{"id":8932,"date":"2026-07-07T14:27:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T12:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/?page_id=8932"},"modified":"2026-07-10T14:23:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T12:23:44","slug":"ai-music-copyright","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/ai-music-copyright\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Music Copyright 2026: Can You Own an AI Song?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"8932\" class=\"elementor elementor-8932\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af2fd64 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"af2fd64\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b2d43a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"b2d43a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en\">\n<head>\n  <meta charset=\"utf-8\" \/>\n  <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1\" \/>\n  <title>AI Music Copyright 2026: Can You Own an AI Song?<\/title>\n  <meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can you copyright an AI-generated song? The real cases (Zarya of the Dawn, Thaler v. Perlmutter), what's protectable, and how to prove your human input.\" \/>\n  <!-- FIX CRITIQUE : le canonical pointait vers \/ai-generated-music-copyright\/ alors que la page vit sur \/ai-music-copyright\/ -->\n  <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/ai-music-copyright\/\" \/>\n  <meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index,follow,max-snippet:-1,max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n  <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n  <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI Music Copyright 2026: Can You Own an AI Song?\" \/>\n  <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/ai-music-copyright\/\" \/>\n\n  <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n  {\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\n  \"headline\":\"AI Music Copyright 2026: Can You Own an AI Song?\",\n  \"description\":\"Complete guide on AI music copyright: human authorship requirement, key cases (Zarya of the Dawn, Thaler v. Perlmutter), the Suno\/Udio lawsuits explained, and how to document your creative contribution.\",\n  \"url\":\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/ai-music-copyright\/\",\n  \"inLanguage\":\"en\",\n  \"datePublished\":\"2026-05-01\",\n  \"dateModified\":\"2026-07-10\",\n  \"author\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"TuneLockr\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\"},\n  \"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"TuneLockr\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\"}}\n  <\/script>\n\n  <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n  {\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\n  \"itemListElement\":[\n    {\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"TuneLockr\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/\"},\n    {\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"AI Music Copyright\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/ai-music-copyright\/\"}\n  ]}\n  <\/script>\n\n  <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n  {\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can you copyright an AI-generated song?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It depends on how much human creative input went into it. A song generated entirely by AI from a generic prompt, with no human selection, arrangement, or editing, is not eligible for copyright protection under current US, EU, and UK guidance. But if a human made meaningful creative decisions \u2014 writing lyrics, arranging the structure, selecting between variations, editing the output \u2014 those human-authored portions can be protected.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between AI-generated and AI-assisted music?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"AI-generated music has no meaningful human creative input \u2014 a prompt goes in, a finished track comes out with no human editing or selection. AI-assisted music involves a human making real creative decisions on top of AI output: writing or rewriting lyrics, arranging sections, choosing between generated variants, editing the production. The human-authored portions of AI-assisted music can be copyrighted; purely AI-generated output generally cannot.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What did the Zarya of the Dawn case establish?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In February 2023, the US Copyright Office granted copyright protection to the text and overall arrangement of an AI-illustrated comic book called Zarya of the Dawn, while denying protection for the individual AI-generated images themselves. The case established a clear precedent: human-selected and human-arranged elements of a work can be protected even when other elements were generated by AI without meaningful human input.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are the Suno and Udio lawsuits about who owns AI music?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. The RIAA lawsuits against Suno and Udio, along with lawsuits from GEMA and Koda, are about training data infringement \u2014 whether these companies had the right to train their AI models on copyrighted recordings without a license. This is a separate legal question from whether an individual song you create with AI tools can be copyrighted. The two issues are often confused but they are legally distinct.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How can I prove I made meaningful creative contributions to an AI-assisted song?