.LRC files: synced lyrics for your music files

An .LRC file is a plain text file in which every line of a song's lyrics has its own timestamp. A player reads it next to the audio file and highlights the words exactly when they're sung — karaoke‑style.

Updated October 2, 2026 · 4 min read

What an .LRC file looks like

Inside are lines with a time in the [minutes:seconds.hundredths] format:

So you can open and edit the file in any text editor. It may also start with info tags such as [ar:Artist] and [ti:Title].

How a player finds the lyrics

Most players look for an .lrc file with the same name as the audio file in the same folder — e.g. 01 Golden State.m4a and 01 Golden State.lrc. Some can also read lyrics stored directly in the file's tags.

Which players support .LRC

Many popular players support .LRC files, including MusicBee and AIMP on Windows, Poweramp on Android and music servers such as Navidrome. In foobar2000 lyrics work through plug‑ins. Support and display vary between apps, so check your player's settings.

Lyrics in Music File Lab

When Apple Music has lyrics for a song, Music File Lab saves them in the file's tags (in formats that support it). In Settings → Artwork and lyrics you can also turn on a separate .lrc file next to each song, named like the audio file — ready for players that support it.

Not every song has lyrics on Apple Music; when they're missing, the music file is saved without them.