Beginner's Guide to Synced Lyrics

Create karaoke-style lyrics that highlight as the music plays. No technical experience needed!

Updated: September 28, 20255 min read

What are synced lyrics anyway?

Synced lyrics are like karaoke - the words appear on screen exactly when they're sung in the music. Think of your favorite karaoke app where words light up as the singer sings them!

Instead of just reading lyrics while listening, you get a perfectly timed experience where text and music work together.

Synced Lyrics File Format (LRC)

Synced lyrics are saved in a special format called LRC, where each line has a timestamp:

[ar:Artist Name]
[ti:Song Title]
[al:Album Name]
[00:12.00]Hello, it's me
[00:16.50]I was wondering if after all these years
[00:23.80]You'd like to meet, to go over
[00:28.20]Everything, they say that time's supposed to heal

The numbers in brackets [mm:ss.xx] show exactly when each line should appear (minutes:seconds.centiseconds)

What You'll Need (2 minutes prep)

Required

  • An audio file (MP3, WAV, etc.) of your song
  • The lyrics as text (typed or copied)
  • A few minutes to listen and click timing buttons

Helpful (but optional)

  • Good headphones for accurate timing
  • A quiet environment to focus
  • Lyrics already broken into short lines

🚀 Fastest Way: AI Auto-Sync (Recommended for Beginners!)

Skip the manual work! Our AI can automatically transcribe your audio and create perfect synced lyrics in just 2 minutes.

✨ AI Extract Lyrics

Perfect for: Getting lyrics from any song you don't have lyrics for yet

Try Extract Lyrics →

🔥 AI Auto-Sync

Perfect for: Automatically syncing lyrics you already have

Try Auto-Sync →

Pro tip: Most beginners prefer the AI tools because they handle the technical timing automatically. You can always fine-tune the results later if needed!

Manual Method - 3 Easy Steps

Want full control? Here's the manual way to create synced lyrics. You'll have working synced lyrics in under 5 minutes!

1

Upload Your Files

Go to QuickLRC's sync tool and upload:

  • Your audio file (the song you want to sync)
  • Your lyrics (paste them in or upload a text file)
2

Mark the Timing

Play the song and click "Mark Timestamp" (or press 'T') right when each line starts being sung.

Pro tip: Don't worry about being perfect! You can always adjust the timing later.
3

Download Your Synced Lyrics

Once you've marked all the lines, click "Export" and choose LRC format. That's it!

Success! You now have a .lrc file that works with most music players that support synced lyrics.

How to Display Synced Lyrics in Music Players

Once you have your synced lyrics file, here's how to get them working in popular music players:

Step 1: File Placement (Most Important!)

The Golden Rule: Same name, same folder

✅ Correct Setup:

📁 Music/
  🎵 Song.mp3
  📄 Song.lrc

❌ Wrong Setup:

📁 Music/
  🎵 Song.mp3
📁 Lyrics/
  📄 Different_name.lrc

Step 2: Enable Lyrics Display in Your Player

🖥️ Desktop Players

Foobar2000
  • • Install "OpenLyrics" component
  • • View → OpenLyrics Panel
  • • Lyrics auto-display when playing
MusicBee
  • • View → Panels → Lyrics
  • • Auto-searches for .lrc files
  • • Shows synced lyrics automatically
VLC Media Player
  • • Tools → Preferences → Subtitles/OSD
  • • Enable "Auto-detect subtitle files"
  • • Works with SRT format best

📱 Mobile Players

Poweramp (Android)
  • • Settings → Audio → Lyrics
  • • Enable "Show Lyrics"
  • • Tap album art to view lyrics
Apple Music (iOS)
  • • Tap "Quote" icon while playing
  • • Auto-syncs with Apple's lyrics
  • • Add custom .lrc via iTunes
PlayerPro
  • • Settings → Display → Lyrics
  • • Enable "Synchronized Lyrics"
  • • Swipe up during playback

Step 3: Testing Your Setup

Quick Test Checklist:

  • Both files (audio + lyrics) are in the same folder
  • Both files have exactly the same name (except extension)
  • Your music player supports LRC format
  • Lyrics display is enabled in player settings
  • Start playing the song and check if lyrics appear

🔧 Popular Player Setup Guides

Spotify Alternative

Spotify doesn't support custom LRC files, but these do:

  • • Foobar2000 + OpenLyrics
  • • MusicBee (Windows)
  • • Poweramp (Android)

iTunes/Apple Music

Add lyrics to your music library:

  • • Right-click song → Get Info
  • • Go to Lyrics tab
  • • Paste LRC content (without timestamps)

Web Players

For browser-based playback:

  • • Export as WebVTT format
  • • Use HTML5 audio with WebVTT
  • • Custom web player solutions

Ready to Create Your First Synced Lyrics?

You now have all the knowledge you need to create professional synced lyrics. Pick the method that works best for you!