BMI, ASCAP, & SOCAN Update Their AI Rules: How to Make Your Songs Qualify

PROs Allow Some AI Elements, But There's a Catch

Three major performance rights organizations (PROs) have officially aligned their rules on AI-generated music, and while the update finally gives some direction, it still leaves plenty of confusion for everyday songwriters. However, there is good news for songwriters who incorporate AI into their writing or production. You can use AI in your writing process. But there is a catch. Your human creativity still has to do the majority of the work.

Here's what the new rules actually mean, and how to make sure your songs qualify for registration and royalties.

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What the PROs Are Now Allowing

On October 28, 2025, ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN clarified in a joint statement that they will accept registrations for partially AI-generated songs. In plain English, this means your song is eligible as long as:

• You wrote or rewrote the melody
• You crafted the lyrics
• You shaped the structure, arrangement, or emotional expression
• AI was used as a tool, not the author

If an AI system generated all the lyrics, all the melody, or the majority of the creative expression, the song does not qualify. The PROs make it clear: fully AI-generated works cannot be registered because there is no human author.

SESAC's Position for Songwriters

Currently, SESAC has not published an official policy on how it will handle AI-generated or AI-assisted music registrations. What we do know is that SESAC advocates for strong protections for human creators and has publicly supported legislation aimed at preventing unauthorized AI training. Even without a formal rule, it's reasonable to expect SESAC to adhere to the same core principle as other PROs: your song must feature genuine, meaningful human authorship.

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Why This Mirrors Copyright Rules

This update lines up almost exactly with what the U.S. Copyright Office already says:

AI is allowed as part of the process, but human authorship is required for protection and royalties. No exceptions.

The PROs also point out an important fact: if an AI model was trained on copyrighted music without permission, that's not "fair use." That's infringement. While this doesn't prevent you from using AI tools, it does place the responsibility on you to choose platforms that use transparent, legal training data.

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So What Makes a Song "Human Enough" to Qualify?

This is the biggest question, and the update doesn't provide a percentage, a formula, or a threshold. Instead, the PROs use phrases like "meaningful human contribution" and "substantial authorship."

For everyday songwriters, this means:

If AI wrote something, you must rewrite it, transform it, or replace it until the creative decisions belong to you.

Think of AI as a rough draft generator, not a co-writer.

Here are some safe examples of qualifying human authorship:

• Taking an AI melody and reshaping the contour, rhythm, phrasing, or emotion
• Rewriting AI-suggested lyrics into your own story, voice, or style
• Building your own arrangement, hook, or chord progression around a loose AI idea
• Completely rewriting a chorus or verse generated by AI

If what's on the page or in the recording isn't truly yours, the song won't qualify.

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Practical Steps to Make Sure Your Songs Pass the New Rules

If you've used AI at any point in your writing process, follow these steps to stay safe and keep your songs eligible:

1. Put your fingerprints on everything.

Rewrite lyrics. Adjust melodies. Change structure. Make choices only a human can make.

2. Keep your drafts and notes.

Save lyric versions, voice memos, scratch recordings, and rewrites. If there's ever a challenge, you'll have proof of authorship.

3. Choose the right AI tools.

Use programs that provide transparency and legal clarity about their training data. This matters more than ever.

4. Don't let AI dominate the creative process.

Use AI for inspiration, not final output. If your final song sounds like a raw AI export, rewrite it until it feels like your own.

5. Register honestly.

Only list yourself as the writer if you truly wrote the song. Claims of full authorship over an AI-generated work can create serious legal problems.

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The Bottom Line for Songwriters

The new rules don't shut out creators using AI; they reinforce what songwriters already know: your voice, your craft, and your emotional truth matter more than ever. As long as you write the melody, shape the lyrics, and build the song's creative expression, your work qualifies.

Use AI for sparks.

Use AI for ideas.

But let the final song reflect your talent, your decisions, and your creativity.

That's what the PROs are asking for, and that's what keeps your music protected.

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