YouTube Music rolls out labels for AI-generated tracks

YouTube Music announced Wednesday the rollout of a new labeling system designed to improve transparency around songs created with the help of generative AI. Listeners will now be able to identify tracks that involve AI in aspects such as composition and vocals.

The label appears on the player page, and clicking it provides more details about the specific role AI played in a track’s creation. The labels will also be extended to the main YouTube app.

YouTube said it worked with music partners and deployed its own detection tools to identify AI-generated music. According to its help page, partners can declare their work as Fully Gen AI, Partly Gen AI, or No Gen AI.

Fully Gen AI applies to tracks created entirely by AI, while Partly Gen AI refers to works where artists added their own live elements to AI-generated components. Tracks edited with pitch-correction tools such as Auto-Tune fall under the No Gen AI category.

The move comes as AI-generated music spreads rapidly across streaming services. Apple Music plans to introduce “Made With AI” labels later this year, Spotify already applies AI labels and filters spam, Deezer has reported receiving nearly 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks daily and excludes detected AI music from recommendations and editorial playlists, and TIDAL labels fully AI-generated recordings and lets listeners disable them.

YouTube, by contrast, is focusing on disclosure rather than blanket restrictions. The new labels are meant to inform listeners about AI’s role, while AI involvement alone does not disqualify a track from monetization.