Apple Music Is Rolling Out AI Transparency Tags But There's A Major Caveat

As AI continues to proliferate aspects of our daily life, some users are seeking ways to avoid the technology, especially when it comes to artistic endeavors such as music. However, it’s getting more difficult for users to be able to accomplish this as AI has continued to improve. For those who are interested, Apple is introducing a new trick to remedy in its Apple Music subscription service, though its impact might be limited.

According to reporting by Music Business Worldwide, Apple informed its music partners that it’s launching a new feature called Transparency Tags. This is a new “system of disclosure labels that record labels and music distributors can begin applying to content delivered to Apple Music.”

These new tags are designed to cover several aspects when a piece of content is submitted to Apple Music, including Artwork, Track, Composition, and Music Video data. Each of these can be flagged when AI was used to generate either the entirety or part of these components. Additionally, it’s possible for music labels and distributors to note if more than one of these elements was created using AI.


The company’s music partners will have to begin using these tags going forward when providing content, as the company views this as the “first step in giving the music industry the data and tools needed to develop thoughtful policies around AI.” The report adds, "We believe labels and distributors must take an active role in reporting when the content they deliver is created using AI."

While many music fans will likely be happy to hear about this development, Apple’s implementation of the policy is a bit lacking. It’s completely voluntary and up to music labels and distributors to properly apply these tags, and Apple won’t be putting forth any effort to try and detect or remove AI generated music itself. Time will tell if the company can continue with this hands-off approach or if users will demand something more substantial.