Skip to main content

Spotify starts testing real-time lyrics to enable karaoke experience

Spotify has started testing real-time lyrics in select countries, shortly after Apple Music rolled out the feature with the launch of iOS 13.

Users outside of the United States have reported seeing lyrics synchronized with song playback in the Spotify mobile app. Screenshots taken by these users show that the feature, which is powered by Musixmatch, is located under the playback controls. There is also an option to watch the lyrics on full screen, which should make it easier to sing along with them.

Related Videos

Spotify kalian ada lirik nya tak?:"V
Ini tiba tiba ada:"V kaget gw:"V eh trnyta dari musixmatch:V pic.twitter.com/DFO54qFzuQ

— Aku sayang Wandireksen :(( (@notfndm) November 14, 2019

TechCrunch received confirmation from Spotify that the real-time lyrics feature is undergoing testing. “We can confirm we are testing this feature in a small number of markets,” the spokesperson said. “At Spotify, we are always testing new products and experiences but have no further news to share at this time.”

The real-time lyrics feature has been one of Spotify’s most requested features. Behind the Lyrics, a partnership between the music streaming service and Genius is the closest that Spotify users have to a lyrics feature. However, instead of displaying karaoke-style lyrics, it provides stories and artist’s quotes about the lyrics of songs, which is very informative but not what users need if they want to sing along to the songs.

The Spotify vs. Apple Music rivalry continues to intensify, as both music streaming services keep rolling out features to try to attract new subscribers. This year, Spotify launched Storyline, its version of the Stories format that was popularized by Snapchat, allowing artists to create additional content that will appear on the now playing screen. Just recently, it introduced Soundtrack Your Ride, which creates customized playlists for those long road trips. The tool asks questions, including the origin and destination of the trip, to be able to generate a list of songs that will cover the estimated length of the drive.

Spotify’s version of the real-time lyrics feature has shown up for listeners in Indonesia, Canada, and Mexico. It remains unclear when it will exit testing and roll out to the United States, but with Apple Music already offering the feature, Spotify users should expect it to arrive sooner rather than later.

Editors' Recommendations

Spotify acquires Heardle, the popular music-based Wordle clone
Spotify and Heardle logos.

Spotify announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Heardle, the music trivia game version of Wordle.

According to a press release, the music streaming platform said that purchasing Heardle -- the cost of which Spotify declined to disclose -- will help improve the discoverability of songs old and new. In other words, it will help players rediscover their old favorite hits and introduce them to new artists, as well as link them to their music on Spotify whether they guessed the songs correctly or not.

Read more
The Spotify app is a mess, and audiobooks will only make it worse
The Spotify app on an iPhone, showing the Home page.

There’s been a lot of chatter about Spotify turning into a platform that will support audiobooks. Last year, the streaming company announced an acquisition of Findaway, an audiobook platform similar to Anchor. And according to a recent report from The Verge, Spotify executives have begun pitching investors the idea of hosting audiobooks on the platform.

It would seem like it’s only a matter of time until subscribers are given access to an endless supply of audiobooks on the Spotify app, just like podcasts before it. While the idea of being able to listen to audiobooks in the same app that I listen to music is good on paper, I can’t help but feel a certain sense of dread as I wait for the impending announcement.
An app full of clutter
The Spotify mobile app has seen several significant redesigns over the last few years, but the current way it’s organized leaves much to be desired. Searching for new music and podcasts has never been easier thanks to the many improvements to the app’s search engine, but much of the UI has been made drastically worse as the app has grown older.

Read more
Apple Music to livestream concerts starting this Friday
amazon tickets

Apple is about to begin livestreaming select concerts as part of its new Apple Music Live feature. It kicks off with Harry Styles’ gig at the UBS Arena in New York later this week. Anyone around the world with an Apple Music subscription will be able to access the content.

Apple said the livestreams will “give the biggest stars in music the biggest possible platform to flaunt how they connect with audiences and how their songs translate to live performance.”

Read more