The International Council for Human-Made Music is an independent body founded by working musicians to support, verify and celebrate music composed and performed by people — and to give listeners a way to know what they are hearing.
The Human Authorship Standard Become a memberWe do not oppose technology in music. We defend the value of human authorship — the craft of composing, playing and producing — at a time when generative systems increasingly blur the line. Where that craft can be shown, we certify it; where it is celebrated, we champion it.
We publish and maintain The Human Authorship Standard — an evidence-based definition of human-made music, so the claim means something concrete.
Read the Standard →Members submit and retain the working evidence of their craft — DAW sessions, stems, MIDI and notation — which is reviewed against the Standard.
How verification works →We keep a Register of certified catalogues, so listeners, platforms and press can check what qualifies. Entries are confirmed on request rather than listed publicly.
About the register →Each year the Council presents The Human Authorship Award to outstanding independent, human-crafted catalogues.
About the Award →We campaign for honest labelling of how music is made, and for the value of human musicians in a changing industry.
Our position →Certification, the mark, listing, and a community of independent composers who keep music a human art.
Become a member →The Council's central instrument is the Human Authorship Standard: a catalogue is certified as human-made when the composer can evidence it — editable session files, stems, recorded performances and written scores, with a datestamped history. It is a certification of craft, backed by proof.
Five principles guide everything the Council does.
The Council does not publish the names of its member labels or member artists. Membership and certification are confirmed on request.
Membership is open to independent composers, performers and labels whose music is genuinely human-made. Members retain and submit evidence of authorship, meet the Human Authorship Standard, and may then display the mark, be entered on the Register, and stand for the annual Award.
Apply for membership See what's required
A young, member-governed initiative — we are actively welcoming founding members.