Want to know whether your favorite music is generated with artificial intelligence (AI) or created by humans? Soon, you’ll know for sure. Apple is currently rolling out a metadata system for its streaming service, Apple Music, called Transparency Tags.

The Cupertino-based tech company sent a newsletter to industry partners last week to explain how the new system works, according to Music Business World.

The system covers four different categories: artwork, track, composition, and music video. The artwork tag indicates that the album cover was generated by AI. The track tag is used when a song or track was partially created with AI.

The composition tag covers AI-generated lyrics or other compositional elements, while the music video tag applies to any visual content, such as a video clip.

“Proper tagging of content is the first step in giving the music industry the data and tools needed to develop thoughtful policies around AI, and we believe labels and distributors must take an active role in reporting when the content they deliver is created using AI,” Apple wrote in its newsletter.

Currently, the Transparency Tags are optional, but Apple calls it “a concrete first step toward the transparency necessary for the industry to establish best practices and policies that work for everyone.”

Compared to its competitors, Apple is taking a different approach regarding AI-generated music.

For example, Deezer built its own AI detection tool to review submitted tracks. In June 2025, Deezer became the first music streaming platform to explicitly tag AI-generated music.

“We want to lead the way in minimizing any negative impact for artists and fans alike. Our approach is simple: we remove fully AI-generated content from algorithmic recommendations, and we don’t include it in editorial playlists. This way, we ensure the impact on the royalty pool remains minimal while providing a transparent user experience,” Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Deezer, said at the time.

Spotify, on the other hand, removed over 75 million so-called “spammy tracks” last year. The music streaming service felt that AI-generated music degraded listeners’ music experience and therefore had to intervene.

“At its best, AI is unlocking incredible new ways for artists to create music and for listeners to discover it. At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to confuse or deceive listeners, push ‘slop’ into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers,” Spotify said.

Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.