference” between real and AI music. For artists, the financial risk is substantial; projections suggest that people working in music are likely to lose a quarter of their income to Artificial Intelligence over the next four years.
Market Response and Regulatory Precedents
TIDAL is not acting in a vacuum. Other major players have already begun aggressive cleanup efforts to maintain platform integrity. In September, Spotify confirmed the removal of 75 million “spammy” tracks, and targeting impersonators. Around that same time, research found that AI-generated songs were being uploaded to dead musicians’ Spotify profiles without permission. Meanwhile, Deezer has deployed a tool that detects AI-generated music on playlists from 20 different streaming platforms.
The legislative landscape is shifting in tandem with these corporate policies. This spring, the government announced it would ditch “deeply damaging” plans to allow AI firms to use copyrighted works without permission. This reversal was heavily influenced by a high-profile advocacy campaign led by Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Dua Lipa, and Elton John. Their efforts emphasized that the unauthorized use of creative works constitutes a significant threat to the long-term sustainability of the music economy.
The Logistical Reality of AI Content Management
The implementation of an “AI” badge on TIDAL tracks scheduled for mid-July serves as both a transparency measure for consumers and a diagnostic tool for the platform. By allowing users to opt-out of AI-generated content, TIDAL is effectively treating synthetic music as a distinct category. The platform will also be banning any AI music that “exploits an individual’s or group’s music, name or likeness, deceives listeners, or diminishes the quality of our service”.
The Future of the Artist-Platform Relationship
The current consensus among industry bodies, including those represented in recent open letters demanding consent for AI training, is that technology must serve the artist, not replace them. Figures to recently speak out against the increasing prominence of AI include SZA, Justin Hawkins, Jack Antonoff and Billy Corgan, highlighting that the core value of music lies in the human experience.
*Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.*