YouTube Music began rolling out new AI labels on Wednesday, marking songs created primarily with generative AI directly on the player page. According to TechCrunch and 9to5Google, the label appears below the song title and artist, and tapping it opens a menu explaining how AI was used in the track.
The move addresses the surge of AI-generated music flooding streaming platforms, giving listeners a way to identify tracks made entirely or partly by AI. YouTube said it worked with music partners and used its own detection tools to identify these tracks, applying the same labeling principles already used for videos on the main YouTube platform.
What the AI Label Shows
The label, a small oblong badge reading "AI," appears on songs where AI played a significant role, including tracks that were fully generated by AI or where generative models created major components like composition and vocals. Tapping it reveals a "How this was made" bottom sheet with a link to learn more.
YouTube's help page outlines three designations for music partners when declaring generative AI use: "Fully Gen AI" for tracks entirely generated by AI, "Partly Gen AI" for works that incorporated AI-generated components alongside live elements, and "No Gen AI" for tracks edited with pitch-correction tools like Auto-Tune. If partners do not disclose AI use, YouTube may use other signals to decide if a song is AI-generated.
YouTube Music AI Labels vs Other Platforms
YouTube's approach focuses on disclosure rather than blanket restrictions. According to TechCrunch, AI involvement alone does not make a track ineligible for monetization, and YouTube even experiments with AI-powered music tools like Dream Track.
Other platforms have taken varied stances. Spotify launched a voluntary AI label earlier this year and said it would not recommend songs from AI personas, while Apple Music is reportedly getting an AI tag later this year. Deezer reported receiving nearly 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks daily in July and now excludes detected AI music from algorithmic recommendations and editorial playlists. TIDAL labels entirely AI-generated recordings and allows listeners to disable them. Bandcamp banned AI music outright earlier this year.
