In reply to:

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I don't like their [ID3v2's] 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.

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It's a while since I looked in any depth at ID3, and the lyrics stuff was only of passing interest to me (I'm not sure I want a carload of bad singing...), but it seems to me that you could use the next timecode as the end marker, and add empty strings where gaps are needed. For example, using your extract from DSOM:

    Time Text

    0:32 Ticking away, the moments that make up a dull day

    0:39 blank

    0:42 You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way 

    0:49 blank

That would enable you to DTRT, wouldn't it?

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Toby Speight - 040103385