Apple Music introduced Transparency Tags, a new metadata system that will help identify and label AI-generated content. The announcement was reportedly made in a newsletter sent to music industry partners on Wednesday. Distributors and record labels can now use the system to tag content submitted to the platform.
Metadata is the tagging method used to identify, organize and categorize content on the platform and can include basic information such as song title, album title, artwork and genre. Apple Music’s new transparency tags focus on four key elements: the song (music), composition (lyrics), artwork, and music video.
These metadata tags will be added during the submission process, allowing distributors to flag music containing AI-generated content that falls into one of the four categories listed above. The goal of the move is to increase transparency around the methodology the company uses for AI in music.
Last year, Spotify made a similar announcement that it would implement stronger AI protections.
There is, however, a catch. In the newsletter, Apple reportedly said it would defer to content providers to decide what was considered AI-generated content. Apple Music’s Transparency Tag system currently operates on a voluntary basis. In Apple’s specifications for this update it states: “If any omissions are made, none are assumed.” Basically, record labels and distributors can simply choose not to participate.
An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
