Apple, Amazon music, Spotify, and many other streaming platforms have an amazing lyric sync partnership through MusixMatch.
What Is a Lyric Sync, You May Ask?
A lyric sync is a visual aid that shows fans the lyrics to a song as it is being played on your device. When you open Spotify, or add a song to your Instagram story, a lyric sync gives fans the ability to read the lyrics on-screen as the song is playing.
Why Is It Important to Sync My Lyrics?
Simply put, this is another way to deliver your music to your fans and create a personal connection. When you add your music to an Instagram story, it might not always grab followers’ attention, especially if they are browsing their stories with the sound off. With synced lyrics, your songs become more memorable and the meaning becomes more impactful. This is also a great way to include the hard-of-hearing community! In other words, artists can now deliver fans an unforgettable connection to their music through lyrics. Since Spotify is a major streaming platform, it’s important that you sync your lyrics there through the website MusixMatch!
Step 1: Transcribe The Lyrics For Each Song
The first thing you have to do before syncing is transcribe the lyrics. There are two ways you can transcribe your lyrics: the MusixMatch website and the app. Whether you are wishing to transcribe lyrics through your website or the app, there are just a few things to keep in mind. You will have to be logged into a Spotify Premium account so you can later sync your lyrics to the platform. In addition, there are a set of guidelines you must follow when transcribing.
Guidelines for Transcribing
Here are the 4 rules you must follow when transcribing each song:
- Listen to the song from a reliable audio source while you are transcribing.
- Only add lyrics you transcribed yourself (as opposed to fans transcribing for you).
- Transcribe all repeated parts of a song.
- Transcribe the lyrical audio content only.
In addition to these guidelines, there are a few Do’s and Don’ts to follow as well:
- DO always listen to the entire song while transcribing
- DON’T copy and paste from other sources
- DON’T use multipliers (such as “I’m gone” x2)
Step 2: Sync Your Lyrics
When it comes to syncing your lyrics with the song, you have two options. The first option is syncing your lyrics line-by-line. The second is syncing your lyrics word-by-word. On the website, you can choose between syncing line-by-line or word-by-word. However, word-by-word is only available through the app.
Syncing On The Website
When you’ve finished transcribing your lyrics through the site, click the Sync tab. On that tab you will see the site made estimates on duration and precision of each line. Your job from here is to listen to each snippet and ensure that it is accurate. If there are any lines that come in too early or too late, you have the ability to adjust the timing by the millisecond.
Syncing On The App
With the app, you’ll have to do a little more searching. Once you’re logged in, search for the song(s) you want to sync. Once you have the song pulled up, select Contribute>Sync>Select either line-by-line or word-by-word. If you choose line-by-line, you’ll be prompted with an approach similar to doing this on the website.
Sync Lyrics Line-By-Line
If you decide to sync line-by-line, here are the 3 simple steps to do so:
- Set the timing to the first sung letter for each line (max of half a second before).
- When there aren’t any lyrics for more than 5 seconds, insert an instrumental label (then sync the line).
- Verify accuracy by playing each align and adjust as needed
Sync Lyrics Word-By-Word
The ability to sync word-by-word is only possible through the app, so be sure to have the app downloaded if you wish to sync this way. Essentially, word-by-word is having even more accuracy control while going line-by-line. All you have to do is swipe on your device to highlight the lyrics in time with the music.
Do’s and Don’t’s of Syncing
Just like with transcribing, there are a few policies to follow when syncing. These are the 4 Do’s and Don’t’s for syncing your lyrics:
- DO correct the sync if you made a mistake.
- DO sync only the main vocal in the case of multiple voices and choruses.
- DON’T sync a line or word in delay.
- DON’T start the song with an instrumental label.
A Few Notes…
When you begin your transcription and sync journey, there are a few more technicalities to be aware of. In order to participate in this sync, you must have a Spotify Premium account and be a verified artist on both Spotify and MusixMatch. MusixMatch recommends using Google Chrome on your desktop for transcribing and syncing, although you can use other search engines. Unfortunately, lyric sync does not work on Safari or mobile browsers.
Once you’ve done all the above steps, your fans can sing along or read along to your song. Connecting with fans just got easier, so make sure you get your lyrics transcribed and synced!
Need help getting your message to the right outlets? Do you still need to get verified as an artist? Download our free Music Publicity Check sheet to learn all the tips and tricks of artist development and distribution!