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Document your creative process as you go: your prompts, your selections between AI-generated variants, your edits, arrangements, and any lyrics or melodies you wrote yourself. TuneLockr lets you timestamp each version and each file \u2014 your prompt notes, your edited stems, your final arrangement \u2014 creating a dated record of exactly what you contributed and when.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does the US Copyright Office allow registration of AI-assisted music?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, but only for the human-authored elements. The Office's Copyrightability Report, published January 29, 2025, confirms that copyright requires human authorship, and applicants must disclose AI-generated content in their registration application. If you can identify and document the specific human creative contributions in an AI-assisted work, those elements may be registrable, while the purely AI-generated portions are not.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can someone else claim my AI-assisted song as their own?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"If the song has no documented human authorship, its legal status is genuinely uncertain \u2014 which cuts both ways. You may not be able to enforce exclusive rights over it, but neither can anyone else automatically claim it as theirs. The safest approach is to maximize and document your own human creative input, and timestamp that contribution before you share or release the work.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do streaming platforms treat AI music differently?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. Spotify adopted the DDEX standard for AI disclosure in September 2025, requiring standardized metadata labeling AI involvement, and has removed tens of millions of tracks classified as low-effort AI-generated content. A criminal case in 2026 involving Michael Smith, who used bots to stream over 200,000 AI-generated songs billions of times, has accelerated platform scrutiny of undisclosed AI content.\"}},\n    {\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What should I timestamp if I use AI tools to make music?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Timestamp every stage where you made a creative decision: your original lyrics or melody ideas before using AI, your selected prompt and the variants you chose between, your edited or rearranged output, your final mixed and mastered version. 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href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/\">TuneLockr<\/a> \u2192 <strong style=\"color:var(--txt)\">AI Music Copyright<\/strong><\/div><\/div>\n\n<section class=\"hero\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <div class=\"badge\">\ud83e\udd16 TuneLockr \u2014 16,489 creators protected<\/div>\n    <h1>AI Music Copyright:<br>Can You Actually <em>Own<\/em> It?<\/h1>\n    <p class=\"hero-sub\">AI tools can generate a track in seconds \u2014 but who owns it? Here's what US, EU and UK law actually says in 2026, the real cases that set the rules, and how to document the human creativity that makes your AI-assisted music legally yours.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"hero-rule\">\u2696\ufe0f The rule: pure AI output isn't protectable. Your human input is.<\/div>\n    <div class=\"hbtns\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/app.tunelockr.com\" class=\"btn-p\" rel=\"follow\">\ud83d\udd10 Protect my contribution \u2014 1st deposit free<\/a>\n      <a href=\"#how-it-works\" class=\"btn-s\">See how it works<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <p class=\"proof\">Tezos Blockchain \u00b7 eIDAS Standard \u00b7 170+ countries \u00b7 2 minutes \u00b7 No credit card<\/p>\n    <p class=\"byline\">Reviewed against U.S. Copyright Office guidance current as of July 2026.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"stats\">\n      <div class=\"stat\"><strong>16,489<\/strong><span>creators protected<\/span><\/div>\n      <div class=\"stat\"><strong>Feb 2023<\/strong><span>Zarya of the Dawn decision<\/span><\/div>\n      <div class=\"stat\"><strong>Jan 2025<\/strong><span>USCO Copyrightability Report<\/span><\/div>\n      <div class=\"stat\"><strong>170+<\/strong><span>countries recognized<\/span><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"toc\">\n      <div class=\"toc-title\">Jump to :<\/div>\n      <div class=\"toc-links\">\n        <a href=\"#why\" class=\"tl\">The real legal question<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#cases\" class=\"tl\">Key cases & timeline<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#real-situations\" class=\"tl\">Real situations<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#what-to-protect\" class=\"tl\">What can be protected<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#lawsuits\" class=\"tl\">Suno \/ Udio lawsuits<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#how-it-works\" class=\"tl\">How it works<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#when\" class=\"tl\">When to document<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#copyright\" class=\"tl\">Copyright rules<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#platforms\" class=\"tl\">Streaming platforms<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#faq\" class=\"tl\">FAQ<\/a>\n        <a href=\"#resources\" class=\"tl\">Resources<\/a>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec\" id=\"why\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">The real legal question<\/span>\n    <h2>\"AI music has no copyright\"<br>is <em>not<\/em> the full story<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\">The social media takes are wrong in both directions. It's not \"AI music is fully protected like anything else\" and it's not \"AI music has no copyright at all.\" The real answer depends on <strong>how much human creativity<\/strong> went into the track.