Music streaming service TIDAL has introduced a policy that prevents tracks identified as entirely AI‑generated from earning money on the platform. The company also said it will deploy automated tools to remove AI‑created music that attempts to impersonate a specific artist or group.
Tony Gervino, TIDAL’s EVP and Editor‑in‑Chief, wrote in the announcement that the policy is intended to protect and reward “organic creativity” rather than to “bash technological advancement.” He added that many artists told TIDAL they do not want to be exposed to, or prompted to listen to, music that is wholly AI‑generated.
Under the new rules, any content judged to be 100% AI‑generated will be labeled with an “AI” badge on TIDAL so listeners can see its status. Those tracks will be ineligible to be monetized, will not collect royalties, and cannot be sold direct‑to‑fan through the platform.
TIDAL’s move follows similar steps by other streaming services. Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and Qobuz have each established policies to address the growing number of AI‑made tracks appearing on their services. Spotify last year revised its policies to label AI music and improve spam filtering while noting that AI tools will still be used to varying degrees in music creation. Apple Music has also adopted tagging.
Deezer has taken a stricter approach: it reports that 44% of all new music uploaded to its platform daily is AI‑generated. Deezer actively removes AI tracks from recommendations, excludes them from editorial playlists, offers its AI detection technology to competitors, and provides a consumer tool that lets users check if AI music has appeared in their playlists on other services.
TIDAL suggested that removing the ability to monetize AI tracks could help slow the influx of AI music that many listeners do not want. Gervino warned that AI’s takeover of the music industry and personalized recommendations “isn’t inevitable if we take even greater steps now to monitor and control it.”
The company described the new policy as a “living document,” open to revisions as the situation evolves. The rule goes into effect on July 15, 2026.
