Rights Handling for AI-Generated Music Enters a Practical Phase — Under the 'AI Promotion Act,' Distribution Platforms Advance Commercial-Use Rights and Credit Attribution in 2026

Rights handling around AI-generated music is being organized as a practical issue. In Japan, a legal framework is taking shape under the AI Promotion Act enacted in May 2025, and distribution platforms are concretizing how they treat commercial-use rights and credit attribution. It is a development affecting both the production floor and rights practice.

Under current copyright law, 'music generated by AI alone,' without recognized human creative involvement, is treated as not eligible for copyright. Where humans are creatively involved through prompt design or editing, the work may become eligible for protection. Major services such as Suno and Udio increasingly grant commercial-use rights for generated tracks to paid-plan users.

Japan has continued to operate around non-binding guidelines rather than comprehensive regulation like the EU's AI Act. The AI Promotion Act enacted in May 2025 is a framework that champions promoting research, development, and use, and it serves as a reference point for considering the premises of rights handling in music as well.

As commercial use of AI-generated material spreads, it becomes important for creators to be able to explain 'how far humans were involved.' Records of prompt design and editing carry practical meaning for organizing where rights reside.

Strengthening credit attribution and AI countermeasures on distribution platforms works in the direction of protecting the legitimate contributions of human creators. At the same time, free-tier generated tracks often do not permit commercial use, so checking the terms of service is essential.

From ZEN's editorial perspective, even when using AI as a production tool, carefully handling where rights reside and organizing credits leads to long-term stability in one's activities. At ZEN CREATIVE LAB, we value sharing the basics of rights handling so registered artists can create and distribute with peace of mind.

Sources: Musicman, Agency for Cultural Affairs materials, various legal commentaries, and others