Do I have to label my music as AI-generated?

The three layers of "have to"

Law: no general federal or state statute currently mandates labeling AI-generated music for the public. Disclosure obligations appear in narrower contexts (political ads, some state laws) — not for releasing a track.

Platforms: TIDAL's AI policy took effect July 15, 2026: the platform itself labels music it determines to be wholly AI-generated, and such tracks become ineligible for royalty attribution. Other DSPs have varying policies; several rely on distributor-supplied metadata.

Industry standard (voluntary): on July 10, 2026, IFPI, RIAA, A2IM, WIN, IMPALA, the Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA and the Human Artistry Campaign announced two voluntary track-level labels — AI-Generated and AI-Assisted. The labels are announced but not yet implemented, and how they travel through the distribution pipeline is unspecified.

The practical read: even where nothing forces you, undisclosed AI use is increasingly treated as a trust violation by contests (many require disclosure in their rules — check each opportunity's record), platforms, and audiences. Disclosure costs little; being caught not disclosing costs more.