Shankar Mahadevan Collaborates with Google to Create AI-Generated Song Using Lyria

Celebrated Indian musician and composer Shankar Mahadevan has taken a bold step into the future of music by collaborating with Google to create a song using its latest AI-powered music generator, Lyria. The innovative project was unveiled during Google’s annual I/O developer conference, where the tech giant showcased a range of artificial intelligence advancements, including tools for generating music and films.

A key highlight of the event was the launch of Lyria 2, a sophisticated generative music tool developed as part of Google’s broader Music AI Sandbox initiative. Introducing the project, Jason Baldridge, Research Scientist at Google, described it as "a tool for professionals to explore the possibilities of our generative music model Lyria in their work."

In a featured video, Shankar Mahadevan appears in his studio, offering a glimpse into the creative process behind the AI-assisted track titled "Rubaro." He shares, “I am a music composer, singer, producer, and a happy man… Working with Sandbox is great. We inputted our requirements, and it gave us a bed. We used that bed and came up with this song.”

The video provides a behind-the-scenes look as Mahadevan and his team select beats, refine pitch, and experiment with melodies using Lyria’s AI-generated suggestions. The collaboration demonstrates how AI can serve as a powerful tool to enhance creativity rather than replace it.

Speaking about the experience, Mahadevan expressed his excitement:

“It’s such an inspiring tool for a musician. You discover another chamber when you open a door. Then you open a second room with a second door. AI does that—it opens up endless possibilities.”

This collaboration marks a significant moment in the fusion of technology and musical artistry, paving the way for future partnerships between artists and artificial intelligence.