Google Gemini and Apple Bring AI Music Creation to Mainstream Consumers

Google Gemini and Apple Bring AI Music Creation to Mainstream Consumers

Alphabet's Google and Apple are simultaneously adding music-focused generative AI features to their flagship consumer applications, signaling a major push toward making AI-powered music creation accessible to mainstream users.

Google Gemini Gets Music Generation

Google's Gemini AI assistant can now create 30-second music tracks based on text descriptions, photos, or videos uploaded by users, powered by Google DeepMind's latest Lyria 3 model. The company announced the feature on Wednesday, describing it as a significant upgrade from previous music generation capabilities.

Users can describe the type of song they want to create, and Gemini will generate a track with custom lyrics or purely instrumental audio. For example, users could request a "comedic R&B track about a sock finding its match" and receive a complete 30-second composition with matching cover art.

The feature also allows users to upload photos or videos, with the AI analyzing the content to generate music that matches the mood and tone of the media. This multimodal approach distinguishes Gemini's offering from text-only music generation tools.

Technical Improvements and Limitations

Lyria 3 represents a substantial improvement over its predecessor, generating more realistic and complex music tracks. Users can control various elements including style, vocals, and tempo. However, the system is explicitly designed to avoid mimicking specific artists. When users include an artist name in their prompt, Gemini interprets it as broad creative inspiration rather than a direct style imitation.

All songs generated with Lyria 3 include Google's SynthID watermark, a digital signature that identifies AI-generated content. Google is also adding the ability for users to upload existing tracks and ask Gemini to detect whether they were AI-generated.

Availability and Rollout

The music generation feature is rolling out to all Gemini users aged 18 and older worldwide. Initial support includes eight languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese. The feature is currently available on the desktop version of Gemini, with mobile app support expected over the next few days.

Alongside the Gemini integration, Google is expanding Dream Track—a tool that helps YouTube creators make AI-generated tracks—to global availability. Previously, Dream Track was only accessible to YouTube creators in the United States.

Apple's AI Playlist Feature

Separately, Apple announced that consumers will soon be able to use AI to create playlists in Apple Music. While details are more limited, this move positions Apple alongside Google in bringing generative AI to music experiences.

Industry Context

The simultaneous launch from both tech giants reflects intensifying competition in the consumer AI space. However, the music industry remains divided on AI-generated content. Major platforms including YouTube and Spotify are adopting AI and signing deals with music labels, while other companies face lawsuits from the music industry over copyright concerns related to training data.

Deezer and other platforms have published tools to identify and mark AI-generated music, aiming to combat fraudulent streaming activity.

Sources

• •Bloomberg: Google Gemini, Apple Add Music-Focused Generative AI Features
• •TechCrunch: Google adds music-generation capabilities to the Gemini app