linecode/desktop_lyrics

Lyrics widget and editor for desktop

Lyrics Widget and Editor for Desktop

I really like singing (though that is not to say that my voice is any good). I especially like to sing while working on PC, it helps to keep me motivated.

MiniLyrics from Crintsoft is particularly great for me, it has a single bar mode which doesn't distract me and a huge collection of lyrics. Unfortunately I hardly use Windows to work anymore, and I can't find MiniLyrics for Linux. Using Wine simply does not feel right, therefore I decided to spend a week working on a working MiniLyrics replacement for Linux. Since I used Qt, the app would be, in theory, able to work in other desktop platforms.

Unlike MiniLyrics, this app does not have an auto-scroll lyrics mode. It also can't search lyrics online, I can't find free and legal web API for that purpose, you would have to search the lyrics and sync it by yourself (or run MiniLyrics in Wine and search the lyrics there).

Requirements

For running the app, you would need:

1. Clementine, for actually playing musics. Other players are not supported yet.
2. Qt libraries >= 5.7.0

For building the app, you would need:

1. Qt >= 5.7.0
2. Qt Build System (qbs, included with Qt)
3. Catch, for testing (included as submodule)

It used the new QtQuick.Controls 2.0 module so older version of Qt probably won't work.

Usage Guide

Before using the app, I'd recommend you to copy your lyrics to a path which is easily reachable from Linux. Personally, I'd create a symbolic link to my MiniLyrics folder in home directory so new lyrics from MiniLyrics are instantly available in Linux.

After starting the app, you'd find two main windows, the big one has simple media controls and a list of available lyrics to pick from, the small one always stays on top to display one line of lyrics. If you close either window, press F5 in the remaining window to summon the closed window.

If you find correct lyrics from suggestion box just click it, otherwise open the lyrics file manually by clicking the big Browse Lyrics button. Notice that manually loading lyrics file would change the app's lyrics directory, so it'd be better if you copy that file to a dedicated lyrics directory.

If you don't have the correct lyrics file, you can create one. Just press F6 to call the Lyrics Editor, put the correct lyrics there and begin timing each line to currently playing song's timing. The editor is not as advanced as MiniLyrics', but the workflow is similar. The text doesn't change when the track is changing, and media control is still available during lyrics timing so you can try several times to get the timing right.

Under the Hood

The app uses DBus to communicate with Clementine, therefore you can simply rewrite that DBus logic to make it works with your favorite music player. The DBus logic can be found in media_service.h and media_service.cpp.

Additional Features and Bug Fixes

Since this is a one week side-project and it already fits my need, I don't think I would work on additional features anytime soon. What I think can be improved are:

• More complete UI, with proper icons, shortcuts, and tooltips
• Resizeable CompactViewer
• Proper window event handling in CompactViewer
• Context menus, although this one is a bit tricky
• Better lyrics suggestion algorithm
• Persistent offset settings

Contributions are welcome :).