Google launches Lyria 3 in Gemini: AI now composes music

Google has unveiled Lyria 3, its latest music generation model, now integrated into the Gemini assistant. Users can create 30-second music tracks using text prompts, photos, or videos, and even remix existing songs by adjusting tempo, drum style, and other settings.

This release builds on Gemini’s earlier capabilities in text, image, and video generation. Lyria 3 is also baked into YouTube’s Dream Track tool, which helps produce soundtracks for short videos. According to Google, the new architecture delivers a more “realistic and musically complex” sound compared to previous versions, while giving users granular control over components ranging from basslines to full arrangements.

Generating a track can be as simple as providing a brief description, but the interface supports detailed customization. A standout feature lets the AI interpret uploaded photos or videos and translate them into music. Automatically generated cover art for these tracks comes from Google’s Nano Banana model.

All music created through Gemini comes stamped with a SynthID watermark, designed to distinguish AI-generated content from human-made creations. Google plans to roll out this AI generation identification technology starting with I/O 2025.

In demos, Google’s instrumental parts sound convincing, though the lyrics still tend to fall into clichés and awkward phrasing, clearly revealing their machine origin. Lyria 3 is currently available to Gemini users aged 18 and older, supporting English, Spanish, German, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese.

Analysts note the current 30-second track length is likely temporary. Google may extend the duration or integrate Lyria 3 into more services like Google Messages. Music generation is emerging as a fresh frontier in the AI assistant race, with OpenAI offering Voice Engine and Anthropic exploring sound features in Claude. For now, Lyria 3 appears to be a powerful but still “raw” tool, with its true potential unfolding in future updates.