MiniLyrics
Encyclopedia
MiniLyrics, is a lyrics viewer and editor software written by Crintsoft LLC. The software comes in the form of a plugin for media players, with support for the most popular ones (eg. Winamp
, Windows Media Player
, iTunes
and MediaMonkey
) as well as many less known players.
, as its author considered to port into other operating system
s.
files to display synchronized lyrics in audio players.
MiniLyrics Installer (NSIS) installs plug-ins to players, by detecting registry entries or letting users to choose players' installed path.
Since the version 6, it can have a portable
installation.
The program does not contain advertising systems ("adware
"), "spyware
" or any "tag-along" extra software in its installer.
Starting from version 7, the author decided to use its own skin, targeted for Mac OS X
and Linux ports.
LRC is a synchronized (also time-synchronized or time-stamped) file format.
Windows Mobile
5 and Prior-Windows 2000
operating systems are still supported via old versions, can be download here
The mobile version was developed until version 5. It is now stalled.
Porting to Mac OS X, Linux is considering.
, the program is advertised that itself never expires, can be used without time restriction. But a nag screen often pops up on startup and sometimes when downloading lyrics. This nag screen can be removed by registering the program for $9.99 or $24.99.
Some download websites consider it as a nagware.
It can save lyrics to audio files in 3 formats: ID3v2 synchronized (supported by Windows Media Player
), not synchronized (supported by Windows Media Player and iTunes
) and Lyrics3v2.
Lyrics updating and deletion are executed at
Lyrics can only be downloaded if:
Since this is user-based database, the uploaded files' tag are not always correct; if the file tags are wrong, they will be likely less or not downloaded at all.
The download is counted only when MiniLyrics automatically downloads it.
Lyrics are rated using a score of 5. Submit rating via website. The lyrics file with higher rating will be preferred.
(as version 7).
Modes: MiniLyrics has 3 display modes: Normal, Floating and Lyrics Bar. Floating Lyrics Mode is added since version 6, which feature a transparent display.
Styles: LRC files are viewed with many style: Vertical Scrolling, Single Line, Movie Subtitle,...
Formats: Users can select their own font format, size and color to display lyrics.
Other options: The program has anti-aliasing
display, which clear jagged edge in fonts, but it is turned off by default. Karaoke displaying mode. Lyrics can be displayed in Fade in, fade out background or Normal.
Luminita Apostu at Softpedia
, in editor review, gave MiniLyrics "Excellent" rating. Apostu, Windows Editor, said the good thing about MiniLyrics "is the fact that even if it comes as an unregistered version, it doesn't have an expiring trial and it allows you to use it for as much as you want, of course, as long as you don't feel too uncomfortable with dealing with the nag reminder screen that prompts each time you run and stop the application." She also note that "the only uncomfortable thing" that she found about the program "is the fact you must first run the player application and just after that Minilyrics opens." And praised it with "I think Minilyrics gets its job done and, quite frankly, there's nothing I couldn't be satisfied about."
Editor review in Softonic
gave MiniLyrics "Outstanding" rating. Elena Santos claimed "Singing your favorite songs aloud, especially when nobody sees you, is one of those little pleasures in life. But you obviously need to know the lyrics to the song you're trying to follow, something you can easily find with MiniLyrics." She said the downside of the program is "MiniLyrics displays a nag window every time you launch it and another registration reminder on top of each lyrics file", but noted "that's a price I'm willing to play to be able to sing almost any of the 4,300 files in my Winamp playlist."
The author website itself claims that the software is being used by millions users.
Winamp
Winamp is a media player for Windows-based PCs and Android devices, written by Nullsoft, now a subsidiary of AOL. It is proprietary freeware/shareware, multi-format, extensible with plug-ins and skins, and is noted for its graphical sound visualization, playlist, and media library features.Winamp...
, Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
, iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey is a proprietary digital media player and media library application developed by Ventis Media Inc., for organizing and playing audio on Microsoft Windows operating systems. By using plugins, it can be extended to handle video and other media formats as well.MediaMonkey is available in a...
) as well as many less known players.
Version 7
Current version 7 uses its own GUIGraphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
, as its author considered to port into other operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s.
Features
The main function of MiniLyrics is taking use of user-generated LRCLRC (file format)
LRC is a computer file format that synchronizes song lyrics with an audio file, such as MP3, Vorbis or MIDI. When an audio file is played with certain music players on a computer or on modern digital audio players, the song lyrics are displayed. The lyrics file generally has the same name as the...
files to display synchronized lyrics in audio players.
MiniLyrics Installer (NSIS) installs plug-ins to players, by detecting registry entries or letting users to choose players' installed path.
Since the version 6, it can have a portable
Portable application
A portable application , sometimes also called standalone, is a computer software program designed to run independently from an operating system...
installation.
The program does not contain advertising systems ("adware
Adware
Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer. These advertisements can be in the form of a pop-up. They may also be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during...
