Install 9xLyrics
Download and open the current 9xLyrics build for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Use the official 9xLyrics download page to see the builds currently available for your device.
9xLyrics is a desktop app. There is no browser extension and no mobile build: it reads what your computer says is playing, which is something only a desktop app can do.
Windows
Download the installer from the download page and run it. 9xLyrics is added to the Start menu and to the notification area.
Nothing else needs installing. Detection uses the same Windows media controls that the keyboard's play/pause key uses, so any player that lights up the volume overlay already works.
macOS
Open the downloaded disk image, drag 9xLyrics into Applications, then launch it from Applications or Spotlight.
The first time it needs to read what is playing, macOS asks for Automation permission for the player you are using — Music or Spotify. Allow it, or detection sees nothing. If you dismissed the prompt, System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation has the switch.
Two features are macOS only: the lyric on the lock screen, and text in the menu bar. They are absent rather than broken elsewhere — the pages for them say so.
Linux
Download either the AppImage or the .deb from the download page.
- AppImage — mark it executable and open it. Nothing is installed.
- .deb — install it with your package manager.
Detection uses MPRIS, the standard every mainstream Linux player speaks. Spotify, VLC, Rhythmbox, Lollypop and the browsers all report through it.
First launch
9xLyrics starts in the tray rather than in a window, because that is where it lives. The first screen asks for an account number and then three short questions — First run walks through both.
Updates
The app checks for updates on its own and installs them when you agree. See Updates.