Add lyric timestamps automatically, then refine them by ear

1. 1

   Prepare the final recording and exact lyrics

   Listen through the song and make the lyric sheet match every performed line, repeat and ad-lib.

2. 2

   Generate an automatic timing draft

   Upload the recording, add the checked lyric text and run the alignment workflow.

3. 3

   Review the line boundaries

   Play each phrase and correct boundaries that belong earlier or later in the recording.

4. 4

   Refine the word timing

   Review word segments and word timestamps, paying attention to fast delivery, soft starts and held notes.

5. 5

   Export and preview

   Download a supported format and play it with the matching audio in the destination player or editor.

Use the recording you plan to publish or play. Read the words while listening once, add missing repeats and keep ad-libs that you want timed. Remove section labels and directions unless they are performed.

Keep instrumental passages out of the lyric text. Their duration is part of the audio timeline, not a reason to invent words or placeholder lines.

• Line boundaries: does the phrase begin and finish in the right part of the recording?
• Word segments: are adjacent words separated sensibly, including rapid phrases?
• Word timestamps: does the highlighting move at the moment that sounds right?
• Held notes: does the final word of a phrase follow the singer rather than cutting off early?
• Repeated sections: did you review each performance, rather than assuming all choruses have identical timing?

If words are missing or out of order, correct the lyric text before retrying timing. If the text is right but one boundary is off, use the timing controls to refine that part.

Automatic confidence can help focus your attention, but your ears judge the finished result. Listen to surrounding context so a local edit does not pull a word into the wrong phrase.

Select the line that needs work and listen to it in context. Zoom into the waveform, play the word you want to inspect, and move its start or end boundary. Replay the selection after each change rather than judging it from the picture alone.

The word-segment and individual-word passes start at half speed. Return to normal speed to check that the timing still feels natural. When the job includes a vocal stem, compare it with the mix. You can reopen a completed pass to make another correction.

A word's sung end and the time you want a highlight to remain visible are related choices, but they are not always identical. Check the display treatment after you have listened to the vocal boundary.

Export LRC for a compatible lyric player, enhanced word timing for a karaoke workflow, SRT or VTT for captions, or JSON for software.

Play the export with the same audio. If you switch to a different edit later, recheck the timeline rather than assuming the old timestamps still fit.

Do I need to type every lyric timestamp manually?

No. Automatic alignment creates the first draft. The manual controls let you refine the parts that need closer listening.

Should I fix the text or the timestamps first?

Correct missing, extra or out-of-order lyrics first. Once the words match the recording, refine line boundaries and then word timing.

Why review lines before individual words?

A word edit is useful only if the phrase is in the right part of the song. Reviewing line boundaries first gives the detailed pass a sound starting point.

Can I finish with a manually refined result?

Yes. The purpose of the review workflow is to let you check and refine the automatic timing before exporting it.

Do millisecond timestamps mean the automatic result is accurate to one millisecond?

No. Milliseconds describe how a time can be represented. Accuracy describes whether that time matches the intended vocal boundary. Listen and refine the placement, then use an export format that retains the detail you need.

What if I only need the start of each song in a mix?

That is a song-start tracklist task, not a lyric-word timing task. Use SongTimestamps for the mix tracklist workflow.

• Understand supplied-lyric alignmentWhy exact text and a matching recording matter.
• Refine karaoke word timingPrepare highlighting that follows the vocal.
• Check lyric timing accuracySeparate automatic estimates, listening judgments and export resolution.
• Choose a lyric synchronization workflowCompare automatic alignment, manual editors and distribution tools.