Tidal won’t pay royalties on AI-generated music but isn’t banning it outright

Tidal says it will begin labeling tracks it identifies as 100% AI-generated on July 15, rather than banning them from the service. Starting immediately, those tracks will no longer earn royalties, as the company says payments should go to music directly created, written, and performed by people.

The policy reflects a growing industry shift toward AI disclosure instead of blanket removal, as platforms try to balance experimentation with artist protections. Tidal’s royalty cutoff could pressure other streaming services to define how they detect and monetize synthetic music.