Lyrics Text vs Timing (and AbleSet)

Pasting lyrics fixes the words only. Timed lyrics and chords come from the Lyrics and Chords option, not from Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections. AbleSet needs that timed pass plus vocal audio.

AbleSet (and other timed lyric exports) need timed lyrics — not just the correct words on the page.

This page is the place to check which Analyze option times lyrics, and what paste does instead.

The two Analyze options

Every Analyze surface shows two checkboxes. The labels are the option names:

Option What you get What it does not show
Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections Key, tempo, time signature, and song sections Lyrics
Lyrics and Chords Lyrics and chords, shown together after this runs It does not replace key, tempo, time signature, or sections

Paste and edit are a third job, separate from both options:

Job What it does What it does not do
Paste / edit lyrics text Corrects the words Does not add or fix timing
Lyrics and Chords Detects lyrics and chords and places lyrics in time Does not replace word fixes you already made when you only needed a typo fixed
Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections Fills key, tempo, time signature, and sections Does not time lyrics

Each selected option is its own analysis credit charge. Both together is two runs. Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections is 5 credits per minute of audio, rounded up to the minute, minimum 5. Lyrics and Chords is 15 credits per minute, rounded up, minimum 15. Details: Credits Explained.

Defaults:

  • On the song-page offer card, Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections starts checked and Lyrics and Chords starts unchecked.
  • On upload, both checkboxes start unchecked until you check one.
  • Empty Key, Tempo, or Time chips request Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections only.

Free and All-Access show the same two options. Plans differ on monthly credits and caps, not on which option exists.

Paste and edit fix words only

If a word is wrong, open the Lyrics tab on the arrangement page, click into the line, and correct the text (including pasting a corrected lyric sheet).

That updates the text. Plain pasted text does not create timing. Import with labeled blocks such as [Verse 1] can lock words to the arrangement's sections, but that timing is a guess, not precise line timing. Untimed or sparsely timed lyrics still will not drive AbleSet's lyrics track the way a full timed pass does.

AbleSet's optional lyrics track only uses songs that already have timed lyrics — songs without timed lyrics are skipped. See The Setlist Management Page.

Timing requires Lyrics and Chords

Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections does not time lyrics. To get time-synced lyrics and the chords that show with them:

  1. Upload the audio for the arrangement (stems, and a reference file when the stems have no lead vocal — next section).
  2. Check Lyrics and Chords on the Analyze surface (upload, or the offer card on the arrangement). Leave Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections unchecked if you only need words and chords.
  3. After Lyrics and Chords finishes, open Lyrics and Chords. They show together. Check that lines land with the vocal.
  4. If the words are wrong but the timing is mostly right, edit the text in place.

If timing is missing or full of gaps, fix the vocal audio and run Lyrics and Chords again. Pasting more plain text does not add timing.

Lyrics and Chords does not overwrite key, tempo, time signature, sections, or the beat map. Run Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections when those are what you want.

No lead vocal in the stems — large gaps

Lyrics and Chords listens for a lead vocal. If your multitracks are instrumental-only (or the lead is missing or too quiet), that option often returns large gaps — empty stretches where no lyric lines were detected or timed.

  1. Keep your stems as they are for playback and export.
  2. Add a reference file — the original recording, or a mix that includes the lead vocal — in time with the multitracks. If the reference is early or late, timing will be wrong.
  3. Check Lyrics and Chords again so lyrics can be detected from that vocal.
  4. Fix any wrong words on the Lyrics tab if the timing is already good.

Stems still play as uploaded. The reference is there so Lyrics and Chords can hear the vocal.

AbleSet checklist

  1. The arrangement has timed lyrics from Lyrics and Chords, with vocal-capable audio (a lead vocal in the stems, or a time-aligned reference).
  2. The band's setlist solution is AbleSet. See The Setlist Management Page.
  3. Add a lyrics track is on (Standard or Pro template — not custom templates yet).
  4. Re-export the set after lyrics timing is good.

Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections alone does not satisfy step 1.

Frequently asked questions

Does Analyze give me lyrics?

Only if you check Lyrics and Chords. Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections alone produces key, tempo, time signature, and song sections. It does not show lyrics.

Where do chords come from?

They show together with the lyrics after Lyrics and Chords, or you type them on the Chords tab.

I ran Analyze and the Lyrics tab is empty. Is that broken?

Expected if you only ran Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections. Check Lyrics and Chords, and give it vocal-capable audio (a lead vocal in the stems, or a time-aligned reference). Plain paste does not fill an empty timing pass.

Do I spend credits twice if I check both options?

Yes. Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections is 5 credits per minute of audio, rounded up to the minute, minimum 5. Lyrics and Chords is 15 credits per minute, rounded up, minimum 15. Both together is two runs. If the balance covers the first charge and not the second, the song page says the lyrics run did not start, and Lyrics and Chords stays available to retry.

Are the Analyze options different on Free and All-Access?

No. Free and All-Access offer the same two checkboxes. Plans differ on monthly credits and caps (240 on Free, 1,000 on All-Access), not on whether Lyrics and Chords exists.

AbleSet is missing timed lyrics after Analyze. What do I run?

Key, Tempo, Time Signature and Sections does not time lyrics, and plain paste does not add timing. Check Lyrics and Chords with vocal-capable audio, then re-export. The checklist above is the full path.

Can I time lyrics by hand instead of Lyrics and Chords?

Edit the text on the Lyrics tab anytime. Timing comes from Lyrics and Chords. If timing is empty or gappy, add a vocal reference and run Lyrics and Chords again rather than pasting more text.

Will running Lyrics and Chords wipe word fixes I already made?

Run Lyrics and Chords again when the audio for lyrics was wrong (no vocal, wrong take, misaligned reference). Prefer editing words in place when timing is already good. See My Song Didn't Analyze Right and Replacing Stems and Re-analyzing.

Where to go next

Stuck on lyrics or AbleSet, click the support bubble in the bottom-right of any page, or email support@fromstudiotostage.com.