Practical answer
What does "AI-Generated" vs "AI-Assisted" mean?
Primary evidence: Ifpi ↗
What do the two labels mean, exactly?
The joint announcement by IFPI, RIAA, A2IM, WIN, IMPALA, the Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA and the Human Artistry Campaign defines:
- AI-Generated — generative AI produced all or the primary creative elements of the recording: an AI lead vocal, a key instrumental part, or a track generated entirely from a prompt.
- AI-Assisted — the recording is substantially human-created; AI contributed some expressive elements.
Scope limits worth knowing: the labels cover sound recordings only — lyrics, composition, music videos and cover art are explicitly excluded for now. The system is voluntary, with suggested icons and metadata support.
What is still missing from the labels?
Everything operational: how the labels travel through distributors to streaming surfaces, who verifies a self-applied label, and what happens when someone disputes one. The coalition says labels "will be available for use in the near future" — as of our verification date they are announced, not implemented. The gap between a label existing and a label surviving the distribution pipeline is testable, and it's on our benchmark roadmap.
Original sources
Structured information, not legal advice.