Google just made AI video creation free for everyone. Starting April 2, 2026, Google Vids AI video tools powered by Veo 3.1 and Lyria 3 are now available to all Google account holders. You no longer need an expensive subscription or a production budget to create polished, shareable videos. Whether you run a side business, teach classes, or just love making content, this guide walks you through every feature and shows you how to get started today.
Key Takeaways
- All Google accounts now get 10 free AI video generations per month using Veo 3.1.
- Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can generate custom soundtracks with Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro.
- AI avatars are fully customizable and directable for Pro and Ultra users.
- A free Chrome extension lets you record your screen from any browser tab.
- You can now publish finished videos directly to YouTube from inside Google Vids.
- Google AI Ultra and Workspace AI Ultra users can generate up to 1,000 Veo videos per month.
What Is Google Vids and Why Does It Matter Right Now?
Google Vids is Google’s browser-based video creation suite inside Google Workspace. It sits between a basic slideshow app and a full production tool. You can record, edit, and share videos without downloading a single program. See How to Get Google AI Pro Subscription Free for 15 Months.
The April 2, 2026 update changes the game completely. New AI capabilities are now coming to Google Vids, powered by Lyria 3 and Veo 3.1, including high-quality video generation at no cost, custom music creation, and more.
This is a direct answer to what most creators need: a capable video tool that does not require a steep learning curve.
Why the Timing Is Perfect
OpenAI recently pulled back from Sora, its consumer-facing AI video platform. Google’s approach points to a more sustainable version of the category, with embedded features that help turn everyday moments into finished, shareable things with less effort.
Google is not building a standalone AI toy. It is building video creation into the tools millions of people already use every day.
How to Generate Free AI Videos with Veo 3.1
This is the headline feature of the update. You do not need to pay anything to get started.
Anyone with a Google account can generate video clips at no cost using Veo 3.1, and you can easily bring your stories to life in a high-quality video clip from just a simple prompt or photo.
Head to vids.new and open a new project. From there, look for the AI generation panel and type your prompt.
What You Can Create with Your 10 Free Monthly Generations
Each personal Google account gets 10 free video generations every month. That is 10 chances to produce something genuinely useful. Here are some ideas for putting them to work:
- An animated flyer for a neighborhood event or community meeting
- A quick product promo for your side business or Etsy shop
- A fun birthday video or digital greeting card
- A short explainer for a school or work presentation
- A social media clip for Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts
Users can transform simple text prompts or static photos into eight-second clips.
Eight seconds is enough to make a point, set a mood, or grab attention on any feed.
What Google AI Ultra Unlocks for Power Creators
If your workflow calls for more volume, the paid tiers deliver significantly more output.
Google AI Ultra and Workspace AI Ultra accounts can now generate up to 1,000 Veo videos per month.
That number is not casual. It signals that Google sees video creation as a core part of daily workflows, not just a novelty.
Veo 3.1 also supports:
- Text-to-Video and Image-to-Video generation
- Landscape (16:9) and portrait (9:16) aspect ratios
- 720p and 1080p video resolutions
- Custom durations of 4, 6, or 8 seconds
Veo 3.1 now supports native vertical (9:16) video output for platforms like YouTube Shorts, and upscaling to 1080p and 4K is available for sharper, high-fidelity video production.
How to Add Custom Music with Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro
A great video needs great audio. Google Vids now has that covered too.
You can give your videos energy with a custom soundtrack tailored to your video’s vibe, powered by Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro models. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can now generate everything from short 30-second clips to three-minute tracks.
This means you can create original music matched to the exact mood of your video. No copyright issues. No licensing fees. No searching royalty-free music libraries for something that almost fits.
What Google AI Pro and Ultra Subscribers Get
Music generation is a Pro and Ultra feature. Here is a quick look at what that unlocks:
- Soundtracks from 30 seconds to 3 full minutes in length
- Lyria 3 for standard quality music generation
- Lyria 3 Pro for higher-quality, more detailed compositions
- Music tailored directly to your video’s tone and content
Think about the use cases. You could score a family vacation reel with an uplifting track. Or add a catchy, lighthearted tune to a birthday shoutout. You could even produce background music for a product demo without touching a single music production app.
Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can add custom music or soundtracks with Lyria 3 and Lyria 3 Pro ranging from 30-second clips to 3-minute tracks.
If you create content regularly, this alone justifies looking into a Pro subscription.
How to Use AI Avatars in Google Vids
This is where Google Vids starts to feel less like an editing app and more like a small production studio.
AI avatars give your video a consistent face and voice across every frame, making it easy to create engaging content without the hassle of multiple takes. Powered by Veo 3.1, Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers now have complete directorial control over how their characters look and act.
You describe what you want, and the avatar delivers it. No camera needed. No re-recording sessions.
How to Direct Your AI Avatar
You are not just picking a stock character. You are actively directing a scene.
You can place avatars into specific scenes and have them interact directly with uploaded objects, like a product or a prop, set against custom backdrops. It is an easy way to create engaging tutorials and standout social content, or bring your passion project to life.
