How do I name the LRC file for my music player?

The .lrc file should have the same base name as the music file and be in the same directory. For example, if your song is track01.mp3, the lyrics file should be track01.lrc.

What is enhanced LRC?

Enhanced LRC adds word-level timing tags within each line, such as [00:01.00]Hello [00:01.50]World. This enables word-by-word highlighting in compatible players. The converter produces standard LRC; you can enhance it manually or with a dedicated tool.

Does LRC support multi-line text per timestamp?

Standard LRC uses one timestamp tag per line. The converter keeps additional text lines from an SBV entry, but only the first line receives the timestamp. Add timestamp tags manually if each line needs its own timing.

Can I use LRC for video subtitles?

LRC is designed for music lyrics, not video subtitles. Most video players do not support LRC. If you need video subtitles, convert SBV to SRT or VTT instead.

What is the [offset:] tag?

The [offset:ms] tag at the top of an LRC file applies a global timing shift to all entries. Positive values delay the lyrics; negative values advance them. This is useful for fine-tuning sync without editing individual timestamps.

Does the converter preserve SBV text formatting?

SBV bracket tags like [br] and [i] are removed. Other text content and line breaks are preserved, though only the first line of each cue receives an LRC timestamp.

Can I convert multiple SBV files to LRC?

Yes. Drop several SBV files on this page and they open together in the workspace Batch tool with the LRC format pre-selected. Each produces a separate .lrc output.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. The converter is fully responsive and works in mobile browsers.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. All conversion happens in your browser. Your files never leave your device.

How fast is the conversion?

Nearly instant. The conversion is simple text reformatting with no complex processing.

What encoding does the LRC output use?

UTF-8, which supports all languages including CJK, Arabic, and Cyrillic. Most modern music players handle UTF-8 LRC files correctly.

Can I use the LRC for subtitle practice?

Yes. Language learners often convert subtitle files to LRC format to practice listening with synchronized text display in music players.

What if my SBV entries have no text?

Entries with empty text are skipped during conversion, as an empty LRC line with a timestamp but no lyrics serves no purpose.

Can I batch convert multiple SBV files to LRC?

Yes. Drop several SBV files on this page and they open together in the workspace Batch tool with the LRC format pre-selected, converting every file at once. For converting whole folders at scale, use the Batch Converter page.

SBV to LRC Subtitle Converter

Transform SubViewer subtitle timing into LRC lyrics tags for music players like foobar2000, AIMP, and Poweramp.

Drag & drop your SBV file here

or click to browse

Supports .sbv files up to 50 MB

Core Engine Architecture

Free Online SBV to LRC Converter

Our SBV to LRC converter repurposes SubViewer subtitle files as synchronized lyrics. LRC is the standard format for timed lyrics in music players such as foobar2000, AIMP, Poweramp, and MX Player. Unlike SBV, which stores both start and end times for video subtitles, LRC uses only a start-time tag ([MM:SS.xx]) prepended to each lyrics line, with the end time implied by the next entry. The converter extracts the start time from each SBV entry, drops the hours component (LRC has no hours field), converts milliseconds to centiseconds, and wraps the result in the bracket notation LRC expects.

Payload & Syntax Inspector

SBV to LRC Code Syntax & Structure Inspection

Side-by-side code inspection illustrating header definitions, timestamp syntax, and cue payload formatting

Millisecond Sync

input.sbv

SBV SOURCE

0:00:01.000,0:00:04.000
Hello, world!
 
0:00:04.500,0:00:08.000
This is a subtitle file.
 
0:00:08.500,0:00:12.000
Converted locally!

output.lrc

LRC RESULT

[00:01.00]Hello, world!
[00:04.50]This is a subtitle file.
[00:08.50]Converted locally!

Specification Sheet

SBV vs LRC Technical Specifications

Standard Compliant

Input Format

SBV

SubViewer (SBV) is a lightweight subtitle format popularized by subtitle repositories like SubDl and OpenSubtitles. Each entry places both timestamps on a single line using the pattern 0:00:01.234,0:00:04.567 (start and end separated by a comma, hours not zero-padded, milliseconds preceded by a period). There are no sequence numbers and no file header. The subtitle text follows immediately below. SBV sometimes uses bracket-style tags such as [br] for line breaks and [i] for italics, but the format has no standardized styling system.

Output Format

LRC

LRC is a synchronized lyrics format used by music players. Each line begins with a timestamp tag in the form [MM:SS.xx] (minutes, seconds, centiseconds - no hours field), followed immediately by the lyrics text. There are no end timestamps; the display duration is implied by the next line's start time. LRC files may include optional metadata tags: [ti:title], [ar:artist], [al:album], [by:creator], and [offset:ms] for global timing adjustment. Enhanced LRC supports word-level timing with additional nested tags.

Format Differences

SBV stores both start AND end times; LRC stores only start times (end is implied by the next line).

SBV uses H:MM:SS.MMM format with hours; LRC uses [MM:SS.xx] with no hours field (songs rarely exceed 60 minutes).

SBV separates timestamps from text with a line break; LRC prepends the timestamp tag directly before the text on the same line.

SBV uses comma-separated start,end pairs; LRC uses individual [MM:SS.xx] tags per line.

SBV has no metadata fields; LRC supports [ti:title], [ar:artist], [al:album], [by:creator], and [offset:ms].

