---
title: "LyricGlow · Synced lyrics for Mac | Royan AB"
url: https://royan.se/work/lyricglow/
lang: en
description: "Free, open-source Mac app with real-time synced lyrics for Spotify and Apple Music in the menu bar, word-by-word highlighting and translation into 43 languages."
---
**LyricGlow**macOS · Free and open source

# Synced lyrics for Spotify and Apple Music, in your menu bar.

Karaoke-style, word-by-word lyrics in a floating window and live next to the clock, with translation into 43 languages. No account, no tracking.

`brew install --cask ateymoori/tap/lyricglow`

[Download for Mac](https://github.com/ateymoori/lyricglow/releases/latest) [Source on GitHub](https://github.com/ateymoori/lyricglow)

- macOS 11 or later
- Apple silicon and Intel
- 1,300+ downloads
- MIT license

Why LyricGlow

## Lyrics that keep up with the singer.

### Word by word

Each word glows as it is sung, in a three-line view of the previous, current and next line. Click any line to jump there.

### In the menu bar

The current line ticks by next to the clock, so the window can stay hidden while you work.

### 43 languages

A live translation under every line, with proper right-to-left rendering for Persian, Arabic and Hebrew.

### Private by design

No account, no analytics, no tracking. Lyrics and translations come from open sources and are cached on your Mac.

### Light on the battery

Adaptive polling and event-scheduled UI updates. Rendering stops completely when nothing is playing.

### Signed and notarized

Distributed under Royan AB's Apple Developer ID, so macOS opens it without warnings.

## Features in depth

Floating lyrics

## Only the words, floating over your work.

Turn the window into a bare lyric line on the desktop: large, centred, with the word-by-word glow and the translation underneath. Clicks pass straight through to whatever is behind it, and the line floats above full-screen apps on every space.

- Move it once, then lock it in place
- Draws nothing during instrumental passages
- Remembers its own position and size

Click-through, above every app, translation included.

Translation

## Read any song in your own language.

Translations appear under each original line as the song plays. Here, Despacito in Spanish with a live English translation.

LyricGlow reads the current track from Spotify or Apple Music locally, fetches synced lyrics from LRCLIB and artist data from TheAudioDB, and caches everything on disk for seven days.

Spanish lyrics, English translation, in sync.

Menu bar

## The current line, next to the clock.

LyricGlow runs as a menu-bar agent with no Dock icon. Press ⌘L anywhere to show or hide the window.

Live lyrics in the menu bar, with the window hidden.

Screenshots

## Four layouts, one app.

Every section can be shown or hidden from the Display settings, so the window is as small or as rich as you want.

Lyrics only

Compact

Right-to-left

Full, with artist details

FAQ

## Questions about LyricGlow.

### Which music apps does LyricGlow work with?

The Spotify and Apple Music desktop apps on macOS. LyricGlow detects the current track locally with AppleScript, so macOS asks for Automation permission on first run.

### Is LyricGlow free?

Yes. LyricGlow is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account and no subscription.

### Can LyricGlow translate lyrics?

Yes. Every lyric line can show a live translation into any of 43 languages, including right-to-left rendering for Persian, Arabic and Hebrew.

### Does LyricGlow collect data?

No. There is no account, no analytics and no tracking. Lyrics, artwork and translations are fetched from open sources and cached on your Mac.

### Which Macs does it run on?

macOS 11 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. The app is code-signed and notarized by Apple under Royan AB's Developer ID.

[Prefer the Mac App Store? See SongLit](https://royan.se/songlit/)

Built by Royan AB

## Planning a Mac, iOS or Android app?

[Book a consulting call](mailto:contact@royan.se?subject=App%20project)