How to Display the Currently Playing Song Lyrics on Your Mac Desktop

This guide will show you how to display the lyrics of the song you’re listening to on the Desktop of your Mac.

Using the app DesktopLyrics 2, you can have the lyrics of the song that’s playing in the Music app displayed right on your macOS Desktop. Here’s how –

1. Head over to the Mac App Store and install DesktopLyrics 2 by clicking on the Get button and then the Install button. DesktopLyrics requires you to be using macOS Catalina (10.15) or higher.



2. Once the installation has completed, click the Open button.



3. The first time DesktopLyrics 2 opens it’ll ask you to configure a couple of things. If you want it to start automatically when your Mac boots up, toggle the Launch DesktopLyrics at login: switch to ON. If you want DesktopLyrics 2 to display in them Menu Bar instead of the Dock (recommended), toggle the Display Menubar instead of the Dock: switch to ON. Then click the Finish Setup button.



4. Now the DesktopLyrics Settings will appear. Review them and make any changes you see fit and close the Settings window when you’re done.



5. Launch the Music App and start playing a song (any song, doesn’t matter).



6. You’ll be prompted to grant DesktopLyrics permission to control the Music app – click the OK button.



7. If that track doesn’t already have lyrics associated with it, you’ll see a message on your desktop letting you know as much. No problem.



8. Click the DesktopLyrics icon in your menu bar, select Lyrics Search and then Search for Lyrics…



9. Your browser will open and in a new tab you’ll see search results for the lyrics to that song. Choose one and then copy the lyrics from that page.



10. Back in the Music app, right-click (ctrl + click) the song and select Get Info



11. Choose the Lyrics tab and then place a check in the box labelled Custom Lyrics



12. Finally, paste the lyrics into the provided space. When you’re done, click the OK button.



13. Ta-da! Now the song lyrics are displayed on your Mac Desktop. At this point you may want to go back into the DesktopLyrics Settings (click the DesktopLyrics icon in your menu bar and then select Open DesktopLyrics…) and change the location where they’re displayed on your Desktop via the Placement tab.


click to enlarge

14. Adding lyrics one track at a time is obviously a tedious affair. Fortunately there’s an app that will do it for you, and we have a guide on how to use it.

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