TIDAL to tag AI music and stop it from earning royalties

The music streaming world is finally fighting back against the endless flood of robotic cover songs and synthetic elevator music.

It’s officially happening: synthetic tunes are getting their funding completely cut off. Tidal announced its revolutionary new AI policy, directly targeting wholly AI-generated tracks and stripping them of all royalties. This bold strategy targets the financial incentives behind the massive waves of digital slop, marking a complete shift in how streaming platforms protect human artists.

The policy officially takes effect on July 15, 2026, changing how we experience digital music. This move places Tidal at the absolute forefront of the fight to preserve genuine human creativity.

The death of the synthetic cash cow

Tidal is not just slapping a warning label on robotic music; it’s starving the machine of cash. The streaming platform will add an “AI” badge next to any track detected as 100% AI-generated. More importantly, these synthetic tracks will earn zero royalties and won’t be allowed to participate in direct-to-fan sales.

Tidal is also deploying automated tools to remove any AI-generated music that attempts to impersonate human bands. This means fake tracks mimicking famous vocals will be deleted immediately.

Tony Gervino, Tidal’s EVP and Editor-in-Chief, pointed out that inboxes are inundated with AI music created solely for cheap financial gain. Gervino pushed back against the idea that the AI takeover of the music business is inevitable. His message is loud and clear: protect human artists at all costs.

Why the money is dried up

The sheer volume of robotic music uploaded every single day is mind-boggling. On the rival platform Deezer, roughly 75,000 fully AI-generated tracks hit the platform daily, accounting for 44% of all new releases. Yet, data shows that only 1% to 3% of listeners actually want to hear these AI tracks.

This massive gap reveals that the synthetic music boom is largely a scam operation. In fact, about 85% of streams on these synthetic tracks are detected as entirely fraudulent bot streams designed to siphon off artist payouts. By demonetizing these tracks, Tidal is hitting the scammers exactly where it hurts.

That time an AI topped the charts in Sweden

To see why this policy matters, one needs only look at what happened in Sweden. A cozy, acoustic folk-pop track named “I Know, You’re Not Mine” by an “artist” named Jacub quietly exploded on Spotify. The track racked up over 6.3 million global streams and topped Spotify’s Swedish charts.

There was just one catch: Jacub did not actually exist. An investigative journalist discovered the song was registered to a Danish music publisher’s AI department. The response from Sweden’s official chart body, IFPI Sweden, was swift and uncompromising. CEO Ludvig Werner stated that mainly AI-generated songs simply do not have the right to be on official charts. The track was banned from the official charts within 48 hours, highlighting a massive gap between streaming platforms and traditional music authorities.

The courtroom of public opinion

Listeners are cheering Tidal’s aggressive new stance, but they want even more control. On Reddit, many Tidal users are begging for a simple toggle switch in the app settings to hide AI tracks entirely. There is a real fear that robot music will continue to clutter recommended playlists.

Some users have pointed out a bit of corporate hypocrisy, noting that Tidal’s parent company laid off staff while pushing AI tools behind the scenes. However, most agree that cutting off royalties is a massive step forward.

On the other side, AI creators are worried about the technology used to detect these tracks. Early AI detection systems are notorious for false positives, which might harm human bedroom producers who use minor digital tools. Tidal has admitted this is a tricky path, calling its policy a “living document” that will evolve as the technology changes.

A final spin on the vinyl

Tidal is drawing a line in the sand by proving that streaming platforms can protect human music when they choose to. By stripping royalties rather than just adding useless labels, the platform is targeting the root of the problem. While the technology to detect AI music is still evolving, this policy sends a clear signal that the era of free money for digital slop is officially over.

Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.

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