Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What Is An Lrc File

LRC files are associated with karaoke programs. As anyone who has been to karaoke night knows, it is imperative that the lyrics to each song are projected to a screen at the correct time. LRC files hold the actual lyrics, and are also responsible making sure the lyrics are projected when they should be.


Overall Purpose


LRC files are in text format, and allow karaoke machines to display song lyrics while a song is being played. Without LRC files, a karaoke machine would not be able to correlate each set of lyrics with the appropriate song. LRC files also facilitate the display of lyrics on the screen at just the right moment. The files also hold information regarding the color and font of the text displayed.


Timing


One of the primary benefits of the LRC file is that is contains a timing function. The line item tags in a LRC file give the karaoke machine the cues it needs to play the lyrics at the right speed. For example, the files ensure that the lyrics to the chorus of a song start being projected on the karaoke machine's screen just as the chorus music begins. The files support centisecond time intervals, meaning lyrics are timed down to the hundredth of a second.


File Names


The name of a LRC file is exactly the same as the song it is correlated to -- only the extension code is different. For instance, if the song file is named partysong.mp3, the LRC text file is named partysong.lrc. The name of a LRC file should never be changed, as changes will interfere with the file's ability to be cued with the correct song.


Opening Files


LRC files can be opened in select programs designed for Mac, Windows or Linux. Mac programs that can open a LRC file include Apple iTunes with the MiniLyrics plug-in and StepMania. Windows owners can open the files with programs that include StepMania and Recisio KaraFun. The only Linux program that can open LRC files is StepMania.







Tags: karaoke machine, file named, file named partysong, files also, name file, named partysong, open files