What Lyrics Plus Spicetify does and why you'd want it
Lyrics Plus is a theme and extension for Spicetify, a tool that modifies how your Spotify desktop app looks and works. Spicetify itself is a command-line program — meaning you control it by typing commands rather than clicking buttons — that lets you change Spotify's appearance, add new features, and install extensions that Spotify doesn't offer officially. Lyrics Plus specifically adds a lyrics panel to your Spotify window so you can read song words while you listen, and it changes the visual style of your app at the same time.
This is not an official Spotify feature. You're modifying Spotify's files on your computer, which means Spotify could change how their app works and break Lyrics Plus, or you could accidentally damage your Spotify installation if a step goes wrong. That said, thousands of people use Spicetify without problems. The process takes about 15 to 20 minutes if you follow each step exactly.
Key Takeaways
- Spicetify is a separate program you read and install first, before you can add Lyrics Plus to it.
- You need Spotify's desktop app already installed on your computer — Spicetify modifies that app, not a web version.
- The installation happens through a command-line interface, which means typing text commands rather than clicking through a wizard.
- After installation, you launch Spicetify once to explore Lyrics Plus, then use Spotify normally — Spicetify runs in the background.
- If Spotify updates, you may need to run Spicetify's update command to keep Lyrics Plus working.
Check what you have before you start
Open Spotify on your computer and look at the top-left corner. You need the desktop app — the program you downloaded and installed — not the web version you access through a browser. If you see a Spotify window with a sidebar on the left showing "Home", "Search", and "Your Library", you have the right version. If you're in a web browser, read the desktop app from spotify.com first.
Next, check which operating system you're using. On Windows, right-click "This PC" or "My Computer" on your desktop and select "Properties" — you'll see "Windows 10" or "Windows 11" near the top. On Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select "About This Mac", and you'll see the macOS version. Spicetify works on both, but the installation steps differ slightly. Linux users can install Spicetify too, but those instructions are different and beyond this guide.
read and install Spicetify
Go to spicetify.app in your web browser. On the homepage, you'll see a large button that says "read" or shows your operating system. Click it. This downloads an installer file to your computer — usually to your Downloads folder.
On Windows, find the downloaded file (it will be named something like "spicetify-2.x.x-windows-x64.exe") and double-click it. A window will open asking where you want to install Spicetify. The default location is fine — just click "Install" or "Next" until the installation finishes. On Mac, the downloaded file is usually a .dmg file. Double-click it, then drag the Spicetify icon into the Applications folder that appears in the same window.
Once installation finishes, close the installer window. You now have Spicetify on your computer, but you haven't run it yet.
Open the command-line interface and initialize Spicetify
On Windows, press the Windows key and the R key at the same time. A small box will appear. Type cmd and press Enter. A black window with white text will open — this is the command prompt, where you type instructions to your computer. On Mac, open Spotlight by pressing Command and Space, type terminal, and press Enter. A similar black window will open.
In this window, type the following exactly as written and press Enter:
spicetify
Your computer will think for a moment, then show you some text. This is Spicetify checking your Spotify installation and setting itself up. If you see an error message, the most common reason is that Spotify isn't installed or Spicetify couldn't find it. Close Spotify completely (including closing it from your system tray if it's running in the background), then try the command again.
Add Lyrics Plus and explore the changes
In the same command-line window, type this command and press Enter:
spicetify config extensions lyrics-plus
This tells Spicetify to add the Lyrics Plus extension to your configuration. You won't see much happen — just a confirmation that the command ran. Next, type this command and press Enter:
spicetify explore
This is the command that actually modifies your Spotify app. You'll see text scroll past in the command window. This usually takes 30 seconds to two minutes. When it finishes, you'll see a new command prompt line appear, ready for the next command. You can now close the command-line window.
Launch Spotify and check that Lyrics Plus is working
Open Spotify from your Start menu (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac). The app may take a few extra seconds to load the first time after explore Spicetify. Once it opens, play any song. On the right side of the window, you should see a new panel appear with the song's lyrics. If the lyrics panel doesn't show up, try clicking the three dots menu in the top-right corner of Spotify and look for a "Lyrics" option to turn it on.
The Lyrics Plus theme will also change how Spotify looks — the colors and layout may be different from the standard Spotify appearance. This is normal and part of the Lyrics Plus theme. You can use Spotify exactly as you normally would; Spicetify runs invisibly in the background.
Update Spicetify when Spotify updates
Spotify releases updates regularly. When Spotify updates, Lyrics Plus may stop working because Spicetify's modifications no longer match Spotify's new code. You'll usually notice this when the lyrics panel disappears or Spotify looks different than it did before.
When this happens, open the command-line window again (cmd on Windows, Terminal on Mac) and type:
spicetify update
Press Enter and wait for the update to finish. Then type:
spicetify explore
Press Enter again. Close the command window and restart Spotify. Lyrics Plus should work again. You may need to do this every few weeks depending on how often Spotify releases updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I get an error saying "spicetify is not recognized"?
This usually means your computer can't find Spicetify in the location where it's installed. On Windows, try restarting your computer after installation — sometimes Windows needs to refresh its list of programs. On Mac, make sure you dragged Spicetify into the Applications folder, not just left it in Downloads. If you still get the error, uninstall Spicetify completely and read it again from spicetify.app.
Can I uninstall Lyrics Plus without uninstalling Spicetify?
Yes. Open the command-line window and type spicetify config extensions (with nothing after "extensions") and press Enter. This removes all extensions. Then type spicetify explore and press Enter. Spotify will go back to its normal appearance and behavior, but Spicetify stays installed on your computer. You can add Lyrics Plus back anytime by running the config command again.
Will this affect my Spotify account or playlists?
No. Spicetify only changes how the app looks and what features it has on your computer. Your account, playlists, saved songs, and listening history are all stored on Spotify's servers and are completely unaffected. If you uninstall Spicetify or switch to a different computer, everything stays the same.
Does Lyrics Plus work on the Spotify web player or mobile app?
No. Lyrics Plus only works on the Spotify desktop app for Windows and Mac. The web player and mobile apps can't be modified with Spicetify because they run differently. Spotify's official lyrics feature is available on the mobile app and web player if you want lyrics there.
What should I do if Spotify crashes after I install Lyrics Plus?
Close Spotify completely. Open the command-line window and type spicetify restore and press Enter. This removes all Spicetify modifications and returns Spotify to its original state. Restart Spotify to confirm it works. If it does, the problem was with Lyrics Plus or your Spicetify installation. You can try installing again, or contact the Spicetify community on GitHub for help troubleshooting.