How to View Lyrics on YouTube Music (2026 Guide)

You know how sometimes you really want to sing along to your song but you just can't seem to find the words? Yeah, it's frustrating.

Whether you're a casual listener or a huge music fan, lyrics are an essential part of the listening experience. They help you learn and sing along to your favorite songs and can reveal the deeper meaning and emotions behind the music. If you've been using YouTube Music and can't find the lyrics section, you're not alone.

This guide will walk you through how to see lyrics on YouTube Music and offer solutions if your YouTube Music lyrics are missing. Plus, we'll share a bonus tip on how to save your YouTube Music tracks for offline listening.

If you're wondering how to see lyrics on YouTube Music, the process is simple. Whether you're using an Android, iPhone, Windows, or Mac, YouTube Music makes it easy to view song lyrics while listening.

Step 1 Open the YouTube Music app and play a song.

Step 2 Tap the "Now Playing" bar at the bottom of the screen to expand the player.

Step 3 Tap the "Lyrics" tab below the song title.

Notes:

• The "Lyrics" tab may sometimes be hidden behind other tabs. Simply swipe left to find it.
• In some app versions, the lyrics section may appear near the bottom of the screen.

Step 1 Open YouTube Music in your browser and play a song.

Step 2 Click the "Now Playing" bar at the bottom of the screen to expand the player.

Step 3 Click the "Lyrics" tab on the right side of the screen to view the lyrics.

Note: If you're playing a music video instead of the audio version of a song, the "Lyrics" tab may be grayed out and unavailable.

Step 1 After opening the lyrics as described on mobile, tap "Share".

Step 2 Select the lyrics you want to share (up to 5 lines), then tap "Next".

Step 3 Customize the lyrics card with either a solid-color background or an AI-powered background. When you're finished, tap "Share" to save it as an image or post it directly to your social media platform.

Note: Lyric sharing is currently only available in the YouTube Music mobile app. The web player does not support this feature at the moment.

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One common question from new users is whether they can enjoy YouTube Music with lyrics for every song. The answer is NO; NOT all songs on YouTube Music include lyrics.

YouTube Music began gradually adding lyrics to its app around 2020 and officially rolled out the live lyrics feature to all users worldwide around 2023. Currently, the platform primarily offers two main lyric formats:

• Live Lyrics: The lyrics for the currently playing song are highlighted and scroll in sync with the music. This feature is primarily available on mobile apps (Android and iOS).
• Static Lyrics: Displayed as plain text, requiring manual scrolling to view. This mode is typically found on desktop and web versions.

So, which types of songs have lyrics, and which do not?

✅️ Songs More Likely to Have Lyrics	❌️ Songs Less Likely to Have Lyrics
Popular and mainstream songs	Obscure and niche songs
Tracks by well-known artists	Tracks by independent artists
Releases from major record labels	Newly released songs without lyrics
Songs included in the lyrics database	Live performances, remixes, and cover versions
Tracks with official lyrics licenses	Older songs with incomplete licensing or metadata
Songs in widely spoken languages	Songs in lesser-known languages
Recently released commercial music	Instrumental and purely orchestral music

The main reason some songs lack lyrics is due to licensing and copyright restrictions.

This is because the "recording rights" and "songwriting rights" fall under two separate agreements. Therefore, even if YouTube Music has the rights to stream a song, it may not have the legal rights to display the lyrics.

Tip: As of early 2026, YouTube Music has been testing lyric-viewing limits for free users in certain regions. After viewing lyrics for five songs per month, some users may see blurred lyrics along with a prompt to upgrade to YouTube Premium.

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If you've followed all the steps but still can't see the lyrics on YouTube Music, or if the lyrics are missing, try the troubleshooting methods below.

Not every song on YouTube Music includes lyrics. Some tracks simply lack lyrics and may need to be uploaded via third-party platforms (such as Musixmatch and LyricFind). If lyrics are unavailable, you may need to wait until they are added by the rights holder or lyrics provider.

If your internet connection is unstable or weak, the lyrics may not load properly. Try switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or reconnecting to your network.

Make sure you're using the latest version of YouTube Music. Older versions may contain bugs that prevent lyrics from displaying.

Sometimes, account synchronization issues can cause lyrics not to appear. Signing out and back in may resolve this problem.

Cache file issues can sometimes interfere with certain app features. Clear the YouTube Music cache, then reopen the app and try again.

If none of the above methods work, try uninstalling and reinstalling YouTube Music to fix any potential issues with the app files.

If you're using YouTube Music in a browser, extensions such as ad blockers may interfere with lyric loading. Try disabling them temporarily and refreshing the page.

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If you are not a YouTube Music Premium subscriber, you can only stream music online and cannot download or play it offline. Even with a Premium subscription, the downloaded tracks can only be played offline within the YouTube Music app; you cannot save them as local audio files or play them on other devices.

To truly save and play YouTube Music offline, you can use NoteBurner YouTube Music Converter. This program converts songs from YouTube Music into common audio formats such as MP3, FLAC, and WAV, allowing you to listen to YouTube Music anytime, anywhere, even without an internet connection. You can also transfer these songs to any music device. Additionally, the converted files can serve as a personal music backup.