What you need to know
- YouTube Music is adding AI-generated backgrounds to lyric cards.
- Previously, users could only choose between solid-color backgrounds for lyric card sharing.
- Now, there's an option to liven up lyric cards — which can be saved to your device or shared with other apps — using generative AI.
Google is upgrading the lyric sharing feature in YouTube Music to add a touch of AI in its latest test. The experimental tool makes it possible for users to generate custom AI backgrounds for lyric cards as an alternative to a solid color. After generating an AI image, users can save the finished lyric card to their device or share it with third-party apps.
YouTube Music's AI-generated lyric card backgrounds are widely available across both free and Premium accounts on iOS and Android, as first spotted by 9to5Google. When viewing lyrics for a song in the YouTube Music app, the Share floating action button now has a Gemini sparkle icon, signifying the new AI-powered capabilities.
YouTube Music warns that you are "Creating with AI" when generating backgrounds, adding that "AI-generated images are based on text prompts and may sometimes fail to follow YouTube's policies, so use discretion before using them." You have to hit Accept to acknowledge these warnings the first time you try to create a song lyric background with AI.
When beginning to share a lyric card, a new AI background button will appear mixed in with the existing solid colors. After generating an image, which can take a few seconds, the button will turn into a refresh icon that'll give you the option of regenerating a new background.
The backgrounds generated with AI add a bit of variety to YouTube Music lyric cards. It may be Google's answer to Genius lyric cards, which use lifestyle photos of artists and album art to spruce up shared lyrics. However, the AI-generated backgrounds don't always match the theme of the song or the content of the lyrics.
YouTube Music's lyric cards include a miniature version of the song's album art, the track title, and the artist name. There's a large YouTube Music logo, and you'll now have the choice of either a solid-color background or an AI-generated one.
You can try out the latest AI-powered YouTube Music feature now in the iOS or Android app.