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"alert\">\n      <h3 style=\"color:var(--rl);font-size:18px;margin-bottom:14px;font-weight:900\">\u26a0\ufe0f What most artists get wrong about AI music copyright<\/h3>\n      <div class=\"alert-grid\">\n        <div class=\"alert-item\"><h4>\"I used AI, so it's not protected\"<\/h4><p>Wrong if you made real creative choices \u2014 wrote lyrics, arranged the structure, selected and edited outputs. Those human contributions can be protected.<\/p><\/div>\n        <div class=\"alert-item\"><h4>\"I typed a prompt, so I own it\"<\/h4><p>Wrong if that's all you did. A generic prompt with no editing, arranging, or selection generally does not meet the human authorship bar in the US, EU, or UK.<\/p><\/div>\n        <div class=\"alert-item\"><h4>\"The Suno lawsuits mean AI music is illegal\"<\/h4><p>Wrong. Those lawsuits are about whether AI companies had the right to train on copyrighted songs \u2014 a separate question from whether your own track is copyrightable.<\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <p style=\"font-size:13px;color:rgba(251,191,191,.6)\">By 2026, the US, EU, and UK all maintain the same core principle: copyright requires human authorship. The question is never \"AI or not\" \u2014 it's \"how much of this did a human actually create?\"<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"g g2\" style=\"margin-top:24px\">\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\u2705<\/span>\n        <h4>What CAN be protected<\/h4>\n        <ul class=\"ck\" style=\"font-size:14px;margin-top:8px\">\n          <li>Lyrics you wrote yourself, even with AI-generated music<\/li>\n          <li>An arrangement or structure you built from AI-generated elements<\/li>\n          <li>Edits, remixes, and rearrangements of AI output<\/li>\n          <li>Your selection between multiple AI-generated variants<\/li>\n          <li>Melodies or toplines you composed on top of an AI backing track<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\u274c<\/span>\n        <h4>What generally CANNOT be protected<\/h4>\n        <ul class=\"xl\" style=\"font-size:14px;margin-top:8px\">\n          <li>A track generated from a generic prompt with zero editing<\/li>\n          <li>Output where no human made a meaningful creative decision<\/li>\n          <li>The specific style or \"sound\" of an AI model itself<\/li>\n          <li>Elements copied or closely derived from existing copyrighted works<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"bx bo\" style=\"margin-top:16px\">\n      <p><strong>Bottom line:<\/strong> the more documented human creativity in your process, the stronger your position. This is where <strong>timestamped proof<\/strong> of your contribution becomes essential \u2014 not just for disputes with others, but to establish what you actually authored.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- NOUVELLE SECTION : cas juridiques r\u00e9els, ajout\u00e9e pour l'autorit\u00e9 et l'E-E-A-T -->\n<section class=\"sec sec-alt\" id=\"cases\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">Key cases & timeline<\/span>\n    <h2>The real cases that <em>set<\/em><br>these rules<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\">This isn't abstract policy \u2014 it's built on specific registration decisions and court rulings you can point to.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tw\">\n      <table>\n        <thead><tr><th>Date<\/th><th>Case \/ event<\/th><th>What it established<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr><td>Feb 2023<\/td><td><strong>Zarya of the Dawn<\/strong> registration decision<\/td><td>Text and arrangement of an AI-illustrated comic granted copyright; individual AI-generated images denied \u2014 human-selected elements protected, machine-generated ones not<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>2023\u20132025<\/td><td><strong>Thaler v. Perlmutter<\/strong><\/td><td>Confirmed a work with no human author at all (AI acting alone, no human claimant) cannot be registered under any circumstances<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>Jul 31, 2024<\/td><td>USCO <strong>Part 1 report<\/strong> published<\/td><td>Addresses digital replicas \u2014 realistic AI replication of a person's voice or likeness<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>Jan 29, 2025<\/td><td>USCO <strong>Part 2 report<\/strong> published<\/td><td>Directly addresses copyrightability of generative AI outputs \u2014 the core guidance this page is based on<\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td>March 2026<\/td><td><strong>Michael Smith<\/strong> pleads guilty<\/td><td>First criminal AI music fraud case in the US: 200,000+ AI-generated songs streamed billions of times via bot accounts, ~$8M extracted from royalty pools<\/td><\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"bx bo\" style=\"margin-top:14px\">\n      <p><strong>What's still coming:<\/strong> the Copyright Office has signaled a further report on AI training data and licensing is in progress \u2014 that's the part most relevant to the Suno\/Udio training lawsuits, a separate question covered in our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/was-my-music-used-to-train-ai\/\">whether your own music was used to train an AI<\/a>.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec\" id=\"real-situations\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">Real situations<\/span>\n    <h2>Real situations AI-assisted<br>creators face <em>today<\/em><\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\">These are the actual scenarios independent artists run into when using AI tools in their creative process.