ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN recently announced a shared update to their registration policies: they will now accept musical works that include some AI-generated elements, as long as a human creator still plays a meaningful role. The shift reflects how common AI tools have become in today’s music-making process, while keeping human authorship at the core of copyright and royalty systems.
Under this aligned policy, songs that blend human creativity with AI-generated components can be registered, licensed, and earn performance royalties. Fully AI-generated works, however, remain ineligible for registration or copyright protection.
For creators, publishers, and labels, this update offers clearer direction in an era where technology is rapidly influencing how music is made.
Why This Matters
More and more writers are using AI tools to brainstorm lyrics, shape arrangements, or spark new ideas. Until now, there hasn’t been a consistent standard for how these hybrid works should be handled.
With ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN now on the same page, the industry gains clarity:
Hybrid (human + AI) works can be registered and earn royalties.
Fully AI-generated works cannot be registered.
Copyright still requires meaningful human authorship.
The U.S. and Canada now share more consistent policies.
These updates also align with guidance from the U.S. Copyright Office, which emphasizes the need for human creativity in any copyrightable work.
How This Impacts Royalty Collections
For creators and publishers
As long as a human contributes essential creative elements—lyrics, composition, arrangement, curation, editing—the work remains eligible for performance royalties. Using AI tools does not disqualify it.
For PROs and licensors
Hybrid works can now be included in licensed catalogues, meaning they can be publicly performed and monetized through normal licensing channels.
For royalty administration
Clearer standards mean fewer registration errors and smoother reporting. Still, documenting the human contribution becomes key to maintaining accurate metadata and royalty splits.
Effects on Licensing and Copyright
This policy gives the industry a firmer foundation for handling hybrid works:
Licensing becomes more straightforward, since hybrid works are treated like traditional compositions.
Copyright protections continue to apply only to the human-created elements.
Ongoing questions around how AI platforms use copyrighted music—especially training data—remain important for rights holders.
What Creators Should Keep in Mind
As AI becomes a regular part of the creative process, creators can safeguard their rights by:
Clearly documenting their human contributions.
Registering works normally, listing human authors as the rights holders.
Treating AI as a tool—not a collaborator with ownership.
These steps help ensure hybrid works stay eligible for royalty collection and legal protection.
The Bottom Line
The aligned approach from ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN is a meaningful step toward updating music-rights systems for today’s tools. It supports innovation while keeping the focus where it belongs: on human creativity.
At Royalty Solutions Corp, we help creators, publishers, and labels navigate these evolving policies with confidence. Whether your music is created traditionally, supported by AI, or somewhere in between, we’re here to ensure it’s properly credited, protected, and fairly compensated.