AI Song Hits #1 on Billboard: What Songwriters Should Know

AI Chart Success on Billboard Country Chart Sparks Controversy

An AI-generated country song called "Walk My Walk" by the artificial artist Breaking Rust hit number one on Billboard's Country Digital Song Sales chart, marking a historic first for an AI creation, sparking significant debate in the music industry over authenticity, artist rights, and the future of music production.

Who Is Breaking Rust?

AI-generated image representing the artist, courtesy of Wikipedia.
Breaking Rust is a computer-generated, outlaw blues-country singer created by Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor.
Hear: Walk My Walk YouTube 🌐↗.

What Does This AI Success Change for Songwriters?

Short answer: Hardly anything.

Despite Breaking Rust hitting #1 on a Billboard digital sales chart, none of the major industry gatekeepers—publishers, PROs, record labels, or sync agencies—have shifted their rules or attitudes in favor of fully AI-generated songs. In fact, if anything, the event intensified caution.

Here's the most up-to-date picture based on all publicly available industry statements, legal guidelines, and professional feedback through early 2025:

1. Publishers: Still Not Accepting AI-Written Songs

No major publisher (Sony/ATV, Universal, Warner Chappell, Big Machine, etc.) has announced any shift toward accepting AI-generated songs. Their internal teams remain:

wary of copyright vulnerability
concerned about plagiarism exposure
focused on human songwriter development

The Breaking Rust event didn't reassure them—it confirmed the risk: AI can produce work similar to existing artists without permission, which is a legal minefield.

Publisher stance today:

Only human-written or human-rewritten songs will be considered.

2. Sync/Licensing Agencies: Still Rejecting Fully AI-Generated Music

Sync houses and libraries remain stricter than publishers because they deal with:

brand liability
lawsuits over unlicensed likenesses
music that must be "clearable"

Even a hint of AI-generated vocals, likeness, or melody similarity to a known artist can result in a catalogue being rejected.

Sync stance today:

Fully AI-generated songs remain high-risk and are not accepted by reputable sync agencies.
Humanized, rewritten, re-performed, and re-produced versions may be accepted if the AI footprint is entirely removed.

3. PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SOCAN): Now Accept Partially AI-Generated Works — But Still Require Human Authorship

Performing rights organizations have updated their registration rules, but the core requirement has not changed. All major PROs now allow songs that include AI-assisted material, but they still require:

human authorship
human creative input
accurate attribution of what the human contributed

ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN have all stated variations of:

"AI is not a songwriter. Only humans can be listed as authors."

PRO stance today:

AI may assist, but the human must create, revise, and finalize the copyright-eligible portions of the work.
Fully AI-generated songs are still not eligible for PRO registration or royalties.

➡️ Essential Reading: ASCAP, BMI & SOCAN Update AI Song Policies: What You Must Know

4. Copyright Office: AI Output Alone Still NOT Copyrightable

After its March 2023 and February 2024 statements on AI, plus numerous case reviews, the U.S. Copyright Office remains firm:

AI output alone is not protectable
Human revisions can be protected
Registrations will be judged on a case-by-case basis
Prompting does not count as authorship

The Breaking Rust event triggered renewed media attention, but the Copyright Office did not respond with new guidance; therefore, the rules remain the same.

So What Does Breaking Rust Actually Mean for Songwriters?

Here is the honest, practical interpretation:

1. You STILL need human singers and musicians for professional demos.

Why?

AI vocals are not "cleared" for commercial use
AI voices risk imitating specific artists
Publishers and sync houses reject AI vocals on sight

AI vocals are great for personal demos, idea testing, or work tracks—but not for pitching.

2. You STILL need to rewrite AI lyrics and melodies.

Breaking Rust does not signal an industry shift.

It signals a consumer curiosity novelty bump, not professional acceptance.

Human rewriting is still essential to:

eliminate AI-generated plagiarism risks
smooth phrasing, structure, and emotional flow
create clear copyrightable authorship

3. You STILL need human creativity to get signed or synced.

Labels, publishers, and licensors value:

authenticity
human storytelling
unique artistic identity

AI cannot give them that because AI cannot own rights or reliably create original content.

4. The industry now sees AI as a tool, not a replacement.

Even after this chart event, the consensus is:

"AI is here to assist creators, not replace them."

This will remain the stance until:

the law changes (unlikely soon)
ownership issues are resolved
artist likeness rights are legally protected

Right now, everything is still legally unstable.

The Bottom Line for Songwriters:

The success of Breaking Rust doesn't change much about what songwriters must do if they want to retain ownership of their song compositions.

You can use AI for brainstorming and idea generation, but you cannot skip human involvement.

You still must:

revise AI lyrics
restructure melodies
re-perform vocals
replace AI instrumental parts
document your human contributions
submit only human-authored content to publishers and sync
only human-authored work is eligible for copyright; therefore, the majority of lyric and melody compositions must be performed by a human

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