Courtesy of Tidal.
Tidal announced on June 29 that it will stop paying royalties on music it identifies as entirely AI-generated.
The policy takes effect on July 15, after which fully AI tracks will stay on the platform, but will be tagged with an "AI" badge and lose royalty eligibility. TIDAL also said it will use automated tools to remove AI music that impersonates real artists or is tied to fraud.
The policy announce comes amidst heated discourse among the tech community, artists, and music fans regarding the nascent technology.
Certain artists like anonymous DJs Two Shell see AI as a creative tool, whereas many others, like SZA, see it as the antithesis of creativity.
Beyond the philosophical debate, the questions surrounding AI music is economic as well. With total music payouts on Spotify having grown from $1 billion in 2014 to $10 billion in 2024, the questions of whether a song made by an AI model should garner the same payout as a human crafted product remains a central issue. Tidal’s policy brings to the fore the fact that even hosting AI-generated music on your platform may pose a threat to taking away listens and money from hardworking artists — due to streaming services' pro-rata model.
AI skeptics may find Tidal's updated policy intriguing, but here's how the Block-owned platform compares to other music streaming platforms.
What is Soundcloud's AI music policy?
SoundCloud is among the most permissive streaming platform in regards to AI music. The music platform allows AI-assisted uploads and has built assistive AI tools into the platform. After backlash in 2025, they rewrote their terms to say they will not use music to train generative AI that copies one's voice or style without opt-in consent. It does not tag or demonetize AI tracks.
What is Spotify's AI music policy?
Spotify allows AI music and says it will not downrank a track in its algorithm for using AI. Its September 2025 policy added an impersonation rule so vocal clones need the artist's sign-off, plus an anti-slop spam filter that identifies tracks are part of mass uploads, duplicates, SEO hacks, or artificially short. Read their 2025 policy update here.
What is Apple Music's AI music policy?
Apple Music rolled out AI transparency tags in March across four categories: audio, composition, artwork, and video. Apple Music demonetized 2 billion streams in 2025.
What is Deezer's AI music policy?
Deezer was among the earliest and most aggressive music platforms ramp up its AI crack down. It has tagged fully AI tracks since 2025, keeps them out of algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists, and demonetizes fraudulent streams. The company estimates they receive about 75,000 AI tracks a day, roughly 44% of daily uploads.
What is Qobuz's AI music policy?
Qobuz, the hi-fi independent steaming service, penned a February AI charter to establish a regulatory framework on the platform. They also launched a detection tool that tags fully AI tracks across new releases and its back catalog. 100% AI created content is prohibited from the platform.