Yeah but I don't like their approach to storing timecodes in the synchronized text field. It's based on a single timecode for each block of text rather than starting and ending times, which are more convenient for scrolling. If you've got lyrics showing up on a karaoke screen, all you need is a starting time for that block of text, because you can leave the text up until the next one comes up. But for scrolling, you kinda need to know what time you want the last letter of that line to scroll by.

They also want you to store timestamps in MPEG frames or milliseconds. I think down to the second resolution is all you really need. With the method I'm suggesting, you put the lyrics in as flat text, maybe adjusting newlines properly, and then in a parellel field, you put the start and end times for each line. Though my method would not be "ID3v2 standard" I think it would be much more practical.

I also think it's more elegant to have the lyrics in plain text in the lyrics field rather than having all the goofy timecodes getting in the way when you try to read them. Putting the timecodes in a second field increases complexity a little bit (has to have same number of lines, etc.) but I like the separation of the two items personally.

As for a program to add the lyrics in a user friendly way, I agree that would be nice. I seriously doubt anyone's implemented an ID3v2 editor which provides a nice interface for constructing the SYLT frame.

This is proof that people who write these standards know nothing about actual implementation.

-Tony
MkII #554