APRA AMCOS and SOCAN have issued a joint statement during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Australia, urging governments to ensure songwriters and composers are protected as Artificial Intelligence reshapes the global creative economy.
by Paul Cashmere
A new push to protect the rights of songwriters and composers in the age of Artificial Intelligence has been launched by APRA AMCOS and Canada’s SOCAN, as leaders from the two nations meet in Australia to discuss cooperation across emerging technologies.
The joint statement comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Australia and holds discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about strengthening ties between the two countries. Both governments have identified Artificial Intelligence as a key area where middle-sized economies must collaborate to shape the global framework rather than simply adapt to rules set elsewhere.
Representatives from the music sector say the creative industries will be one of the most important testing grounds for those policies.
Between them, APRA AMCOS and SOCAN represent close to 400,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Canada. The organisations argue that decisions made now about how Artificial Intelligence systems are trained and licensed will determine whether artists share in the economic benefits generated by new technologies.
SOCAN Chief Executive Jennifer Brown is in Sydney this week attending the CISAC Board of Directors meeting, hosted by APRA AMCOS. The meeting has brought together senior representatives from global creator societies to discuss how copyright frameworks should evolve as Artificial Intelligence systems increasingly rely on vast libraries of music, text and imagery for training.
In the statement, the organisations said the creative economy sits at the centre of the debate about how Artificial Intelligence should be governed. They argue that innovation and creator protection should not be treated as opposing forces, instead describing them as mutually dependent.
Australia has already taken an early position in the debate by rejecting proposals that would allow Artificial Intelligence developers to train systems using copyrighted works without permission. Instead, policymakers are examining licensing models that would require consent and compensation for creators whose works are used.
Canada is engaged in similar discussions. The two music organisations say the parallel policy approaches create an opportunity for both nations to build a coordinated framework that balances technological progress with cultural sustainability.
For music creators, the stakes are significant. Artificial Intelligence systems can already generate music, lyrics and sound recordings by analysing vast datasets of existing works. Industry bodies say that without clear rules around consent and remuneration, the economic value generated by these technologies could concentrate in the hands of a small number of global technology platforms.
APRA AMCOS and SOCAN say a sustainable model would involve direct partnerships between technology companies and the creative sector. Key principles outlined in their statement include consent before works are used for training, transparency around the material being accessed by Artificial Intelligence systems and fair financial returns for creators.
Both organisations point out that the music industry has successfully navigated major technological shifts before, from the introduction of broadcast radio through to the digital streaming era. Licensing systems developed by collecting societies have played a central role in ensuring creators receive payment as new formats emerge.
Artificial Intelligence, they argue, should follow the same path.
Another issue raised in the statement is the protection of Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property. Both Australia and Canada are home to First Nations communities with long traditions of song, language and storytelling. The organisations warn that Artificial Intelligence systems are already scraping cultural materials without permission, creating risks for communities whose heritage has historically been exploited without recognition or control.
They say the treatment of Indigenous knowledge will be a critical test of whether Artificial Intelligence governance frameworks genuinely reflect commitments made by governments to respect First Nations cultures.
APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston and SOCAN Chief Executive Jennifer Brown said the collaboration between Australia and Canada offers an opportunity to establish a model for other countries.
Both nations are already recognised globally for education systems, democratic institutions and innovation capacity. The music organisations believe a coordinated approach to Artificial Intelligence and culture could become another defining area of leadership.
For the global music community, the outcome of these discussions may help determine whether Artificial Intelligence evolves as a partner to human creativity or a system that extracts value from it without recognition.
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