When we fall in love with a new song on Spotify, our first instinct is to learn more about it by checking the lyrics. Unfortunately, this basic feature isn’t always available on the app. Even worse, there doesn’t seem to be an apparent reason for the selective availability of lyrics, leaving most of us in the dark as to how to deal with the problem. Whether you’re a fan wanting to access lyrics to your favorite tracks, or an artist wanting to upload the lyrics to your songs, all these inconsistencies can be confusing, especially on a leading music streaming service that you’re paying for. But not to worry, we’ve put together a detailed explainer as to how Spotify Lyrics is supposed to work and why some songs have lyrics while others don’t. We’ve also included tips on what to do if you can’t see any lyrics at all. So, let’s get right into it!
How Do Spotify Lyrics Work?
The first thing you need to know about lyrics on Spotify is that they aren’t produced by Spotify itself. They’re supplied by MusixMatch, a music data company that specializes in Lyrics Display, Synchronized Lyrics, and other lyrics management tools. Both parties recently expanded their 2020 deal and now provide lyrics to all free and Premium Spotify users worldwide. That said, how exactly does Spotify Lyrics work? Spotify uses auto-scrolling song lyrics on their mobile and desktop apps. The auto-scroll feature highlights each lyric line in time with the song, making it easy for users to follow and sing along. A lot of songs (usually trending, mainstream hits) on Spotify already have this feature, but there are some that don’t. In those cases, it’s usually because the song has yet to be added to MusixMatch’s lyrics database. MusixMatch currently has about 7 million lyrics in its collection, which is a tiny percentage of the 82 million that make up Spotify’s music library. As such, the addition of lyrics to all songs is going to take some time.
How to Find Spotify Lyrics on Different Devices
Lyrics are available on Spotify’s mobile, desktop, and smart TV apps. However, accessing the feature is a bit different on each platform. Here’s a quick guide on how to find Spotify Lyrics on different devices:
Find Spotify Lyrics on Android and iPhone
Lyrics on both Android and iOS smartphones can be accessed the same way. Here’s how:
Find Spotify Lyrics on PC
Lyrics on the desktop app aren’t immediately apparent, so some folks may miss it completely. Here’s how to find the feature:
Find Spotify Lyrics on the Spotify TV app
Lyrics can also be found on the SpotifyTV app, making it great for at-home karaoke parties. Here’s how to access them:
How to Fix Spotify Lyrics Not Showing Up
If you can’t see any lyrics on Spotify (even for popular songs), but someone you share a plan with can, the issue may be on your end. As such, you’ll need to refresh the app on your device by logging out of your account, reinstalling the app, or doing a bit of clean-up. Here’s how:
Log out of your Spotify account twice
Logging out of your account and back in again twice will properly sync your account to your device. For many, this will fix Spotify lyrics not working. Here’s how to do that on different devices:
Log out of Spotify on Android and iPhone
Log out of Spotify on PC
On the web player or desktop app, click the Profile button in the upper right corner and select ‘Log Out’. This works on Windows and macOS computers.
Log out of Spotify on Spotify TV App
Logging out of Spotify from a remote device, such as a smart TV, is less straightforward. To do this, it’s best to use the ‘Sign out everywhere’ option. Here’s how:
Uninstall and reinstall the app
If logging out of your Spotify account didn’t help restore the lyrics feature, the app may need to be completely refreshed. Typically, uninstalling and then reinstalling the app can easily solve most issues. However, if that still doesn’t work, you can do a more thorough ‘clean reinstall’, which entails clearing the app’s data and cache files.
Delete excessive playlists
Having many large playlists containing thousands of songs has been known to cause problems such as lagging and freezing on both mobile and desktop apps. And this, in turn, can affect how certain features (like lyrics) function. Some users have reported that deleting excessive playlists have actually made the lyrics feature reappear, so it’s a useful option to consider.
Contact customer service
If you’re still not seeing the lyrics feature after performing the above-mentioned fixes, you should reach out to customer service. Certain accounts, especially Family plan accounts, may require additional account modifications that can only be done by a Spotify customer service representative. To do this, head over to Spotify’s contact page and send them a message via email, Twitter, or the Spotify Community. Make sure you also have your login email and device info ready for when they get in touch with you.
How to Add Spotify Lyrics
As mentioned earlier, lyrics on Spotify are sourced from MusixMatch, not Spotify. Unfortunately, MusixMatch doesn’t offer an option for music fans to edit or add lyrics to their database. To be able to do this, you need to be a verified artist or publisher under MusixMatch. This allows you to upload, edit, and sync your lyrics for use on Spotify. If you’re looking for fan lyrics or want to upload lyrics of your own, 3rd-party lyrics sites are another option to consider.
Alternative Options to Spotify Lyrics
Third-party lyrics sites are a great alternative resource for those who are dissatisfied with Spotify Lyrics. Most of them only provide lyrics, but some go beyond that by offering news articles, songs charts, and even merchandise. Currently, two of the most widely-used lyric sites are AZLyrics and Genius.
AZLyrics
The AZLyrics has been around since 2000 and hosts an enormous collection of English and non-English songs. The site accepts submissions for new lyrics and corrections, and the good part about this is that you don’t need to sign up to be able to submit. Submissions that meet AZLyrics’ standards typically take 1 week to get approval.
Genius
A powerful contender in the digital media space, Genius was launched in 2009. Although its main content focus is song lyrics, the brand sets itself apart by offering annotations, insights, and analyses of songs as well. All users can edit and add lyrics to the site, but you need to register and familiarize yourself with its lengthy list of guidelines for properly adding songs. You can also download the Genius app for easier access and exclusive features.
Conclusion
Glamorous and expansive as it may be, Spotify isn’t the easiest to navigate and can leave many users (especially newbies) wondering why the app doesn’t have lyrics! However, that is not the case. Just keep in mind that if you do not see Spotify Lyrics on your device, it could simply be because that particular song hasn’t been added to MusixMatch’s lyrics database. And if the issue seems to only affect your account, it’s probably due to a glitch in the app itself, which can be remedied by the methods we shared above. How did you find our suggestions? Did we miss out on other important tips? If you have insights of your own or other methods that were successful in addressing the lyrics issue, we’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!