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"g g3\">\n      <div class=\"story\">\n        <div class=\"story-label\">\ud83c\udfb9 Producer situation<\/div>\n        <p>A producer generates an instrumental with an AI tool, then spends hours rearranging sections, adding live elements, and mixing. <strong>Is any of it protectable?<\/strong> The arrangement and mix likely are \u2014 the raw AI output likely isn't.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"story\">\n        <div class=\"story-label\">\u270d\ufe0f Songwriter situation<\/div>\n        <p>A songwriter writes full lyrics and a melody, then uses AI to generate a backing arrangement. <strong>The lyrics and melody are clearly human-authored<\/strong> \u2014 documenting that split matters if a dispute ever arises.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"story\">\n        <div class=\"story-label\">\ud83d\udea8 The fraud case<\/div>\n        <p>Michael Smith generated over 200,000 AI songs and used roughly 10,000 bot accounts to stream them billions of times, extracting an estimated $8 million from royalty pools meant for real artists. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in March 2026.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"bx bg\" style=\"margin-top:20px\">\n      <p><strong>The solution is simple:<\/strong> timestamp your creative process as you go \u2014 your written lyrics, your selected variants, your edited stems, your final arrangement. TuneLockr turns that process into dated, verifiable proof.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec sec-alt\" id=\"what-to-protect\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">What can be protected<\/span>\n    <h2>Document every stage of<br>your <em>AI-assisted<\/em> workflow<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\">The goal isn't to protect the AI output itself \u2014 it's to create a dated record of exactly what you, the human, contributed and when.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tw\">\n      <table>\n        <thead><tr><th>What to document<\/th><th>Format<\/th><th>Why it matters<\/th><th>Protectability<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr><td><strong>Original lyrics \/ topline you wrote<\/strong><\/td><td>PDF, TXT<\/td><td>Fully human-authored, independent of any AI tool<\/td><td><span class=\"tgg\">Protectable<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>Your prompt + selected variant<\/strong><\/td><td>TXT, audio file<\/td><td>Shows your creative decision-making, even if generation was automated<\/td><td><span class=\"tga\">Supports your case<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>Edited \/ rearranged output<\/strong><\/td><td>WAV, DAW project<\/td><td>Documents your specific creative changes to the raw AI generation<\/td><td><span class=\"tgg\">Protectable<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>Final mixed and mastered version<\/strong><\/td><td>MP3, WAV, FLAC<\/td><td>The finished work incorporating all your human decisions<\/td><td><span class=\"tgg\">Protectable (human parts)<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>Raw, unedited AI output<\/strong><\/td><td>WAV, MP3<\/td><td>Establishes a clear \"before\" baseline versus your edited \"after\"<\/td><td><span class=\"tgr\">Not protectable alone<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"bx bo\" style=\"margin-top:14px\">\n      <p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> deposit the raw AI output <em>and<\/em> your edited version separately. Having both, timestamped in sequence, makes your specific creative contribution unambiguous.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec\" id=\"lawsuits\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">Suno \/ Udio lawsuits explained<\/span>\n    <h2>Two <em>different<\/em> legal questions<br>keep getting mixed up<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\">The headlines about Suno and Udio are about a completely different issue than whether your own AI-assisted song is copyrightable. Here's the distinction.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"g g2\">\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <h4 style=\"color:var(--rl);margin-bottom:10px\">\u2696\ufe0f Training copyright (the lawsuits)<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px;margin-bottom:8px\">The RIAA, representing major labels, sued Suno and Udio starting in 2024, alleging these platforms trained their AI models on copyrighted recordings without a license. Germany's GEMA and Denmark's Koda filed similar suits in 2025.<\/p>\n        <ul class=\"xl\" style=\"font-size:14px\">\n          <li>This is about what the AI company did to build its model<\/li>\n          <li>Not about who owns a song a user generates<\/li>\n          <li>Still working through US and European courts as of 2026<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <h4 style=\"color:var(--gl);margin-bottom:10px\">\ud83c\udfb5 Output ownership (your question)<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px;margin-bottom:8px\">Separately, courts and copyright offices ask: does the specific song <em>you<\/em> made with an AI tool qualify for copyright protection?<\/p>\n        <ul class=\"ck\" style=\"font-size:14px\">\n          <li>Depends on your human creative contribution<\/li>\n          <li>Applies regardless of which AI tool you used<\/li>\n          <li>Governed by human authorship requirements, not training disputes<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"bx bo\" style=\"margin-top:16px\">\n      <p><strong>Why this matters for you:<\/strong> even if an AI platform is being sued over its training data, that has no direct bearing on whether your finished, human-edited track can be protected. If you're wondering whether your own existing catalog was part of a training dataset, that's a related but different question \u2014 see our full guide: <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/was-my-music-used-to-train-ai\/\">Was My Music Used to Train AI?