[Plugin] BeyondLyrics (August 28 Update)

[DonK]

Author: pascal@haazebrek.nl
Short Description: Plugin that searches and displays song lyrics and album cover image for the currently playing song.
Long Description: Plugin that searches and displays song lyrics and album cover image for the currently playing song. It uses LeosLyrics' database of lyrics and Amazon.com's cover images. Lyrics and covers are downloaded only once; Lyrics are automatically stored in the media library and covers are downloaded to harddisk. So when you play the song again, no internet connection is needed. Additionally, this new version allows users to change artist name and song title in order to get better results. (DVD-library-like selection out of alternatives). If you have any suggestions to improve this plugin, just post a message in this thread.
Version Number: 1.0.0
Status: Stable
Last Updated: aug 28th 2005
Homepage: http://pascal.haazebroek.nl
Installation Instructions: Just run the bmplugin file. An additional item "Lyrics" appears in Beyond Media main menu.
Release Notes:

1.0.0 improvements (over 0.1 beta):
- lyrics and covers are only downloaded upon request.
- lyrics are stored (cached) in media library.
- covers are stored (cached) on harddisk (and the media file is tagged, so that BeyondLyrics displays the correct cover).
- no internet connection is needed while showing the the lyrics and cover.
- better error handling when internet connection fails during download (or when the Lyrics database is not available).
- user can change song title and artist name. This allows for better query results.
- user can choose from alternatives when the Lyrics database doesn't give one exact search result.
- everything can be controlled by remote control (cursor keys, OK and BACK), allowing for lazy-in-the-livingroom-chair-or-couch enjoyment of song lyrics.

If you have any suggestions to improve this plugin, just post a message in this thread. I will keep an eye on on your comments.
License: Free
Requirements: BeyondMedia, Internet connection (only to download, not to show lyrics)
Title: BeyondLyrics

Download BeyondLyrics.bmplugin (http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/PascalNL/BeyondLyrics.bmplugin)

http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/PascalNL/beyondlyrics_basescreen.jpg

http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/PascalNL/beyondlyrics_menu.jpg

http://www.snapstream.com/ssdn/submissions/PascalNL/beyondlyrics_select.jpg

[TommyJr]

This is a great plugin! Thanks!

Sometimes it shows the wrong lyrics... how do you determine the look-up query? Maybe it could be tweaked a little?

Great job.

[gizak]

Sweet plugin, just played with it a little yesterday, but so far, it works as it's supposed to... amazing tool for dog-sounding singers like myself who can never figure out what to say in certain portions of songs! Much Thanks!

Now if only I could get beyondmedia to stop hanging up on me when I try to access my music directory which is over the network.

[darkuni]

This is great stuff. Thank you!

[Kilrsat]

Updated.

[Peetieatwork]

I don't know if this is available yet but what about copy, paste and save lyrics to a specific song if they cant be found?

[pdaughe]

Great plug-in! The family really likes it -- thank you so much.

I would like to see a settings option which would enable the automatic download of the lyrics and cover when a song is played (it would also be great if the plug-in could be directed to automatically download all the lyrics and covers for a playlist when it is selected).

More importantly, would it be possible to have a button on the music screen which would display the lyrics screen instead of having to have the option on the main Beyond Media screen?

Again, we all appreciate very much the enhanced functionality your plug-in brings to Beyond Media.

Sincerely,

Paul

[Edgarmoon]

Anyone know of a way to get lyrics automatically stored in a files id3?

[tommyboy]

Great plugin. Have you considered creating a similar plugin that imported guitar tab? I know there are lots of us guitar pickers who would LOVE something like that...

[pdaughe]

Anyone know of a way to get lyrics automatically stored in a files id3?

I've been wondering the same thing too. It seems a lot of utilities recognize ID3 V2 tags, but only allow you to modify the ID3 V1 data fields in the ID3 V2 tag.

My daughters download music (like crazy) to their MP3 players. I have a fundamental question: does the "download software" skip the ID3 tag information or is it also downloaded? One of these days I'll grab one of their MP3 players and find out, but just wondered if you already know.

[scottlindner]

I just tried it with Metallica St. Anger. It doesn't get the cover art and doesn't get the correct lyrics. What is it that you'd like to see from my system to help figure it out? Or to tell me to try?

By the way, technically difficulties aside, awesome plugin concept!

