The short version is that a fully AI song can still be released, but it can't be registered as a songwriter work, because there's no human writer to register. Publishing pays songwriters, so it only covers the parts a person actually wrote.
Why fully AI songs can't be published
ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN put out a joint policy on Oct 28, 2025. They accept songs that are partly AI as long as a human wrote real parts of them. They don't accept songs made entirely by AI. BMI says it plainly: a song you only prompted doesn't count, because typing "make a sad R&B song about rain" isn't writing the lyrics or the melody. The US Copyright Office takes the same view. Copyright needs a human author, and a prompt alone isn't authorship.
What can get published
- You wrote the lyrics yourself and used AI for the music or the vocals.
- You wrote or hummed the melody and AI helped produce it.
- AI gave you a draft and you rewrote it heavily, changing lines, the hook and the structure, so the final words are yours.
- You co-wrote with a human and used AI as a tool along the way.
In every case, you register only the human part, and it's smart to be upfront that AI was used. BMI recommends disclosing it.
How to tell if your song qualifies
Ask yourself three questions:
- Did I write the lyrics, or change them so much that they're mine? If yes, you likely qualify.
- Did I create the melody or the hook myself? If yes, you likely qualify.
- If someone asked me to show my work, could I? That means drafts, notes, voice memos or lyric edits. Proof like that protects you if anyone ever challenges it.
If all three answers are no and you just typed a prompt and kept what came out, it doesn't qualify for publishing. You can still release it, but there are no songwriter royalties to collect.
One more thing
One more thing to know is that registering with BMI is not the same as filing a copyright. They're separate steps.
Want the full process, from documenting your drafts to disclosing AI? Read How to publish AI-assisted music fairly and transparently.
Can my AI song be published?
Answer the three questions. Nothing is saved.
1. Did I write the lyrics, or change them so much that they're mine?
2. Did I create the melody or the hook myself?
3. If someone asked me to show my work, could I? (Drafts, notes, voice memos or lyric edits.)
Answer the questions to see your result.
You likely qualify.
Register the human part and disclose AI use.
Tip: start keeping your drafts, notes and voice memos now. Proof protects you if anyone ever challenges it.
Not publishable as a songwriter work yet, but you can still release it.
Keeping proof is great, but proof alone isn't authorship. Publishing needs lyrics or a melody that a person wrote.
Tip: write or rewrite the lyrics or the melody yourself, and keep your drafts. Then take this again.
General info, not legal advice. BMI and the Copyright Office make their own decisions, case by case.
Sources: BMI, ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN align on AI registration (Oct 2025), ASCAP press release (Oct 2025), BMI and AI, US Copyright Office, Copyright and AI Part 2: Copyrightability (Jan 2025).