"), "spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
" or any "tag-along" extra software in its installer.
User interface
Until version 6, MiniLyrics uses Windows's native skin.Starting from version 7, the author decided to use its own skin, targeted for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Linux ports.
File format
The LRC format, which is similar to subtitle file format, is main use of MiniLyrics. While.txt, .srt (read only) and .snc (save only) are also supported.LRC is a synchronized (also time-synchronized or time-stamped) file format.
Operating system compatibility
- Windows 2000Windows 2000Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
- Windows XPWindows XPWindows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
- Windows VistaWindows VistaWindows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
- Windows 7
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
5 and Prior-Windows 2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
operating systems are still supported via old versions, can be download here
The mobile version was developed until version 5. It is now stalled.
Porting to Mac OS X, Linux is considering.
Supported media players
Limitation
MiniLyrics is not a trialwareEvaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
, the program is advertised that itself never expires, can be used without time restriction. But a nag screen often pops up on startup and sometimes when downloading lyrics. This nag screen can be removed by registering the program for $9.99 or $24.99.
Some download websites consider it as a nagware.
Creating and editing
MiniLyrics has a built-in lyrics editor, which is a text editor, similar to Notepad, but with additional, advanced tools for editing lyrics like taggings, synchronizing, set offset,...It can save lyrics to audio files in 3 formats: ID3v2 synchronized (supported by Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
), not synchronized (supported by Windows Media Player and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
) and Lyrics3v2.
Uploading
Lyrics are all created by users, their files are uploaded to dual-server atviewlyrics.com. Registration is now required to upload and edit lyrics files.Lyrics updating and deletion are executed at
search.crintsoft.com. To update the uploaded lyrics files, users must provide file with same Artist and Title tag; or otherwise they have to delete lyrics and re-upload again if they want to change the tag. The lyrics database is claimed to be expanding everyday.Downloading
Tags from audio files retrieved through installed plug-in into MiniLyrics. It sends request to server and automatically download to lyrics folder (typically eg.: C:\Lyrics).Lyrics can only be downloaded if:
- They are exist on server's database
- The Artist and Title field tag are matched with uploaded
.lrcfile.
Since this is user-based database, the uploaded files' tag are not always correct; if the file tags are wrong, they will be likely less or not downloaded at all.
The download is counted only when MiniLyrics automatically downloads it.
Lyrics are rated using a score of 5. Submit rating via website. The lyrics file with higher rating will be preferred.
Viewing and displaying
Skins: MiniLyrics itself contains many skin. But only "Fantasy", "MiniLyrics" and "Windows 7" have their own GUIGraphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
(as version 7).
Modes: MiniLyrics has 3 display modes: Normal, Floating and Lyrics Bar. Floating Lyrics Mode is added since version 6, which feature a transparent display.
Styles: LRC files are viewed with many style: Vertical Scrolling, Single Line, Movie Subtitle,...
Formats: Users can select their own font format, size and color to display lyrics.
Other options: The program has anti-aliasing
Anti-aliasing
In digital signal processing, spatial anti-aliasing is the technique of minimizing the distortion artifacts known as aliasing when representing a high-resolution image at a lower resolution...
display, which clear jagged edge in fonts, but it is turned off by default. Karaoke displaying mode. Lyrics can be displayed in Fade in, fade out background or Normal.
Reception
MiniLyrics was met with near universal acclaim, receiving praise from software download editor and among users.Luminita Apostu at Softpedia
Softpedia
Softpedia is an Internet web site that indexes information and provides software downloads. The site also covers major technology, science, health, and entertainment news from both external and in-house sources and provides software and game reviews. , it is one of the top 500 websites according to...
, in editor review, gave MiniLyrics "Excellent" rating. Apostu, Windows Editor, said the good thing about MiniLyrics "is the fact that even if it comes as an unregistered version, it doesn't have an expiring trial and it allows you to use it for as much as you want, of course, as long as you don't feel too uncomfortable with dealing with the nag reminder screen that prompts each time you run and stop the application." She also note that "the only uncomfortable thing" that she found about the program "is the fact you must first run the player application and just after that Minilyrics opens." And praised it with "I think Minilyrics gets its job done and, quite frankly, there's nothing I couldn't be satisfied about."
Editor review in Softonic
Softonic.com
Softonic.com is a software download portal based in Barcelona, Spain, founded in 1997. Since 2007, the portal has included a blog called OnSoftware...
gave MiniLyrics "Outstanding" rating. Elena Santos claimed "Singing your favorite songs aloud, especially when nobody sees you, is one of those little pleasures in life. But you obviously need to know the lyrics to the song you're trying to follow, something you can easily find with MiniLyrics." She said the downside of the program is "MiniLyrics displays a nag window every time you launch it and another registration reminder on top of each lyrics file", but noted "that's a price I'm willing to play to be able to sing almost any of the 4,300 files in my Winamp playlist."
The author website itself claims that the software is being used by millions users.