Fully AI-generated songs are no longer eligible for the French charts

Since May 2026, the SNEP has reserved its charts for tracks created with substantial human intervention, a declared use of AI, and tools that respect rights.

A song created entirely by artificial intelligence can still be released, streamed, and sold in France. It can no longer, however, enter the official charts published by the SNEP, France’s recorded music trade group. Since May 2026, the organization has applied new eligibility requirements to distinguish AI-assisted music from recordings whose creative decisions were delegated to a machine.

The rules appear in the SNEP’s report on the French recorded music market for the first half of 2026. They amount neither to a distribution ban nor to a new copyright law. The organization sets the eligibility criteria for its own charts and those published with its partners. An excluded track can therefore remain available on a platform, provided it complies with the law, the distributor’s policies, and the terms of the service used to produce it.

The SNEP has adopted three main criteria. A recording must result from substantial human involvement. The use of generative AI must be disclosed to the public clearly and transparently. The service used must also be authorized and comply with the legal and regulatory framework applicable in France.

Additional requirements supplement the list. The track must respect copyright, neighboring rights, and personality rights. Its release must not violate the terms of the AI service used. There must also be no suspicion that its streams or chart position were manipulated.

The framework does not ban AI from music production. An artist may use it to write, compose, arrange, alter a voice, create a sound texture, or generate part of a recording. The track remains eligible if people continue to lead the creative process and their contribution reaches the required level.

Conversely, a generic instruction followed by the immediate release of the result would likely place a song in the fully synthetic category. The most difficult cases fall between these two extremes: a track directed through a long series of instructions, a generated voice singing human-written lyrics, a synthetic instrumental rearranged by a producer, or several generated outputs assembled into a final song.

The SNEP has not yet provided an operational definition of “substantial human involvement.” Its report specifies neither the expected proportion of human-made content, the number of changes required, nor the evidence a label must submit to demonstrate that contribution.

It also provides no list of services considered authorized. The term could refer to a tool legally available in France, but also to a service whose terms, training data, and features respect third-party rights. Without further guidance, the people reviewing tracks retain considerable room for interpretation.

The rules were developed with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI, and several SNEP counterparts abroad. They have already been applied to French charts for several weeks. Yacast, which monitors music played on radio and television, has announced their adoption across French airplay charts.

This initiative affects a market in which chart positions represent more than symbolic recognition. Rankings influence media coverage, programming decisions, platform promotion, brand negotiations, and the commercial value of a catalog. Excluding a track does not make it unavailable, but it removes a public indicator that can accelerate its reach.

The growing weight of streaming makes that distinction more significant. The French recorded music market generated €448.9 million before tax during the first half of 2026, up 3.5% year over year. Digital formats now account for 81% of revenue.

Audio streaming subscriptions generated €291.5 million, an increase of 7.5%. They account for 65% of all physical and digital revenue. Ad-supported audio streaming grew by 5.1%, while revenue from video platforms fell by 11.9%.

The physical market declined by 3.4%. CD sales fell by 14.4%, while vinyl gained 5.8% to reach €49.3 million, keeping it ahead of CDs by value.

French productions accounted for 72% of the first half’s Top 200 Albums and occupied the chart’s first four positions. They also represented 76% of streams in the Top 200 Streaming chart, up three percentage points from the previous year. The SNEP therefore operates in an environment where its rankings both measure the market and make local productions more visible.

To support its distinction between assistance and full generation, the organization refers to work led by Alexandra Bensamoun for France’s Superior Council for Literary and Artistic Property, or CSPLA. Presented on July 9, 2026, the 132-page report examines the status of AI-generated content under French and European law.

The report establishes two main categories. A hybrid production retains active human involvement. It can become a copyright-protected hybrid creation if it embodies free and creative choices reflecting its author’s personality. A synthetic production is generated without meaningful human involvement and falls outside copyright protection because it has no human creator.

Using AI does not therefore automatically remove all protection. The law considers neither the artistic quality of the result nor the nature of the tool used. It examines whether a person genuinely directed the creation and whether that direction can be found in the final work.

The CSPLA argues that existing rules are sufficient. It advises against creating a new category of work or a copyright regime designed specifically for hybrid productions. Originality remains subject to the same principle as other creations: the result must bear the imprint of personal choices.

The report identifies three stages at which originality may arise: before generation, during the process, or after the content has been produced. A convincing contribution at any one of these stages may be enough, provided it remains identifiable in the result.

Before generation, a person may design a precise artistic project, define a structure, write lyrics, prepare a