THE SHORT VERSION
Three labels — Fully Gen AI, Partly Gen AI, No Gen AI — on the player page, extending to the main YouTube app. Disclosure only; AI tracks still monetise.
YouTube Music began labelling AI-generated songs on 14 October. Partners declare their work under one of three designations: "Fully Gen AI", "Partly Gen AI" or "No Gen AI". The label appears on the player page and clicking it reveals what role AI actually played. The system is extending to the main YouTube app.
The boundaries are drawn more carefully than the headline suggests. "Partly Gen AI" covers tracks where an artist used AI-generated components alongside their own live elements. Pitch correction such as Auto-Tune falls under "No Gen AI" — so the line is generation, not processing. YouTube says it worked with music partners and used its own detection tools to identify AI-generated music rather than relying purely on declarations.
What YouTube is not doing matters as much. AI involvement alone does not make a track ineligible for monetisation, and there is no filter letting listeners hide AI music. Deezer is building one, due by the end of the year, and TIDAL already lets listeners disable AI recordings. YouTube has chosen disclosure over restriction.
Sources
TechCrunch