How To: Instantly Get Song Lyrics on Android with QuickLyric

With floating song lyrics displayed over the screen, apps like musiXmatch and Floating Lyrics are perfect for people who want to go beyond just the tunes and delve into a song's message and meaning. And while these floating windows can be convenient, they're not always necessary.

Fortunately, there are great alternatives available. With lyrics that change as quick as the tracks your playing, developer Guillaume's app, QuickLyric, makes finding lyrics to the currently playing song simple, using a single button without any of the floating window mess.

Step 1: Install QuickLyric

Before installing the application, there are a few things you should know: it's free, there are no ads, it's simple to use, and Google's Material Design guidelines are implemented very well.

There are two versions of this app available. The Google Play Store version, and the F-Droid version (direct link here).

They are both essentially the same, but the F-Droid version will provide album art along with the lyrics, which is a nice touch. If you elect this version, be sure to have installation from "Unknown sources" enabled, and you'll probably want to install the F-Droid app to receive automatic updates.

Step 2: Go Through the Settings

Before using the app for its intended purposes, briefly go through its settings, accessible through the side menu. Some of the preferences provided are quite useful and allow you to ignore tracks longer than twenty minutes, which could be a podcast, and automatically refresh lyrics as songs change.

Step 3: Get Quick Lyrics

Using several APIs and constantly monitoring your music apps, QuickLyric is fast and easy. But for all you Spotify users, in order for this to work properly, enter Spotify's settings and enable "Device Broadcast Status."

Now, with your Android playing some music, open QuickLyric and tap on the refresh button and you'll see the lyrics for the currently-playing track. Once you change tracks (hint: use the notification to quickly do so), you can either hit the refresh button again, or automate the process by enabling "Automatically refresh lyrics" in the settings.

After testing QuickLyric on Google Play Music, Spotify, and Pandora, I can report that it functions as advertised, so try it out yourself and let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, make sure to catch Gadget Hacks on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter for more quick Android tips.