Photo Credit: Spotify
Spotify announces some upgrades to its song lyrics feature, including globally available translations and the ability to view lyrics while offline.
On Wednesday, Spotify announced three upgrades to its song lyrics feature. These include globally available lyrics translations, the ability to view lyrics while offline, and relocating the feature directly beneath the album artwork. The offline functionality will be offered only to Premium subscribers, as part of broader efforts to encourage free users to pay.
These changes are the latest the company has made to lyrics in the years since launching the popular feature. Previously, Spotify tried to paywall lyrics in 2024, but expanded availability to free users several months later to ease complaints.
Lyrics will be relocated to appear directly beneath the album artwork or the short, looping “Canvas” video that plays alongside the music. Spotify says this decision came from user tests that suggested the more prominent position increased feature engagement.
The lyrics start out as what Spotify calls “lyric previews,” which will roll out to free and paid users on iOS and Android. But users can still expand the view and share favorite snippets to social media from the Now Playing view. Of course, you can also turn previews off—just tap the three-dot menu and select “Lyrics Off.”
Premium subscribers who download their favorite tracks for offline listening will also find the lyrics saved automatically. “So whether you’re underground on your commute or flying at 30,000 feet, the words stay within reach; no service required,” says Spotify.
Lyrics translations, which first launched in 2022, will be globally available—a significant expansion from the 25 markets initially supported. Once available, users can tap the translate icon on the lyrics card to see the translation appear beneath the original lyrics. Spotify says the translation will default to whatever your device’s language is set to.
Spotify has been notably slow to roll out its lyrics feature, with licensing issues being the primary culprit. Users have been demanding such a feature for years; the company finally launched real-time lyrics globally in 2021—playing catch-up with Apple Music.
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