Google Brings AI Music Generation to Gemini—We Tried It, and It's Too Little Too Late

Decrypt
by Jose Antonio Lanz
February 19, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Google Brings AI Music Generation to Gemini—We Tried It, and It's Too Little Too Late
Google has launched its Lyria 3 AI music generation model within the Gemini app, enabling users to create 30-second songs from text prompts or images. While the tool produces coherent and decent-quality tracks, it falls short of competing platforms like Suno and Udio, which offer longer tracks, more genre control, and advanced features. Lyria 3’s limitations, such as its inability to stick to niche genres and its strict 30-second output cap, position it in a different league compared to its rivals. The tool, currently available in beta for Gemini users aged 18 and older, allows users to generate shareable music snippets quickly. While the tracks are catchy and well-produced, they lack the depth of full-length songs offered by Suno and Udio. These platforms have been around longer and provide features like prompt strength sliders, noise adjusters, and negative prompting, giving users more control over their output. Google has emphasized its commitment to addressing copyright concerns, ensuring that Lyria 3 does not mimic specific artists or infringe on intellectual property. Unlike Suno and Udio, which faced legal challenges for training models on copyrighted material, Google claims its process is mindful of licensing agreements. Additionally, Gemini embeds SynthID watermarks in all AI-generated tracks, providing a way to verify authenticity and combat counterfeit music circulating online. The release of Lyria 3 highlights the growing role of AI in music production, particularly within the crypto and web3 space. As platforms like Suno and Udio explore licensing agreements and blockchain-based solutions for music rights, Google’s entry into this market underscores the potential for AI to reshape the music industry. While Lyria 3 may not yet rival its competitors, it marks an important step in Google’s long-term strategy to innovate in AI-driven creative tools. For crypto enthusiasts
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Originally published on Decrypt on 2/19/2026