The DJ store will withhold fully and majority AI-generated tracks at ingestion and tag AI-assisted ones, using detection tools from fraud specialists Beatdapp.
Beatport is blocking fully and majority AI-generated tracks from its store and tagging those created with AI assistance, after widening its partnership with fraud-detection firm Beatdapp to scan the catalogue for machine-made music.
Under the updated Content Guidelines, any track that’s fully or mostly AI-generated will be withheld at the point of ingestion, with the rightsholder told directly. Tracks that use AI as an assistant are still allowed as long as they’re majority human-created, and those get tagged as they come in, so Beatport’s curators can see exactly what they’re featuring and artists can still experiment with new tools.
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The policy follows a survey that revealed Beatport users are firmly on the side of human creators. 60% said they wouldn’t play AI-generated tracks in their sets, and 77% of those pointed to a preference for supporting human artists. Just 8% were open to playing AI music as things stand, with a further 13% willing to consider it if artists and labels were fairly paid.
“Beatport exists to serve DJs and empower artists & labels,” said chief executive Matt Gralen. “While new production techniques have driven electronic music forward since the beginning, there is a difference between a tool that assists human creation and a system that replaces it entirely. Beatport is built on the former.”
The Beatdapp deal builds on a relationship that started with streaming fraud detection. Beatport is now running two of the company’s tools together, one aimed at fraudulent streaming and the other at unauthorised AI content. It’s worth noting that the tools themselves use AI, and keep learning as generated music gets harder to spot.
“The music industry has always embraced new technology,” said Beatdapp co-founder and co-CEO Andrew Batey. “What’s needed now is the infrastructure to bring transparency to the age of generative AI.”
Beatport is far from alone in drawing lines around AI. Tidal stopped paying royalties on fully AI-generated tracks in July, following Bandcamp, which has banned purely AI-made music outright. Deezer, where AI-generated material now makes up more than half of daily uploads, tags fully AI albums and keeps them out of its recommendations, and has added a free detector for listeners. Spotify has begun rolling out AI disclosure labels and a spam filter.
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