<\/a><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec sec-alt\" id=\"how-it-works\">\n  <div class=\"w tc\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">How TuneLockr works<\/span>\n    <h2>How to <em>document your<\/em><br>AI-assisted creative process<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\" style=\"margin:12px auto 0\">The fastest way to create a timestamped record of your human contribution \u2014 at every stage of an AI-assisted workflow.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"wn\" style=\"margin:32px auto 0;text-align:left\">\n      <div class=\"step\">\n        <div class=\"step-n\">1<\/div>\n        <div><h4>Write your lyrics or melody first, if possible<\/h4><p>Any original lyrics, topline, or melody you create independently of the AI tool is the clearest human-authored element. Deposit it before you touch any AI generation.<\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"step\">\n        <div class=\"step-n\">2<\/div>\n        <div><h4>Deposit the raw AI output<\/h4><p>Save and timestamp the unedited generation. This creates a clear baseline \"before\" \u2014 useful to show exactly what came from the tool versus what came from you.<\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"step\">\n        <div class=\"step-n\">3<\/div>\n        <div><h4>Edit, arrange, and rework the output<\/h4><p>Rearrange sections, edit stems, add live instrumentation, rewrite parts. This is where your creative authorship happens.<\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"step\">\n        <div class=\"step-n\">4<\/div>\n        <div><h4>Deposit your edited version<\/h4><p>Upload your reworked file to TuneLockr \u2014 a unique cryptographic fingerprint is generated and recorded on the Tezos blockchain, timestamped to the second.<\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"step\">\n        <div class=\"step-n\">5<\/div>\n        <div><h4>Receive your PDF certificate<\/h4><p>Timestamped, eIDAS-compliant certificate, valid for life in 170+ countries \u2014 documenting exactly when your specific version existed.<\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"w\">\n  <div class=\"cta-mid\">\n    <h3>\ud83c\udf81 Document your creative contribution \u2014 1st deposit free<\/h3>\n    <p>Tezos blockchain \u00b7 eIDAS standard \u00b7 Valid for life in 170+ countries \u00b7 2 minutes \u00b7 No credit card<\/p>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/app.tunelockr.com\" class=\"btn-p\" rel=\"follow\">Start protecting for free \u2192<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"sec\" id=\"when\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">When to document<\/span>\n    <h2>When to <em>timestamp<\/em> your work<br>in an AI-assisted workflow<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\">Every stage where you make a creative decision is worth documenting \u2014 before it gets lost in a folder of AI-generated variants.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"g g3\">\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\u270d\ufe0f<\/span>\n        <h4>Before using any AI tool<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px\">If you write lyrics or a melody idea first \u2014 deposit it. This is unambiguously human-authored, independent of anything generated later.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\ud83c\udf9b\ufe0f<\/span>\n        <h4>Right after generation<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px\">Deposit the raw AI output before editing. This baseline makes your later creative changes easy to demonstrate.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\u2702\ufe0f<\/span>\n        <h4>After each major edit<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px\">Rearranged the structure? Rewrote a section? Deposit that version. A sequence of dated versions tells the story of your authorship.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\ud83e\udd1d<\/span>\n        <h4>Before a collaboration<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px\">If you're combining AI-assisted elements with a collaborator's human contribution, deposit your part before the session to clarify who brought what.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\ud83d\udce4<\/span>\n        <h4>Before sending to a label or distributor<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px\">Labels and distributors increasingly ask about AI involvement. A documented creative process protects you either way.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <span class=\"ci\">\u25b6\ufe0f<\/span>\n        <h4>Before release on streaming<\/h4>\n        <p style=\"font-size:14px\">Before uploading to Spotify or Apple Music, deposit your final version \u2014 the one that incorporates all your human decisions.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec sec-alt\" id=\"copyright\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">Copyright rules explained<\/span>\n    <h2>AI music copyright :<br>the rules as they stand in <em>2026<\/em><\/h2>\n\n    <p>Copyright protection has always required human authorship \u2014 AI tools don't change that principle, they just make the line between \"human\" and \"not human\" harder to see. Here's how it breaks down.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"tw\" style=\"margin:16px 0\">\n      <table>\n        <thead><tr><th>Element<\/th><th>Human authorship required?<\/th><th>Typically protectable?