Google Faces Lawsuit Over Lyria 3 AI Music Training
Musicians who uploaded songs to YouTube may have unknowingly handed Google the raw material for training its music AI, without ever giving separate consent. A group of independent artists has filed suit against Google, arguing that the company unlawfully used their tracks to train its Lyria 3 model.
Google Moves to Dismiss the Case
Google is now asking the court to throw out the lawsuit entirely. According to the company, the plaintiffs failed to prove that any specific songs of theirs were used in training. Furthermore, Google argues that simply uploading music to YouTube already grants the platform and its related entities a broad license to use that content. In its filings, the company points specifically to rights covering reproduction, distribution, and the creation of derivative works.
Billboard and Music Business Worldwide both covered the dispute. The motion to dismiss was filed on June 8 in the federal court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiffs include independent musicians such as Sam Kogon, Magnus Fiennes, Michael Mela, and members of the band Directrix. You can review the full court docket for the case for further details.
What Google Has Said About AI Training Before
In its public statements, Google has not previously named Lyria 3 among the models trained on YouTube footage. However, the company has acknowledged using platform content for other AI systems. Back in April 2024, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan told Bloomberg that some videos might be used internally at Google to train models such as Gemini. Later, YouTube wrote on its official blog that uploaded material helps improve services for creators and viewers, including machine learning and AI features.
Separately, Google confirmed to CNBC that it uses YouTube material to train Gemini as well as its Veo video model. So far, there has been no direct admission regarding Lyria 3 specifically. Instead, Google’s defense rests on two main arguments: the plaintiffs have not proven their specific songs were used, and YouTube’s terms supposedly already permitted this kind of activity.
What Is Lyria 3?
Lyria 3 launched within Gemini in February 2026. The model can generate 30-second musical clips complete with vocals and lyrics, based on a text description or an image prompt. This case also arrives alongside a broader European Commission review into how Google uses YouTube content to train its AI models.
What the Court Must Decide
Ultimately, the court must determine whether YouTube’s broad licensing terms can extend to cover training a generative AI model on user-uploaded content. For musicians, this dispute carries weight beyond copyright alone. It also touches on a deeper question: how much control creators truly retain over the way platforms use the work they upload.
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