ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN have jointly announced that they have adopted policies to allow for the registration of musical works that are partially generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These works can now be registered directly with the individual societies.
All three PRO registration policies define a partially AI-generated musical work as one that combines elements of AI-generated musical content with elements of human authorship. These works will now be included as part of the full repertories licensed by each society. However, musical compositions that are entirely created using AI tools are not eligible for registration with any of the individual societies.
Policy alignment among the three major North American PROs reflects the fact that songwriters and composers increasingly incorporate a variety of AI tools into their creative process and workflow. While an increasing number of AI tools are training their models in an ethically responsible manner that respects the rights of human creators, the three PROs emphasized their firm position that AI technology companies ingesting and training models on copyrighted musical works without permission from, compensation for or credit to creators is not fair use, but theft.
ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN have advocated for enforcement of strong copyright laws and staunchly defended the rights of music creators in ongoing debates over AI policy across the U.S. and Canada. All three PROs have endorsed meaningful AI legislation, supported lawsuits filed on behalf of music creators against illegal use of their work by AI companies around the globe, and also weighed in on major AI policy initiatives and studies, including those launched by the U.S. Copyright Office, The White House and the Government of Canada, among others.
“This alignment creates a legal and ethical path forward for AI in music. It recognizes that music creators are embracing new tools, while reinforcing our commitment to what matters most: respect for their work and the protection of human creativity,” said SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown. “The future of music can embrace AI and still remain deeply human.”
You can find more information about SOCAN’s position on AI in this SOCAN Academy article, as well as details on SOCAN’s policy regarding AI-generated outputs and AI-assisted works and what you need to know when registering your works in this other SOCAN Academy article.