Here is how to approach directing:
- Open Google Vids at vids.new
- Select the AI avatar option in your project panel
- Upload a reference image of the product or prop you want the avatar to interact with
- Write a prompt describing the scene, action, and tone
- Set your custom backdrop to match the mood of your video
- Generate and review the clip before adding it to your project
The avatar’s voice and face stay consistent throughout your entire video. That matters a lot when you are producing a series or building a branded channel.
How to Customize Your Avatar’s Appearance
Visual consistency builds trust with your audience. Google Vids gives you real control over how your avatar looks.
With a prompt, you can customize an avatar’s appearance and clothes, as well as change the background. The voice and identity remain consistent throughout your video.
You can dress your avatar for a tutorial, style it for a travel vlog, or design a virtual host for a school project. The details stay locked in across every scene you create.
How to Record Your Screen with the Google Vids Chrome Extension
One of the most practical additions in this update is the free Chrome extension.
With the new Google Vids Screen Recorder Chrome extension, you can quickly record your screen and yourself from anywhere on the web. It brings the Vids recording studio features you already know with you as you browse.
You can install it directly from the Chrome Web Store at this link: Google Vids Screen Recorder.
Step-by-Step: Using the Extension
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store
- Pin it to your browser toolbar for quick access
- Click the extension icon on any browser tab
- Choose your recording mode: screen only, webcam only, or both together
- Hit record and capture your content in real time
- Save or edit the recording directly in Google Vids
This is especially useful for software tutorials, online class recordings, product walkthroughs, or capturing live demos on the fly. You no longer need to open a separate app or navigate back to Vids first.
How to Publish Your Finished Videos to YouTube
Getting your content out there should be fast. Google Vids now makes that process much simpler.
You can skip the hassle of downloading files and push your creations directly to YouTube right from Vids. The streamlined export process makes publishing completely effortless, and all exports default to Private, giving you the chance to review your videos before sharing them with the world.
The Private-by-default setting is a smart touch. You can watch the final cut one more time before your audience sees it. No scrambling to take down a video you wish you had reviewed.
Steps to Publish to YouTube from Google Vids
- Finish editing your video in Google Vids
- Click the Export or Share button at the top of your project
- Select YouTube as your publishing destination
- Review the privacy setting (it will default to Private)
- Add a title, description, and tags before publishing
- Change to Public or Unlisted when you are ready to share
This removes several annoying steps from the standard publishing workflow. No downloading, no re-uploading, no format conversions.
How Google Vids Competes with Microsoft and Other Video Tools
It is worth understanding where Google Vids fits in the broader market right now.
The technical implementation matters here. By leveraging Lyria 3’s audio capabilities alongside Veo 3.1’s video generation, Google is creating a workflow that competitors will struggle to match quickly. OpenAI has Sora for video, but no comparable enterprise productivity integration. Microsoft has Copilot across Office apps, but video generation remains limited.
That is a real competitive gap. Most tools force you to leave your productivity suite to make a video. Google Vids keeps everything inside one workspace.
For enterprise customers, this changes the cost equation around video content creation. Marketing teams that previously outsourced video production or relied on expensive tools can now generate explainer videos, product demos, and training content directly within their existing workflow.
For a deeper look at how Google’s Workspace AI compares to Microsoft 365 Copilot, The Verge’s 2026 AI productivity roundup offers a useful breakdown of current capabilities across both platforms.
Who Should Be Using Google Vids Right Now?
Ask yourself this: do you create video content more than once a month?
If the answer is yes, Google Vids is worth your time. Here is a quick breakdown by user type:
Free Google Account Users:
- Casual content creators
- Students making presentations or class projects
- Small business owners creating simple promos
- Families putting together digital memories
Google AI Pro Subscribers:
- Content creators who need original soundtracks
- Educators who want avatar-led tutorials
- Marketers producing branded social content
- Freelancers building client deliverables
Google AI Ultra and Workspace AI Ultra Users:
- Teams producing training and onboarding videos at scale
- Agencies managing multiple client video projects
- Developers integrating AI video into products via the Gemini API
How to Get Started at vids.new Today
Getting started takes less than two minutes.
- Go to vids.new in your browser
- Sign in with your Google account (any personal account works)
- Start a new project and choose your creation method
- Type a text prompt or upload a photo to generate your first Veo 3.1 clip
- Add music, avatars, or screen recordings depending on your subscription
- Edit, review, and publish directly to YouTube or download your file
You get 10 free AI video generations to start. That is more than enough to explore what the tool can do and decide if you want to go further.
For teams interested in deploying Google Vids across an organization, you can explore the full feature set and pricing options at workspace.google.com, which also includes plans for Workspace AI Ultra users who need that 1,000-video-per-month capacity.
Final Thoughts
Google Vids is no longer just a nice addition to the Workspace suite. With free access to Veo 3.1, original AI music from Lyria 3, customizable avatars, a screen recorder extension, and direct YouTube publishing, it is now a genuinely capable content creation platform.
The free tier alone covers most of what casual creators need. The Pro and Ultra tiers take it further for anyone serious about producing quality video at scale.
You now have everything you need to start creating. Go to vids.new and make something worth sharing. The original announcement lives here for full details blog.google
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