AI Chart Rules, Music Funding and Social-Media Copyright: Three Changes Music Professionals Need to Know

Published: 22 August 2026

Meta description: Official MENA charts establish AI-music rules, NZ On Air opens project funding, and the Sony–DSW settlement highlights social-media licensing risks.

Suggested URL slug: ai-chart-rules-music-funding-social-media-copyright

Three recent developments reveal an important shift in the music business: documentation is becoming as important as distribution.

AI-assisted recordings now need evidence of lawful technology and meaningful human creativity to qualify for major MENA charts. New Zealand’s latest music fund connects public investment to professional project management and release planning. Meanwhile, Sony Music’s dispute with DSW demonstrates why music available on social platforms is not automatically cleared for commercial advertising.

Can AI-Assisted Music Enter the Official MENA Charts?

Yes—but only when the recording satisfies specific eligibility requirements.

The Official MENA Chart and IFPI-managed charts in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and North Africa are adopting principles governing recordings developed using artificial intelligence.

An AI-assisted recording may qualify when:

• The AI service is properly authorised and operates lawfully.

• The recording is substantially created by humans.

• Copyright, neighbouring rights and personality rights are respected.

• The release complies with the AI service’s terms.

• AI involvement is appropriately disclosed downstream.

• There is no evidence of artificial streaming or chart manipulation.

The rules do not establish a publicly stated percentage for what counts as “substantially human-made.” Eligibility will therefore depend on the circumstances of each recording and the evidence supporting its creative history.

The principles originate from IFPI’s global framework for AI-assisted recordings and have now been applied to the Official MENA Chart.

Why do the MENA chart rules matter?

Metadata is no longer only an administrative requirement. Information about how a recording was created can now influence its chart eligibility.

Labels, distributors and artists using AI should retain:

• The name and version of the AI service.

• The service’s licensing and commercial-use terms.

• DAW sessions, stems and project files.

• Prompt and revision histories where relevant.

• A description of the human creative contribution.

• Songwriter, producer and performer credits.

• Permissions for any replicated voice, image or identity.

• Evidence supporting legitimate streaming activity.

Submitting a recording without reliable documentation could create problems even when the song has already been accepted by a digital platform.

What Is the NZ On Air New Music Project Fund?

NZ On Air’s New Music Project programme offers eligible applicants between NZ$11,000 and NZ$55,000 to create, record, release and promote a multi-song music project.

The project must contain at least five songs. Funding can support activities such as:

• Recording and production.

• Music videos and visual content.

• Release preparation.

• Marketing and promotion.

• Audience-development campaigns.

• Professional project management.

The total amount can include an Artist Creation Fee of up to 10% of the funding. For example, a qualifying project could receive NZ$50,000 in project funding and an additional NZ$5,000 Artist Creation Fee.

Applications opened on 20 August and close at 4:00 p.m. on 10 September 2026. Funding decisions are expected on 2 November.

Applicants must meet the programme’s eligibility criteria, qualify as New Zealand music and contact the NZ On Air Music Team through an Expression of Interest. They also need a project manager and an independent professional music company based in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Full requirements are available on the official NZ On Air funding page.

Why does this funding model matter?

The programme does more than finance studio sessions. It connects public funding to a structured commercial release plan.

Artists must demonstrate that they have the people, budget and professional support required to bring the music to market. This reduces the risk of funding recordings that never receive an effective release or promotional campaign.

The model could provide a useful reference for future cultural funding programmes in Kurdistan and the wider MENA region. Public or private funds can create greater long-term value when financing is tied to clear deliverables, professional distribution, measurable marketing goals and transparent reporting.

What Happened Between Sony Music and DSW?

Sony Music and Designer Brands—the parent company of footwear retailer DSW—have reached a settlement in principle concerning alleged unlicensed music use in commercial social-media videos.

The financial terms have not been disclosed, and the parties were still negotiating and executing the final settlement documentation at the time of reporting. A separate Warner Music case connected to similar allegations has not formally concluded.

The dispute focused on music allegedly used in promotional social-media content without the necessary commercial permissions. The preliminary settlement was reported by Digital Music News, following earlier legal proceedings involving Sony and DSW described by Music Business Worldwide.

Can brands use music from TikTok or Instagram in advertising?

Not automatically.

A song’s availability in a platform’s consumer music library does not, by itself, prove that a company has permission to use it in branded content, paid advertising or other commercial campaigns.

Commercial use may require two separate clearances:

1. A master-use licence covering the specific sound recording.

2. A publishing or synchronisation licence covering the underlying composition.

The licence should also clearly cover the relevant platforms, territories, campaign duration, content formats and use in paid media.

Brands can reduce risk by using a platform’s designated commercial music library, commissioning original music or obtaining written permission from all relevant rightsholders.

What Do These Three Developments Have in Common?

All three stories show that professional music operations increasingly depend on verifiable documentation.

DevelopmentPrimary riskEvidence requiredMENA AI chart rulesRecording becomes ineligible for official chartsAI-service terms, human contribution, metadata and streaming integrityNZ On Air fundingApplication rejection or weak project deliveryBudget, release plan, project manager, professional partner and KPIsCommercial social-media musicCopyright claims or campaign removalMaster and publishing licences covering commercial use

For labels and distributors, the work cannot end when a recording is uploaded. Rights information, creative records, marketing permissions and financial documentation must remain connected throughout the release lifecycle.

What Should AC Music and Kurdish Artists Do?

AC Music, independent labels and Kurdish artists can respond by introducing three practical workflows.

1. Create an AI release file

Every AI-assisted release should have a folder containing the relevant service terms, prompts, project files, stems, contributor declarations, permissions and disclosure information.

2. Become funding-ready before an opportunity opens

Artists should maintain a reusable project package containing a budget, release timeline, marketing strategy, team responsibilities, audience targets and measurable results. This makes it easier to respond quickly when grants or investment opportunities become available.

3. Review music in every commercial campaign

Before a branded video is published, confirm who owns the recording and composition. The written licence must cover commercial social-media use—not merely personal posting or organic platform use.

Conclusion

The music industry is moving toward a system in which eligibility, funding and commercial use depend on proof.

AI tools may be part of a chart-eligible recording, but human creativity and lawful use must be documented. Public funding can support ambitious music projects, but it increasingly requires professional management and measurable release plans. Social platforms can help brands reach audiences, but their consumer music libraries do not replace proper commercial licensing.

For artists, labels and distributors, the practical message is clear: document the creative process, register accurate rights information and obtain written permission before releasing or promoting music commercially.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are fully AI-generated songs eligible for the Official MENA Chart?

A recording must be substantially human-made and satisfy the other eligibility principles. A prompt-only recording with little meaningful human creativity may not meet that standard, although no fixed percentage has been published.

Must AI use be disclosed?

The framework requires AI involvement to be appropriately signalled downstream in accordance with applicable labelling requirements and industry standards.

How much does NZ On Air provide?

Eligible New Music Project applicants can seek between NZ$11,000 and NZ$55,000, including the applicable Artist Creation Fee.

Can the funding support a single song?

The New Music Project programme is intended for projects containing at least five songs. NZ On Air operates other funding pathways that may be more appropriate for individual singles.

Is the Sony–DSW settlement final?

It is a settlement in principle. Final documentation and financial terms had not been publicly disclosed when the development was reported.

Can a business use any song available inside a social-media app?

No. Availability in a consumer library does not automatically provide a licence for branded content or advertising. Separate master and publishing permissions may be required.

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This article provides general music-industry information and does not constitute legal advice.