The Reading / Listening - AI Music - Level 4

The fight against the use of AI in music goes on. Australia's recording industry (ARIA) has banned songs that are "wholly" created with AI from the official music charts. There is controversy over an AI version of a Madonna hit. The cover version used AI technology. It spent 16 weeks in the top 20. It also made music lovers angry. ARIA said that "wholly AI-generated" music will be banned from the charts, but "AI-assisted" music is OK.

ARIA said the industry must protect artists' livelihoods. It said AI can be used, but not if it excludes human creativity. It said the new rules were to "promote the human nature of artistry". The artist who created the Madonna cover said he used AI on the song. He saw no problem with using AI as a tool in creating music. He also said the new rules were "a great move". He wrote: "I understand that AI in music isn't for everyone and that's fine."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    AI Music - Level 5 or  AI Music - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.aria.com.au/charts/news/aria-charts-set-eligibility-rules-for-recordings-made-with-ai
  • https://apnews.com/article/australia-ai-generated-music-charts-ban-aria-9bfb0c91166ae4405a6df1a3c4891687
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/8/25/australias-music-charts-ban-ai-made-songs-amid-backlash-over-madonna-cover


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The fight against the
  2. Australia's recording
  3. banned songs that are
  4. There is controversy over
  5. cover
  6. It also made music
  7. music will be banned
  8. AI-assisted music is
  1. OK
  2. wholly created with AI
  3. lovers angry
  4. use of AI
  5. from the charts
  6. an AI version
  7. version
  8. industry

Paragraph 2

  1. the industry must protect
  2. It said AI
  3. not if it excludes human
  4. promote the human nature
  5. The artist who created
  6. He saw no problem with
  7. He also said the new rules were
  8. AI in music isn't for everyone
  1. "a great move"
  2. creativity
  3. can be used
  4. using AI as a tool
  5. of artistry
  6. artists' livelihoods
  7. and that's fine
  8. the Madonna cover

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The (1) ________________________________________________ use of AI in music goes on. Australia's recording industry (ARIA) has (2) ________________________________________________ are "wholly" created with AI from the official music charts. There is (3) ________________________________________________ AI version of a Madonna hit. The cover version used AI technology. It (4) ________________________________________________ the top 20. It also made (5) ________________________________________________. ARIA said that "(6) ________________________________________________" music will be banned from the charts, but "AI-assisted" music is OK.

ARIA said the (7) ________________________________________________ artists' livelihoods. It said AI can be used, but not if it (8) ________________________________________________. It said the new rules were to "promote the (9) ________________________________________________ artistry". The artist who created the Madonna cover said he used AI on the song. He saw no (10) ________________________________________________ AI as a tool in creating music. He also said the new rules were "(11) ________________________________________________". He wrote: "I understand that AI in music isn't for everyone (12) ________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThefightagainsttheuseofAIinmusicgoeson.Australia'srecordingindu
stry(ARIA)hasbannedsongsthatare"wholly"createdwithAIfromtheof
ficialmusiccharts.ThereiscontroversyoveranAIversionofaMadonnah
it.ThecoverversionusedAItechnology.Itspent16weeksinthetop20.It
alsomademusicloversangry.ARIAsaidthat"whollyAI-generated"mus
icwillbebannedfromthecharts,but"AI-assisted"musicisOK.ARIAsaid
theindustrymustprotectartists'livelihoods.ItsaidAIcanbeused,butno
tifitexcludeshumancreativity.Itsaidthenewruleswereto"promotethe
humannatureofartistry".TheartistwhocreatedtheMadonnacoversaid
heusedAIonthesong.HesawnoproblemwithusingAIasatoolincreatin
gmusic.Healsosaidthenewruleswere"agreatmove".Hewrote:"Iunde
rstandthatAIinmusicisn'tforeveryoneandthat'sfine."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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