Music Industry Association Clarifies Content Recommendations With Drugs Mentioned

The Music Industry Association (AMI) has updated its industry guidelines for handling substance-related content. The aim of the revision was to provide rights holders – labels, distributors and independent artists – with clearer and more transparent tools to work with such content, especially in the light of recent legislative changes.

Originally developed in 2023, these guidelines set out general principles for dealing with “shock content,” including insults, incitement to violence, and references to prohibited substances. Now the emphasis is on the analysis of textual references to drugs, which is relevant in connection with the need to avoid regulatory risks.

The decision on the further fate of such content remains with the copyright holder. He can evaluate the work himself by taking measures such as marking (18+), exclusion from recommendations, or complete removal from placement. An example is the analogue of marking books or public events.

AMI expects to cooperate with technology companies using artificial intelligence and neural networks to automate text analysis and facilitate the work of copyright holders. Tools like Yandex can significantly speed up the process by providing a more focused list of controversial tracks to analyze. It is important to note that the final decision will always be up to the individual, not the algorithm. In the near future, work will be carried out with leading rights holders, consultations with market participants and further refinement of the document based on feedback.