Cheers,
Scott

[draven]

Just wanted to let you know that I just had a problem playing music with BM. The network usage shot up and BM stopped responding. I deleted this plugin and everything is fine.

... just thuoght you might want to know.

[pdaughe]

[Quote ScottLindner]Lyrics is an awesome concept but a bit clunky and doesn't work for a lot of my music. I think the keywords it is using to search for might be part of the problem. For example, Kid Rock has more than one song titled "Intro". Whenever I listen to one Kid Rock CD it shows the lyrics to a different "Intro" on another CD. Or with one of my Metallica CDs it is off by one track. Don't have a clue how that happens. Somehow I'm guessing the track name on the music playing is being translated into a position number and in some cases is being offset by a bogus first track or lyricless first track. The other gripe is it is button intensive. I should think the default to be to always fetch the lyrics and do other by user action. Why else would a use choose to go to the lyrics plugin?[End Quote]

Scott, I appreciate your last point -- why else would a user choose to go to the lyrics plugin? A user shouldn't have to go there and then instruct then plug-in to download the lyrics. In a previous post in this thread, I suggested a button on the music player screen itself, although I don't know if that is possible.

When I click "Get Lyrics" it prompts me to select a choice from several choices. Does it work that way for you also?

[suprfli]

Amazing! Love this!!!

[scottlindner]

It doesn't appear to work when playing Monkey's Audio files. When I play a Monkey's Audio file that has the full metadata in it and then use Beyond Lyrics it correctly identifies the artist and track name, but when I tell it to fetch the lyrics it just sits there forever. I tested using the same track from the same CD but converted to MP3 and it works just fine.

How do you pick up the metadata? From DirectShow or directly from the file? Also, I'm not entirely sure if the metadata passes through direct show or not.

Scott

[slak318]

This plug-in is great. I love it.

[MickP]

I recently discovered that some songs were going missing from the music interface of BM. When I went to check the files they were present and would play in WMP10 and displayed lyrics in this player. Also when I went to burn (fair use) copies of albums using Cyberlink Make DVD the affected songs/files were rejected as being incompatible. All of my music is ripped as WMA Lossless. So far this only appears to be a problem with tracks that I have used with the Lyrics plugin.

Is this a known problem with the plugin? I've had to re-rip a number of tracks so far and have stopped using it. Has anyone else seen this or is it unique to my system?

Mick.

[Edgarmoon]

Ok, I found an awesome free program called Zortam mp3 studio, which is great for editing id3 files and has a batch insert album art and lyrics. I am halfway through inserting yrics into my 11k collection. If you guys have been watching the news you'll see that song writers guild is cracking down on line lyrcs. Can this plugin be configured to read lyrics from the id3 file? ong term this might make it faster and be the only solution. Also would it wrk in a karaoke mode?

[johnmacd]

Great plug in! I've been using it for a few weeks now and every now and then after I click on get lyrics I get "Please wait..." It can sit at that screen forever. I also cannot get past this screen. It basically locks up BM. I can still hear the mp3 playing. I can pause and unpause the song and that's about it. The only way I have found to get out of it is to end task BM. Anyone else have any problems like this?

[Gunn]

Just got this working. Great idea. Now having read the other posts with suggestions, I'm wondering...is this plugin still supported?

I'd sure like an option to make it download the lyrics automatically for each song that is currently being played. Kind of a nuisance to do it individually and manually.

Hey, even better yet....have the lyrics scroll across the bottom in time to the beat...with a little bouncing ball above each word!! I know, lets not get crazy. ;)

[gaines]

I'm guessing this plugin isn't being maintained anymore, but I thought I'd give this a try and see if someone can help.


I've tried to use this plugin several times, and only once did it correctly download the lyrics. All other times it locks up Beyond Media and I have to CTR+ALT+DEL to kill it. It locks up just after selecting the song from the list where it says, "Please wait..." I've even let it sit for ten minutes thinking it may be taking a while.

Is this fixable? If the plugin isn't being maintained any more, who do I need to talk to in order to take the project up myself? (I'm a software developer.)

Thanks,
Gaines

[winclk]

hi gaines--have you had any help with maintaining this software?

winclk

[gaines]

hi gaines--have you had any help with maintaining this software?
No. The author's homepages doesn't seem to have anything relating to this plugin. :(

[Gunn]

So this is dead huh?
Figures, I just got high speed internet where this would easily be useful (before I had to manually dialup before using it). And now.....figures!