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n        <tbody>\n          <tr><td><strong>Lyrics you wrote yourself<\/strong><\/td><td>Yes \u2014 and present<\/td><td><span class=\"tgg\">Yes<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>Melody or topline you composed<\/strong><\/td><td>Yes \u2014 and present<\/td><td><span class=\"tgg\">Yes<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>Your specific arrangement of AI output<\/strong><\/td><td>Yes \u2014 and present<\/td><td><span class=\"tgg\">Yes, for the arrangement<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>Your edits, mixing, mastering<\/strong><\/td><td>Yes \u2014 and present<\/td><td><span class=\"tgg\">Yes, for those elements<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>A single AI-generated take, unedited<\/strong><\/td><td>No meaningful human input<\/td><td><span class=\"tgr\">Generally no<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n          <tr><td><strong>The AI model's general \"style\"<\/strong><\/td><td>Not authorship at all<\/td><td><span class=\"tgr\">No \u2014 not an ownable element<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\n        <\/tbody>\n      <\/table>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <h3>How to strengthen your position as an AI-assisted creator<\/h3>\n    <div class=\"step\">\n      <div class=\"step-n\">1<\/div>\n      <div><h4>Maximize documented human input<\/h4><p>Write, edit, arrange, and rework as much as possible \u2014 and keep a record of each stage. The more human decision-making, the stronger your claim.<\/p><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"step\">\n      <div class=\"step-n\">2<\/div>\n      <div><h4>Timestamp each version with TuneLockr<\/h4><p>A dated, blockchain-anchored record of your process is the clearest evidence of what you actually created and when.<\/p><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"step\">\n      <div class=\"step-n\">3<\/div>\n      <div><h4>Register the human-authored elements with your PRO<\/h4><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ascap.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ASCAP<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmi.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BMI<\/a> (USA) \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prsformusic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PRS<\/a> (UK) \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacem.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SACEM<\/a> (France) \u2014 for the parts of the work that qualify.<\/p><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"step\">\n      <div class=\"step-n\">4<\/div>\n      <div><h4>Disclose AI involvement where required<\/h4><p>Some distributors and platforms now require AI disclosure metadata. Being transparent protects you from later disputes or takedowns.<\/p><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"bx bo\" style=\"margin-top:14px\">\n      <p><strong>Official sources:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Copyright Office \u2014 Copyright and AI<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/ai\/ai_policy_guidance.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Registration Guidance PDF<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/copyright\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO \u2014 Copyright<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/policies\/eidas-regulation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EU eIDAS Standard<\/a><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec\" id=\"platforms\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <span class=\"mini\">Streaming platforms<\/span>\n    <h2>How platforms handle<br><em>AI-generated<\/em> music<\/h2>\n    <p class=\"ssub\">Beyond copyright law, distribution platforms have their own rules \u2014 and they're getting stricter.<\/p>\n\n    <div class=\"g g2\">\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <h4 style=\"color:#fff;margin-bottom:10px\">\ud83d\udcca What's changing<\/h4>\n        <ul class=\"ck\" style=\"font-size:14px\">\n          <li>Standardized AI disclosure metadata (DDEX standard) adopted by major platforms since 2025<\/li>\n          <li>Automated detection of low-effort, purely AI-generated uploads<\/li>\n          <li>Tens of millions of tracks already removed as \"spammy\" AI content<\/li>\n          <li>The Michael Smith fraud case (March 2026) accelerated scrutiny of undisclosed AI content industry-wide<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"card\">\n        <h4 style=\"color:#fff;margin-bottom:10px\">\ud83d\udee1\ufe0f How to stay protected<\/h4>\n        <ul class=\"ck\" style=\"font-size:14px\">\n          <li>Keep records of your creative process, not just the final file<\/li>\n          <li>Disclose AI tool usage honestly in your metadata where required<\/li>\n          <li>Timestamp your human contributions independently of the platform<\/li>\n          <li>Don't rely on the platform's records as your only proof of authorship<\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"sec sec-alt\" id=\"faq\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <div class=\"tc\" style=\"margin-bottom:32px\">\n      <span class=\"mini\">FAQ<\/span>\n      <h2>Frequently asked questions<br>about <em>AI music copyright<\/em><\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"wn\" style=\"margin:0 auto\">\n      <div class=\"fl\">\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>Can you copyright an AI-generated song?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>It depends on how much human creative input went into it. A song generated entirely by AI from a generic prompt, with no human selection, arrangement, or editing, is not eligible for copyright protection under current US, EU, and UK guidance. But if a human made meaningful creative decisions \u2014 writing lyrics, arranging the structure, selecting between variations, editing the output \u2014 those human-authored portions can be protected. <a href=\"https:\/\/app.tunelockr.com\" rel=\"follow\">Start documenting your process free \u2192<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>What is the difference between AI-generated and AI-assisted music?