If you’ve generated an AI album and were hoping to cash in on streaming royalties, Tidal has some bad news.

The streaming service has announced a new AI music policy that allows AI-generated tracks onto the platform, but draws a firm line when it comes to monetisation. From 29 June, music it identifies as “wholly AI-generated” will no longer earn royalties or be eligible for direct-to-fan sales.

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“Starting today, AI-generated music will not be monetisable,” says the company. “Tidal’s priority is ensuring royalties go to original works directly produced, written, and performed by people. We will therefore not knowingly attribute royalties to music we identify as wholly AI-generated.”

That doesn’t mean AI music is being banned altogether. Tidal says it will continue accepting AI-generated releases, provided they comply with its content standards and distribution agreements. Beginning in mid-July, tracks identified as 100% AI-generated will also receive a dedicated label, with broader tagging planned (“we will expand this tag to content that is substantially AI-generated”) as AI detection technology improves.

The company is also cracking down on what it describes as “fraudulent” AI uploads. Music generated to impersonate artists, mislead listeners, manipulate streaming activity or flood the platform with mass-produced releases may be blocked or removed entirely.

“We will not tolerate AI-generated music that exploits an individual’s or group’s music, name or likeness, deceives listeners, or diminishes the quality of our service,” Tidal states.

The policy also extends to Tidal Upload, the platform’s self-service distribution tool for independent artists. If Tidal determines that an Upload release is wholly AI-generated, it will still be allowed on the service and tagged as such, but it won’t qualify for monetisation or direct-to-fan sales.

The move comes as streaming platforms continue to grapple with an explosion of AI-generated music. Viral acts like The Velvet Sundown have amassed millions of streams across platforms, igniting debate over AI-generated content, artist compensation and whether streaming services are doing enough to distinguish machine-made music from human-created work.

Earlier this month, Deezer launched a free online AI music detector that allows users to check whether their playlists contain AI-generated tracks. The tool is powered by Deezer’s existing AI detection technology, and is compatible with 20 of the most popular music streaming platforms in the market.

More information is available at Tidal.

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