AI in Genealogy: Creating Ancestor Songs with Gemini's New Lyria 3 Music Generator

Testing Gemini's new Create Music feature by turning my 2nd great-grandfather's life story into a folk ballad

Ever since AI image generation became popular, I've wondered when AI music would become just as accessible for genealogists.
I've been experimenting with AI music for a couple of years now using tools like Suno and AI Music Factory (you can read more about that at Creating Family History Songs with AI: Honoring Our Ancestor’s Through Music), usually by writing lyrics first (often with ChatGPT) and then letting the music platform bring those words to life. The results have ranged from impressive to surprisingly emotional.
So when I recently noticed that Gemini now includes a Create Music feature powered by Lyria 3, I knew exactly what I wanted to test.
Naturally, my official AI test subject made another appearance...
My 2nd great-grandfather, Samuel "Sam" Steinman.

My Test

I actually discovered that this feature has apparently been available since around late February, but I simply hadn't noticed it. I spend far more time in ChatGPT and Claude than I do in Gemini, so this one slipped under my radar.
For consistency, I used exactly the same source material I use for many of my AI experiments:

• Samuel Steinman's Ancestry Research Profile/Timeline
• A Folk Ballad music style
• No custom prompt (at least for the first tests)​

​Samuel has become my "official AI ancestor." I've used his research profile for countless AI experiments over the past few years because I know his life story well enough to quickly recognize when an AI gets something right—or wrong.

Test #1: No Prompt Required

This may be the most beginner-friendly part of the entire feature.
I simply selected the "Folk Ballad" template and uploaded Samuel's research profile.
That was it.
No prompt.
No instructions.
No songwriting.
Anyone could do this.
Gemini generated a song automatically.
Actually...I generated two different versions, each about 30 seconds long.
Version One
I was pleasantly surprised.
Although short, it actually included accurate information about Samuel's life and sounded pretty good.
Version Two
This one wasn't nearly as successful.
Some basic facts were incorrect, despite using exactly the same uploaded research profile.​
That's one important reminder when using AI:
Always fact-check the output.

Wait...Why Was I Only Getting 30-Second Songs?

After a little digging, I discovered something interesting.
Everything I'd read suggested Lyria 3 was capable of creating songs closer to three minutes long, yet mine kept stopping after about 30 seconds.
It turns out there are two different experiences:

• Lyria 3
• Lyria 3 Pro

Since I'm a Gemini Pro subscriber, I should have access to Lyria 3 Pro.
The trick?
I needed to switch my chat model from the default Flash to Pro before creating the music.​
Once I did that...
Success.

Test #2: The Three-Minute Version

Now Gemini produced a full-length song.
This version was much more accurate than the second 30-second attempt.
The problem wasn't accuracy.
It was pacing.
Samuel lived a full life.
Trying to squeeze seventy years of births, deaths, moves, occupations, marriages, tragedies, and accomplishments into a three-minute song made everything feel rushed.
Instead of telling a story...
...it sounded more like a timeline trying to sing.

Test #3: Adding One Extra Step

This is where things became much more interesting.
Instead of letting Gemini invent the lyrics, I first asked ChatGPT to write a proper folk ballad based on Samuel's research profile.
Then I copied those lyrics into Gemini.
I selected the same Folk Ballad music style.
And let Gemini compose the music.
The difference was dramatic.
The lyrics flowed naturally.
The story unfolded at a comfortable pace.
The chorus repeated like an actual folk song.
The music fit the lyrics instead of trying to summarize an entire lifetime in a few rushed verses.
It sounded...
Fantastic.

My Overall Thoughts

If you're completely new to AI...
Gemini's Create Music feature is wonderful.
Seriously.
You don't have to know anything about prompting.
You don't have to write lyrics.
You don't even have to know where to begin.
Choose a music style.
Upload a document.
Click Create.
Done.
That simplicity alone makes it worth trying.
However...
If you're willing to spend one extra minute creating better lyrics first, the results improve dramatically.
For me, the winning workflow became:

1. Use ChatGPT to create thoughtful, historically grounded lyrics.
2. Copy the lyrics into Gemini.
3. Choose a music style.
4. Let Gemini generate the performance.

That tiny extra step completely transformed the final song.

Which Version Did I Like Best?

Interestingly...
My favorite wasn't actually the three-minute version generated entirely by Gemini.
I actually preferred the original 30-second clip over Gemini's longer automatically generated song.
The shorter version stayed focused and felt more polished.
But the clear winner overall was:
ChatGPT-generated lyrics + Gemini-generated music.
That combination produced, by far, the best result.
(I guess ChatGPT is still my favorite all-around AI tool!)

Listen for Yourself

​I've uploaded all three versions to YouTube so you can compare them yourself.
You'll be able to hear:

• 🎵 Gemini's 30-second automatic song
• 🎵 Gemini's full three-minute automatic version
• 🎵 The version created using ChatGPT-written lyrics with Gemini's music generation

I think hearing the differences side-by-side tells the story much better than words ever could.

Final Thoughts

​One of my favorite parts of genealogy is finding new ways to tell our ancestors' stories.
Sometimes that's through writing.
Sometimes through photographs.
Sometimes through animation.
And...
Sometimes through music.
Will AI-generated songs replace carefully written family histories?
Of course not.
But they can add something wonderfully unexpected—a way to experience an ancestor's story rather than simply read it.
And if a three-minute folk ballad inspires someone to learn more about the person behind the lyrics...
I'd call that a successful experiment.

More AI and Genealogy Resources

Learn about more family history and genealogy resources under the AI in Genealogy and  Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.