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>AI-generated music has no meaningful human creative input \u2014 a prompt goes in, a finished track comes out with no human editing or selection. AI-assisted music involves a human making real creative decisions on top of AI output: writing or rewriting lyrics, arranging sections, choosing between generated variants, editing the production. The human-authored portions of AI-assisted music can be copyrighted; purely AI-generated output generally cannot.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>What did the Zarya of the Dawn case establish?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>In February 2023, the US Copyright Office granted copyright protection to the text and overall arrangement of an AI-illustrated comic book called Zarya of the Dawn, while denying protection for the individual AI-generated images themselves. The case established a clear precedent: human-selected and human-arranged elements of a work can be protected even when other elements were generated by AI without meaningful human input.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>Are the Suno and Udio lawsuits about who owns AI music?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>No. The RIAA lawsuits against Suno and Udio, along with lawsuits from GEMA and Koda, are about training data infringement \u2014 whether these companies had the right to train their AI models on copyrighted recordings without a license. This is a separate legal question from whether an individual song you create with AI tools can be copyrighted. See our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/was-my-music-used-to-train-ai\/\">whether your own catalog was used to train AI<\/a> for that side of things.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>How can I prove I made meaningful creative contributions to an AI-assisted song?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>Document your creative process as you go: your prompts, your selections between AI-generated variants, your edits, arrangements, and any lyrics or melodies you wrote yourself. TuneLockr lets you timestamp each version and each file \u2014 your prompt notes, your edited stems, your final arrangement \u2014 creating a dated record of exactly what you contributed and when.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>Does the US Copyright Office allow registration of AI-assisted music?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>Yes, but only for the human-authored elements. The Office's Copyrightability Report, published January 29, 2025, confirms that copyright requires human authorship, and applicants must disclose AI-generated content in their registration application. If you can identify and document the specific human creative contributions in an AI-assisted work, those elements may be registrable, while the purely AI-generated portions are not.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>Can someone else claim my AI-assisted song as their own?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>If the song has no documented human authorship, its legal status is genuinely uncertain \u2014 which cuts both ways. You may not be able to enforce exclusive rights over it, but neither can anyone else automatically claim it as theirs. The safest approach is to maximize and document your own human creative input, and timestamp that contribution before you share or release the work.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>Do streaming platforms treat AI music differently?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>Yes. Spotify adopted the DDEX standard for AI disclosure in September 2025, requiring standardized metadata labeling AI involvement, and has removed tens of millions of tracks classified as low-effort AI-generated content. A criminal case in 2026 involving Michael Smith, who used bots to stream over 200,000 AI-generated songs billions of times, has accelerated platform scrutiny of undisclosed AI content.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class=\"fi\"><button class=\"fq\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><span>What should I timestamp if I use AI tools to make music?<\/span><span class=\"fi2\">+<\/span><\/button><div class=\"fa\"><p>Timestamp every stage where you made a creative decision: your original lyrics or melody ideas before using AI, your selected prompt and the variants you chose between, your edited or rearranged output, your final mixed and mastered version. Each TuneLockr deposit creates a dated, verifiable record of that specific version and your contribution to it.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"w\">\n  <div class=\"cta-final\">\n    <h2>\ud83e\udd16 Your creative contribution<br>deserves real <em>proof.<\/em><\/h2>\n    <p>16,489 artists already protect their work with TuneLockr. Tezos blockchain, lifetime certificate, valid in 170+ countries. First deposit free \u2014 no credit card.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"hbtns\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/app.tunelockr.com\" class=\"btn-p\" rel=\"follow\">Protect my contribution now \u2192<\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/how-it-works\/\" class=\"btn-s\" rel=\"follow\">How it works<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <p class=\"proof\" style=\"margin-top:18px\">2 minutes \u00b7 No credit card \u00b7 Lifetime proof \u00b7 170+ countries<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"sec\">\n  <div class=\"w\">\n    <h2 style=\"font-size:clamp(20px,3vw,32px);margin-bottom:10px\">More resources to protect your music<\/h2>\n    <p style=\"color:var(--muted)\">Guides for every type of musical creation and every situation.