AI-assisted song enters Melon chart before copyright rules catch up
Joseon HipHop's Suno-assisted track Forest of the Heart reached No. 89 on South Korea's Melon Top 100. As the track gained a mainstream audience, the Korea Music Copyright Association had already withdrawn registration guidance for AI-assisted works with human contributions, leaving authorship and songwriting royalties unresolved.
Artificial Intelligence··Midday
Forest of the Heart reached No. 89
Forest of the Heart, released in May by YouTube creator Joseon HipHop, entered the Top 100 on Melon, South Korea's domestic music streaming service, in September and climbed to No. 89. It also reached No. 99 on the daily chart before leaving both lists. Joseon HipHop wrote the lyrics, while the melody and vocals were generated with the AI music tool Suno. The track entered the daily chart at No. 100 on September 6, debuted on the Top 100 at No. 100 on September 7 and then climbed to No. 89. Its run ended when it left both charts on September 8.[1], [2]
Human input did not secure songwriting royalties
The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) allowed registration of AI-assisted works with a human contribution to lyrics, composition or arrangement on August 3. It withdrew that guidance on August 25 after a letter from the Culture Ministry. Joseon HipHop therefore receives no songwriting royalties and is paid only through neighboring rights as producer. The chart entry shows that human-written lyrics have not resolved the registration uncertainty. Neighboring-rights payments provide income tied to production of the recording, while the withdrawn registration guidance again left uncertain the conditions under which ownership of lyrics and composition would be recognized.[1], [2]
KOMCA is selecting a detection provider
KOMCA and five music-industry bodies are in the final stage of selecting a provider for a system that detects AI-generated music. The technical step follows a broader registration problem: South Korea's Board of Audit and Inspection said that 29 composers each submitted more than 200 songs to KOMCA in 2024 and that roughly 5,200 works showed signs of generative AI. No rule has yet been announced for deciding how much human contribution is sufficient. Lee Jong-pil, chief executive of AI music company Neutune, said the selected system should be designed for the developing AI music ecosystem rather than only for short-term disputes.[1], [2]