SBV milliseconds have 3 digits (.234); LRC centiseconds have 2 digits (.23).

Conversion Troubleshooting & Gotchas

Practical solutions for player compatibility, character encoding, and timing synchronization

4 Common Gotchas

GOTCHA #1

Subtitle timing drifts or appears out of sync on media players

Video files frequently differ in framerate (e.g., 23.976 fps vs 25 fps). If the timing drifts steadily, use our Subtitle Sync tool to adjust the global offset or framerate stretch.

GOTCHA #2

Characters appear as garbled symbols or question marks (Mojibake)

Legacy files saved in Windows-1252, Shift-JIS, or GBK may render incorrectly. Our exporter standardizes output to clean UTF-8. Use our Subtitle Encoding Converter if the source file is corrupted.

GOTCHA #3

Overlapping captions when multiple speakers talk simultaneously

Different formats handle overlapping dialogue differently. If your target player cannot render stacked cues cleanly, open the file in our Subtitle Editor to adjust individual cue timings.

GOTCHA #4

Video editing software (Premiere, DaVinci, Final Cut) rejects the file

Professional NLE software enforces strict syntax rules. Our converter eliminates malformed line breaks and non-standard tags, producing clean, standardized files.

Features

Converts SBV start times to LRC [MM:SS.xx] timestamp tags

Drops end times (LRC uses only start times)

Strips hours from timestamps (LRC has no hours field)

Converts milliseconds to centiseconds as LRC requires

Writes plain LRC cues without adding metadata tags

Preserves subtitle text as lyrics lines

Why Convert?

Repurpose video subtitle content as synchronized song lyrics for music players.

LRC is the standard format for timed lyrics in foobar2000, AIMP, Poweramp, and MX Player.

Create karaoke-style displays from existing subtitle content.

LRC's simplified [MM:SS.xx] tags are understood by music players that do not support subtitle formats.

Convert foreign-language subtitles into lyrics for language learning and sing-along practice.

LRC metadata tags ([ti:], [ar:], [al:]) can be added manually after conversion if you need song information.

Use subtitle timing data to create word-by-word or line-by-line lyrics displays.

Scenarios

Common Use Cases

Music Lyric Creation

Convert subtitle timing from a movie or video into LRC format so the same text displays as synchronized lyrics in foobar2000, AIMP, or Poweramp.

Karaoke Preparation

Use existing subtitle timing data to create line-by-line karaoke lyrics in LRC format for karaoke software.

Language Learning

Convert foreign-language video subtitles to LRC lyrics for sing-along practice and listening comprehension with music players.

Lyrics Archiving

Preserve subtitle content as LRC lyrics files alongside music collections for synchronized display during playback.

Content Repurposing

Transform subtitle text from one medium (video) into another (music) without retiming the content manually.

Enhanced LRC Export

Use the converted LRC as a base for creating enhanced LRC with word-level timing tags for more precise lyric highlighting.

Format Ecosystem

Related Formats

SBV (SubViewer)

The input format: video subtitles with comma-separated timestamps, used by subtitle download sites.

SRT (SubRip)

The video subtitle alternative: if you need subtitles for video (not lyrics), convert SBV to SRT instead.

TXT

The plain-text alternative: if you only need the text without any timing, convert SBV to TXT for a clean transcript.

How It Works

1
Upload your .sbv file by dragging it into the converter or browsing.
2
The parser reads each SBV entry and extracts the start timestamp and text.
3
Each start time is converted from H:MM:SS.MMM to [MM:SS.xx] format.
4
The end timestamp is dropped, and the text becomes the lyrics line.
5
Download the .lrc file and load it alongside a music file in any compatible player.

moreTools.fromFormat

SBV SRT SBV VTT SBV ASS SBV TXT SBV TTML SBV SCC SBV STL SBV SMI

moreTools.toFormat

VTT LRC SRT LRC JSON LRC ASS LRC SSA LRC TTML LRC SCC LRC STL LRC

More Subtitle Tools

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Edit subtitle content and timings

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Subtitle Merger

Combine multiple subtitle files

AI Subtitle Translator

Translate to 19 built-in target languages

Frequently Asked Questions

LRC was designed for music players, where each lyrics line stays on screen until the next line begins. The end time is implicitly the start time of the following line. This simplifies the format and is sufficient for lyrics display.

LRC uses two-digit centiseconds (00-99) instead of three-digit milliseconds (000-999). The converter truncates to two digits: 234ms becomes 23 centiseconds. This gives 10ms precision, which is standard for lyrics synchronization.

The converter writes timed lyric lines only. You can add metadata tags such as [ti:Song Title], [ar:Artist Name], and [al:Album Name] manually at the top of the generated file.

LRC timestamps use [MM:SS.xx] format with no hours field, because songs rarely exceed 60 minutes. If your SBV file has entries beyond 59:59, those timestamps will still be converted correctly by using minutes above 60 (e.g., [65:30.00]).

foobar2000, AIMP, Poweramp, MX Player, MiniLyrics, and many Android and iOS music apps support LRC. The .lrc file should be placed in the same folder as the music file with the same base name.

Yes, completely free with no registration or watermarks. All processing happens in your browser.

Ready to convert your subtitles?

Drop your SBV file here and convert to LRC instantly.

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Related Resources

What is SBV?What is LRC?LRC vs SBV ASS vs LRC ASS vs SBV LRC vs SCC