THE FILE FIELD GUIDE

.lrc

LRC Lyrics

Subtitles & Captions

LRC is timed lyric text, usually with line timestamps; extended variants can add finer synchronization. It contains no music. Different editions/live recordings may not match, so check audio edition, encoding and player support.

What it is used for: Lyrics synchronized with music
What the file contains: Text

All sections, questions and sources

Content reviewed：2026-10-12 · Editor：Kai

Opening steps

Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.

Pair LRC with the music

The lyric file contains no audio.

Load the music and LRC in a compatible player.
Inspect lyric selection/loading settings.
Compare early, middle and final lyrics with vocals.

Edit text and timing

Check application support for extended syntax.

Inspect timestamps such as [00:12.34] in a copy.
Distinguish metadata tags from timed lyric lines.
Save separately in a supported encoding and reload.

Adjust lyric synchronization

The same title can refer to a different recording.

Verify recording edition and duration.
Compare constant/progressive offsets and adjust timings.
Validate multi-timestamp lines and the ending.

Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.

Troubleshooting by symptom

Not shown: inspect LRC support, location and audio naming.
Uniform offset: check audio edition and offset settings.
Word highlighting fails: check extended-LRC support.
No lyrics: inspect LRC support, association and naming rules.
No word highlighting: distinguish extended syntax from line timing.
Different recording out of sync: compare intro, interlude and duration.

LRC → TXT / timed captions

Retain the original and decide whether timestamps are needed.
Export separately; for captions, verify end times and line display.
Match the recording edition and validate repeated-line timings.

Line-start timestamps do not uniquely establish caption end times; review lyric distribution rights.

Line timing versus word-level presentation

Player support can differ for line timing and additional word-level syntax.

Source for these steps：FFmpeg · Formats Documentation / Subtitle Edit · Subtitle Edit project

Preserve lyrics and the recording edition

Different intros/interludes change timing; record the matched edition/duration.

Inspect encoding, repeated lines and ending after saving; check usage permissions for publication.

Source for these steps：FFmpeg · Formats Documentation / Subtitle Edit · Subtitle Edit project

Related-format differences

Related-format differences
Format	Main role	What to check
LRC	Timed lyrics	Audio synchronization
SRT	Start/end captions	Different cue model
MP3 / FLAC	Separate audio	Edition/duration

Handling and security

Lyrics are copyrighted content; distinguish private display from publication/distribution.

Questions and answers

Will LRC play music alone?

No; audio is separate.

Will any edition match?

Edition, editing and offsets can change timing.

Can I rename it to SRT?

No; timing structures differ.

What if a lyric line has multiple timestamps?

Inspect support for repeated lyric timestamps and validate every occurrence.

Will simply saving as UTF-8 fix garbled lyrics?

Decode the source correctly first; saving misdecoded text does not restore it.

Format facts: name, steward and MIME type

Formal name: LRC timed lyrics
Steward / specification: Lyrics-player convention
MIME type: Depends on the producer or server; an extension alone does not establish a MIME type.

Primary and official sources

Project documentationFormats Documentation
Reference for handling TS, MP4, DVD and MXF containers.
FFmpeg · Link checked：2026-10-12
Project documentationSubtitle Edit project
Official project for subtitle conversion and image-subtitle OCR.
Subtitle Edit · Link checked：2026-10-12