Copyright Royalties Now Available for AI-Assisted Music

Registration of AI-Generated Music Works with Human Creative Contribution
Works Created Solely by Simple Prompts Are Excluded

The Korea Music Copyright Association building. Courtesy of KOMCA

Music created using artificial intelligence (AI) is now eligible to receive copyright royalties in South Korea.

The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) announced on the 4th that it established and began enforcing standards for the declaration and registration of music works created with AI as of the 3rd. The association approved amendments to related regulations and terms at its 7th board meeting held on July 28.

The new standards distinguish between cases where AI is used as a creative assistive tool and cases where AI produces the entire output. If a creator participated in a substantial and leading way in processes such as writing lyrics, composing a melody, or arranging—even when using AI tools—the work can be registered. However, music automatically generated solely by entering prompts into AI cannot be registered as a human-made work.

Until now, KOMCA had suspended registration of music involving AI, citing the lack of relevant laws and systems. The association argued that it is difficult to distinguish the portions created by humans from those generated by AI, and that registering automatically generated works could lead to disputes over the distribution of royalties. Nonetheless, as the use of AI for songwriting and composition has grown, the association concluded it could no longer delay and thus established the new standards.

Applicants for registration must specify which aspects of the work were created using which AI tools. They must also declare how AI was used and what work they themselves performed, and confirm that this information is accurate.

KOMCA will process registration procedures based on the declaration submitted by the creator. However, if there are doubts regarding the use of AI or human creative contribution, the association may require supporting materials, conduct a technical review, or undergo internal deliberation. The same procedures may be applied even after the registration is completed.

As a result, it has become important for creators to keep documentation explaining the creative process. Project files from digital audio workstations (DAWs), MIDI files, sheet music, different versions of audio files, revision history, lyric and composition notes can all serve as supporting materials. Creators can also provide prompts and generation histories, comparisons between the AI’s initial output and the final version, and collaborative work logs shared with other participants.

Copyright Infringement Report. Provided by KOMCA

If a work is selected for internal deliberation, the association will inform the parties involved of the reason and give them a 30-day period to explain their case. The deliberation committee will include KOMCA board members as well as experts in music, copyright, and technology. AI music identification technology will also be used as a supporting tool.

Penalties for false declarations have also been established. If it is found that a work was registered as a musical composition when no human made a substantial contribution and the music was generated by AI, KOMCA may withhold royalty payments, reclaim any royalties already paid, or terminate the trust agreement. The association is also considering amending its terms to mandate penalty payments of up to three times the amount received in cases of intentional or serious misconduct.

KOMCA’s registration process is intended to provide copyright trust management and collect and distribute usage fees based on the creator’s declaration. If a legal dispute arises, the court may separately determine the human creative contribution and related rights.

KOMCA President Ishihi stated, "We are not trying to provide all the answers to the challenges of AI music at once, but this is a first step toward managing the newly changed creative environment within the system," and added, "We will build a management system that ensures members who create honestly are not disadvantaged and receive rights that reflect their contributions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.