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"mg\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/was-my-music-used-to-train-ai\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">AI training<\/div><h4>Was My Music Used to Train AI?<\/h4><p>The lawsuits, and how to check.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Read \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/how-to-protect-your-music\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">Guide<\/div><h4>How to Protect Your Music<\/h4><p>Complete 2026 guide.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Read \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/proof-of-music-ownership\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">Proof<\/div><h4>Proof of Music Ownership<\/h4><p>What counts as real evidence.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Read \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/music-plagiarism\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">Plagiarism<\/div><h4>Music Plagiarism<\/h4><p>How to prove your music is yours.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Read \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/how-to-protect-a-beat\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">Beats<\/div><h4>How to Protect a Beat<\/h4><p>Guide for producers.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Read \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/how-to-protect-song-lyrics\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">Lyrics<\/div><h4>How to Protect Song Lyrics<\/h4><p>Complete guide.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Read \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/how-to-copyright-a-song-on-youtube\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">YouTube<\/div><h4>Copyright a Song on YouTube<\/h4><p>Content ID + TuneLockr.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Read \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/pricing\/\" class=\"mc\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">Pricing<\/div><h4>TuneLockr Pricing<\/h4><p>All plans and options.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">See \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/app.tunelockr.com\" rel=\"follow\"><div class=\"mc-cat\">\u2b50 Action<\/div><h4>Start protecting now<\/h4><p>Free first deposit.<\/p><span class=\"mc-a\">Start \u2192<\/span><\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <p class=\"sml\" style=\"margin-top:16px\">Official sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Copyright Office \u2014 Copyright and AI<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wipo.int\/copyright\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WIPO \u2014 Copyright<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ascap.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ASCAP<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmi.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BMI<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prsformusic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PRS for Music<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/policies\/eidas-regulation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eIDAS Regulation<\/a><\/p>\n    <p class=\"sml\" style=\"margin-top:10px\">This page is general information, not legal advice. Consult a copyright attorney for guidance on a specific registration or dispute.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<script>\n  document.querySelectorAll(\".fq\").forEach(b=>{b.addEventListener(\"click\",()=>{const i=b.closest(\".fi\"),o=i.classList.contains(\"open\");document.querySelectorAll(\".fi\").forEach(x=>{x.classList.remove(\"open\");x.querySelector(\".fq\").setAttribute(\"aria-expanded\",\"false\")});if(!o){i.classList.add(\"open\");b.setAttribute(\"aria-expanded\",\"true\")}})});\n<\/script>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51c0e4e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"51c0e4e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd7c705 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"bd7c705\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 28-02-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"780\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ChatGPT-Image-10-juil.-2026-16_22_36-1200x800.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9092\" alt=\"ai music copyright\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ChatGPT-Image-10-juil.-2026-16_22_36-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ChatGPT-Image-10-juil.-2026-16_22_36-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ChatGPT-Image-10-juil.-2026-16_22_36-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ChatGPT-Image-10-juil.-2026-16_22_36-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ChatGPT-Image-10-juil.-2026-16_22_36.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI Music Copyright 2026: Can You Own an AI Song? TuneLockr \u2192 AI Music Copyright \ud83e\udd16 TuneLockr \u2014 16,489 creators protected AI Music Copyright:Can You Actually Own It? AI tools can generate a track in seconds \u2014 but who owns it? Here&rsquo;s what US, EU and UK law actually says in 2026, the real cases [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8933,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8932","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8932"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9098,"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8932\/revisions\/9098"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tunelockr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}