Does TuneCore Publishing Support The Use of GenAI in Songwriting?
TuneCore supports creative innovation that supports artists, including the responsible use of AI tools in the songwriting process.
That said: the works TuneCore Publishing represents must be substantially created by human songwriters.
Compositions generated entirely by AI are currently not afforded copyright protection and therefore cannot be registered with PROs/CMOs – which means they’re not eligible for representation or royalty collection within the publishing ecosystem.
Bottom line: licensed AI tools may assist the creative process of any track under TuneCore Publishing’s umbrella, but the resulting song must remain a human-authored composition.
So Songs Created Entirely By AI Cannot Be Registered or Represented?
You got it.
So how is TuneCore Publishing determining what works are classified as AI-authored music?
Great question.
We have implemented AI detection technologies across the catalogue we administer.
This technology protects songwriters and the integrity of the publishing ecosystem by identifying works that may have been generated by AI models. Where songs are flagged as likely AI-generated, they may not be processed due to the legal and commercial risks associated with registering non-copyrightable songs.
This process supports artists’ rights and ensures any works we represent remain compliant with copyright frameworks and PRO/CMO requirements.
Could AI create opportunities for songwriters in the future?
Absolutely.
It’s entirely possible that future versions of GenAI could create new, exciting, and ethical opportunities for the licensing of copyrighted catalogues.
We are actively exploring what those opportunities look like alongside the broader music industry, and any potential change to our process would only be considered if it aligns with our core principles of Consent, Control, Compensation and Transparency.
Why is this the approach TuneCore Publishing is taking?
The publishing ecosystem is built on copyright protection for human creators. Without this framework, songwriters cannot register works, collect royalties, or maintain ownership of their compositions.
Our approach ensures that:
the integrity of the copyright system is preserved
songwriters’ rights and revenues are protected
innovation develops responsibly within the music ecosystem
Bottom line: We support innovation and new technologies, including AI, when they respect the rights of songwriters and align with our principles of Consent, Control, Compensation and Transparency.
Why can a recording created with AI sometimes be distributed, but the song cannot be registered for publishing?
Recording and publishing operate under different rules.
On the recording side, music created using AI tools may be distributed if the tools comply with our GenAI Music Content Framework and are trained on licensed datasets.
On the publishing side, the requirements are different. Copyright law and PROs/CMOs require songs to have identifiable human songwriters in order to be registered and monetized.
This means a recording may be distributed, but if the composition was created entirely by AI, based on copyright law, it cannot be registered for publishing or collecting songwriting royalties.