What timing actually is
The structure of an LRC file could hardly be simpler: one lyric per line, each preceded by a `[mm:ss.xx]` time tag. When a player reaches a line, it shows that lyric at that moment.
So the whole job of "making an LRC" is assigning a time point to every lyric line — and no machine can do that for you, because deciding where a line starts to be sung takes listening.
How many passes a song needs
It is worth a minute of thought before you start; it saves most of the rework:
- One pass — clear vocals, few lines, roughly good enough: tapping straight through once will do.
- Two passes — a rough pass, then a line-by-line check; the usual approach when accuracy matters.
- Import and fix — you already have an LRC and only a few lines are off; import it and carry on from the first untimed line.
- Instrumental breaks and purely musical passages do not need timing — click "Skip this line" and they stay out of the export.
- Choruses and overlaps can only record one starting point; overlapping parts are counted with the lead vocal line.
Pasting the lyrics decides how smooth the rest goes
Paste the lyrics one line per lyric; blank lines are skipped. The line breaks you paste are the lines you will time later — break them into more lines now and you will tap more times later.
Pasting an existing LRC works too: its `[mm:ss.xx]` time tags are recognised, and after import you carry on from the first line without a time, so already-timed lines do not have to be redone.
That means a half-finished LRC can be saved and pasted back later to continue.
Export LRC or SRT
For a music player, export LRC. foobar2000, all sorts of players and devices with lyric display read it.
To put lyrics on video or process them further, export SRT. Video subtitle tracks, subtitle tools and editing software read SRT. In the export each line lasts until the next one begins, and the last line falls back to 2 seconds.
Both export only lines that have a time — skipped lines never enter the file.
A few things easy to get wrong
Everything is slightly off after timing? Use an offset. Export SRT and shift it as a whole with Timeline adjustment; far faster than retiming line by line.
The drift grows as the song goes on? That is a rate problem. When playback speed and recording speed differ, the error grows towards the end, and that needs proportional scaling, not an offset.
Shortcuts only feel natural if you use them together. Space plays and pauses, Enter stamps the current line, Z undoes one line — press Enter directly during playback instead of switching between mouse and keyboard.
Audio quality affects precision. A source with clear vocals is easier to follow; live recordings and sources with loud backing tracks are noticeably harder.
Related tools and guides
For the full walkthrough see How to use the lyric sync tool; to turn an existing LRC into subtitles see LRC to SRT; if the exported SRT is mistimed use Timeline adjustment; and run the result through Subtitle QC.