YouTube Music launches new labels as AI-generated music floods streaming platforms

YouTube Music announced a new labeling system on Wednesday to help listeners identify songs created with generative artificial intelligence. The labels will appear directly on the player page across both YouTube Music and the main YouTube app, letting users click to see specific details about how AI was used in a track's creation.

According to YouTube, the system relies on a combination of its own detection tools and disclosures from music partners. Partners can categorize their work using three designations: "Fully Gen AI," "Partly Gen AI," or "No Gen AI." Standard pitch-correction tools like Auto-Tune are classified under "No Gen AI," while tracks featuring a mix of live elements and AI components fall into the partly generated tier.

The rollout arrives as streaming platforms grapple with a rapid influx of AI-generated music. Competitors have taken varied approaches, with companies like Deezer and TIDAL restricting algorithmic recommendations, filtering out such tracks, or withholding royalties. By contrast, YouTube’s system focuses primarily on disclosure rather than restrictions, and AI involvement does not make a track ineligible for monetization.