Bandcamp bans AI-generated music from its platform

Bandcamp has introduced a new policy barring music created with AI tools from being sold on its platform.

In a statement released yesterday (January 13), the music distribution service said it is “fortifying its mission” in response to the rise of AI-generated music, with the aim of ensuring that artists can “keep making music, and so that fans have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans”.

Under the updated rules, any music produced “wholly or in a substantial part” using AI tools will no longer be allowed. The policy also makes clear that the use of AI to mimic specific artists or musical styles is “strictly prohibited”, aligning with Bandcamp’s “existing policies prohibiting impersonation and intellectual property infringement.”

The company has encouraged its community to flag any releases suspected of being AI-generated, noting that it “reserves the right to remove any music on suspicion of being AI-generated.”

Explaining the reasoning behind the move, Bandcamp said: “We believe that the human connection found through music is a vital part of our society and culture,” adding that “music is much more than a product to be consumed. It’s the result of a human cultural dialog stretching back before the written word.”

The statement concludes: “With this policy, we’re putting human creativity first, and we will be sure to communicate any updates to the policy as the rapidly changing generative AI space develops.”

Bandcamp’s full statement, titled Keep Bandcamp Human, is available to read in full here.