Music, copyright & AI · Checklist
Before you release an AI-assisted track
Document who made what, check samples and voices, and review the terms that apply to your release.
Keep a record of your creative work
Save dated lyric drafts, demos, project files, stems and versions of the mix. Note which parts people wrote, performed, arranged or edited, and which parts a tool generated. Keep the tool name, version and the terms that applied when you made the material. The record helps explain how the track was made; it does not settle who owns every right.
Check samples, voices and inputs
List any beats, loops, samples, uploaded recordings, or synthetic or imitated voices you used. Locate the permissions or licences for those materials and check what they cover. If you cannot confirm permission for something you intend to release, flag it for review or consider replacing it.
Put splits and permissions in writing
Identify the contributors to the song and to the recording. Discuss songwriting shares, ownership of the master, credits, producer payments and who can approve licences or later uses. Confirm the agreement in writing before the release.
Review the terms for the actual release
Check the AI tool’s terms for your account tier and creation date, then compare them with the distributor’s requirements. Look at commercial use, disclosure, rights warranties, exclusivity and any limits on content identification or monetization. An AI tool’s permission to use an output is a different question from whether you have cleared the third-party material in it.
Your checklist
- Dated drafts, project files and an account of human contributions
- List of samples, voices and other third-party material
- Licences, permissions and contributor agreements
- AI tool terms and distributor requirements
- Release date and any unresolved rights or disclosure questions
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Official references
Trademarks & Copyright services · Browse all Soundmark resources
General information, not legal advice. Booking a call does not extend a deadline or retain the firm.
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The free 15-minute introductory call is for understanding the issue, identifying any known deadline, and deciding whether the matter is a fit. If you need a document review or legal assessment, we’ll discuss scope and fees before work begins.
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