Luminate to Add Labels to AI Music Later This Year
The move follows several announcements by streaming services and the record business to pursue labels for AI content earlier this summer.
On Tuesday (Aug. 25), entertainment data company Luminate announced a new framework for AI music. This includes the addition of labels for AI-generated content on its platform, starting later this year, which will be visible to its customers and partners.
The move comes just weeks after Apple Music and Spotify announced plans for their own versions of labeling for AI music by the end of 2026. Luminate’s system will rely on a combination of its proprietary identification technology and collaborations with major streaming services and AI music companies to determine which songs should be labeled. A label stating “AI Generated” will be added to any song or artist profile identified through their system, and, in the case of false positives, artists and labels can go through a “dedicated review process” to have the labels reconsidered.
In its framework, Luminate’s CEO Rob Jonas states that “this is a starting point. No single organization can address this challenge alone,” and details a three-pronged approach to labeling:
- Proprietary Identification System: Luminate’s technology continuously analyzes streaming data and metadata, in addition to leveraging audio identification tools to track AI-generated music in CONNECT.
- Streaming Data: As DSPs roll out their own capabilities for identifying AI-generated music, Luminate will support ingestion of this data through its existing partnerships.
- Attribution at the Source: To capture AI-generated music before a song or artist reaches a DSP, Luminate is in discussion with AI music companies to source attribution data directly as content is generated.
Dating back to early 2025, online music platforms have been toying with the concept of clear labels to disclose AI music to the public. First, in January of last year, Deezer added tags to 100% AI-generated tracks, and this year several others have followed suit. Spotify is now tagging what it calls “AI Personas” rather than tracks, and Apple Music is going to add AI labels based on self-disclosed AI use later this year. Many members of the recorded music industry, which provides songs to the streaming services, have also weighed in on the debate, signaling their support for AI label measures in July.
Still, even though this has become a popular way to regulate the flood of AI music, some music listening platforms have taken other approaches. Bandcamp and iHeartRadio, for example, have both issued bans for largely AI-generated music.
“The rapid growth of AI-generated music has outpaced the industry’s ability to consistently identify it and measure its impact,” Jonas said of the new Luminate framework. “Greater visibility is critical to understanding broader trends, assessing the risk of fraud and making informed decisions. Luminate has always been the entertainment business’s source of truth, and tracking AI-generated music with the same rigor we apply to every other category is core to our mission.”
