Or does this work only when being online by sideloading the lyrics from the Apple Music subscription service?
1 Answer
No, Apple Music on macOS as of 2024-01 does not support synchronized lyrics for local audio files from ripped CDs or self-produced files. This feature is only available for songs from the Apple Music subscription service.
Apple Music uses TTML (Timed Text Markup Language) for synchronized lyrics, which is not compatible with synchronized lyrics embedded in local audio files, like via ID3 in MP3 or XMP in M4A (MP4 container with AAC audio codec).
Sources
- Official Apple Support Doc: Notes that synchronized lyrics are only available for songs from the Apple Music catalog, not for local audio files:
[...] songs with perfectly timed lyrics that appear line-by-line and beat-by-beat. [...] All with your Apple Music subscription.
If the Lyrics button the Lyrics button is grayed out, you’re playing a song that's not from the Apple Music catalog, lyrics aren’t available for that song, or you're not connected to the internet.
Apple Music Provider Support: This page provides information on how to submit lyrics for songs to be included in Apple Music's catalog. It also outlines the requirements for synchronized lyrics, including the use of a specific format called TTML.
Apple Music Artist Support: This page provides instructions for artists and songwriters on how to submit lyrics for their songs to be included in Apple Music's catalog. It also mentions the requirement for synchronized lyrics to be in TTML format.