From July 15, Tidal tags every 100% AI-generated song with 'AI' - and stops paying it. No royalties, no direct sales to fans. Harder than the labeling alone at Spotify and Apple Music.
- Tidal will tag and demonetize 100% AI-generated songs - no royalties and no direct sales.
- Announced in late June, takes effect July 15, 2026.
- Harder than Spotify and Apple Music, which for now rely mainly on labels.
Tidal decided to hit the problem where it hurts - the money, not the label. Fully AI-generated songs get the 'AI' tag - no royalties, no direct sales to fans. Other platforms stop at the label. Tidal goes further.
The label says 'this is AI.' Cutting the money says something harder - 'and we won't pay you for it.' The second one weighs more. Whatever doesn't bring revenue stops getting produced at scale. Tidal is the first platform to back its stance with money, not just a label.
The argument around AI music is shifting. Yesterday we asked how to spot it. Today we ask whether it's even worth making. Once the platforms with the most demanding audience shut the register, the incentive to flood the catalog with generated tracks evaporates on its own. It's not the law stopping it - the money is. And music has always lived where someone cares about the quality of what you listen to.