Practical answer

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

No general US law requires it as of August 19, 2026 — but platforms increasingly do. TIDAL labels wholly AI-generated tracks itself and removes them from royalty attribution, and the industry announced voluntary "AI-Generated" / "AI-Assisted" labels in July. Contest and distributor rules often require disclosure regardless.

Primary evidence: TIDAL · Ifpi

Who actually requires labeling — law, platforms or contests?

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.

Original sources

SourceTIDAL
SourceIfpi

Structured information, not legal advice.