The South African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) now requires members to indicate the degree of artificial intelligence involvement when registering a composition. However, the organization does not establish a minimum threshold for human contribution, and such information 'does not constitute a determination of copyright or royalty entitlement,' TechCentral reported.
This requirement is a reaction by Samro to a member survey conducted in April, where 89.2% of 502 respondents insisted on developing legislation to protect AI. Samro is exploring the possibility of creating a more comprehensive policy, but no specific timeline for its implementation has been confirmed.
The television and radio broadcasting corporation SABC is also approaching the issue cautiously. In June, Mmoni Ngubane, head of communications, told the publication Sowetan that the public broadcaster's stations 'are avoiding the broadcast of fully AI-generated works until clear legal frameworks are established.' When TechCentral asked if this applied to AI-created music, Ngubane clarified that this stance reflects SABC's 'current editorial approach' and 'is not a final organizational policy.'
She added that the line between work created by AI and work created with AI remains a subject of discussion for the entire industry. Until this work is completed, they cannot set firm rules regarding AI-generated music.
Example of AI Use in Alberton
Justin Erasmus, a producer from Alberton who founded AlgoRythm Hybrid Music Production in 2023, creates AI-assisted music under the pseudonym Prismatic Wave, which he created as a 'hybrid artist.' In his communication to TechCentral, he presented his product as 'registered, legitimate music, not a novelty.'
Under pressure, he stated that he obtained membership in Samro and Sampra, the South African Performing Rights Association, presenting his production process and explaining 'significant human intervention in my process.' To date, he has registered only one composition. He emphasized that 'membership approval and registration of individual works are different matters, and I do not want to imply that every composition was registered or approved.'
Samro noted that it does not comment on the status of individual members, but in principle, membership 'itself is not confirmation of the copyright status of any specific work or approval of a specific music creation process.'
Erasmus sent one song to 5FM playlist managers in December 2025 but received no response. Ngubane explained that SABC's music selection committees evaluate submissions using data such as songwriting and production details, which she called 'editorial judgment, not a scientific test.' She also stated that rejection from a playlist 'should not be considered related to AI,' and SABC 'is happy to interact directly with Mr. Erasmus regarding the status of his application.'
First AI Album
Erasmus also claims to have released the first AI-generated album in South Africa. Both Spotify and Apple Music date his 12-track hip-hop album, 'Echo Of The Streets,' to February 11, 2025. This was more than seven months before the release of the first AI-generated Amapiano album by Gita Lubele, which Spotify dates to September 30, 2025. However, Lubele's recording was presented as the first AI album in a specific genre: IOL reported in October 2025 that he made history with the 'first AI-generated amapiano album' in the country.
Erasmus began experimenting with AI music generators in early 2024, when 'the result was mediocre at best.' His central tool in the workflow is Suno, and recently, his Suno Studio workstation.
He outlines his method in a six-page technical document self-published on Academia.edu. He writes the rough lyrics himself and then uses AI to analyze their structure, rhyme, and syllables, after which 'Erasmus rewrites everything.' The document states that one song usually requires eight to fifteen different instrumental versions, and complex tracks require twenty or more.
He stressed: 'It is necessary to understand musical instruments, their characteristics, and how they work together to achieve the desired rhythm, arrangement, and sound. One cannot rely on a general prompt to replace this understanding.'
In his view, music created 'with the click of a button or a simple prompt' is low quality, and songs created exclusively by AI 'will never have emotions. That is impossible. It is a machine.'
Nevertheless, his own output is impressive: he has released 11 albums, five EPs, and 20 singles in 13 months. He noted that most tracks take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour after he defines the creative direction, although some took days.
Regarding rights ownership, Erasmus stated that Suno's paid plans grant commercial usage rights for relevant outputs, but 'commercial permission does not automatically guarantee copyright protection.'
This protection is being contested. Three major record labels sued Suno in 2024. Warner Music Group settled the dispute in November 2025 and signed a licensing agreement, and in September, Suno presented models v6 developed jointly with Warner, BMG, and Believe. On September 18, Universal and Sony filed another lawsuit against Suno, claiming that v6 is 'fruit of the same poisoned tree.' Suno called this lawsuit 'fundamentally flawed both factually and legally.'
AI Flood
Streaming platforms are facing a sharp increase in the amount of AI-generated music. Deezer reported in July that during the peak period of June, fully AI-generated tracks exceeded 50% of daily uploads, reaching nearly 90,000 per day, yet they accounted for only 1–3% of streams.
In Australia, charts now ban fully AI-generated music. Locally, the Amapiano track 'Suka!' by Rei Gopane, released in December 2025, reached tenth place on Apple Music South Africa by the end of January, according to Scrolla, with some listeners finding it 'too mechanical, especially the vocals.'
Sunday Times later reported that the track reached the number one spot on the Apple Music South Africa Top 100. Erasmus stated that listeners 'deserve transparency,' and disclosure should explain 'whether it includes vocals, instrumentation, lyrics, or other production elements.'
The Apple Music page for the album 'Echo Of The Streets' does not mention AI. When asked if AI-generated music can be considered art, he replied: 'The tool itself does not make something art, but it does not exclude it either.'