Spotify catches up to Apple Music with offline lyrics, global translations, and redesigned previews

Spotify has announced three significant updates to its lyrics feature, bringing the streaming service closer to feature parity with Apple Music. The company is rolling out offline lyrics support, expanding its lyric translation feature worldwide, and redesigning how lyrics appear on the Now Playing screen.

Offline lyrics finally arrive for Premium users

Spotify is playing catch-up with Apple Music here, which added offline lyrics support in iOS 26.2 last December. When Premium users download songs for offline listening, lyrics will now automatically be saved as well. This means you can view lyrics even when you're without an internet connection—perfect for flights, subway commutes, or areas with poor cellular coverage.

The offline lyrics feature is rolling out globally to Premium subscribers, though Spotify hasn't specified exactly when all users will see the update. This has been a long-requested feature, especially for users who frequently listen to music in areas without reliable internet access.

Lyric translations go global

Spotify is significantly expanding its lyric translation feature, which was previously available in only 25 markets. As of today, lyric translations are rolling out worldwide for both Free and Premium users. For tracks that have translations available, users can tap the translate icon on the lyrics card to view the translation underneath the original lyrics.

The translations will appear based on your device's language settings, and you can easily switch back to the original lyrics at any time. This is particularly useful for discovering music from around the world and understanding songs in languages you don't speak fluently.

Apple Music added similar lyrics translation support in iOS 26, along with a lyrics pronunciation feature that Spotify hasn't mentioned for its platform yet. The pronunciation feature could be a valuable addition for language learners who want to sing along accurately.

Redesigned lyric previews on Now Playing

Spotify is also introducing a new lyric previews design that changes how lyrics appear on the Now Playing screen. Instead of having to tap into a separate lyrics view, the words now appear directly beneath the album artwork or short Canvas clip as a song plays.

According to Spotify, early testing suggests this new layout makes it easier to engage with lyrics and can help listeners return to songs they discovered. The company says this design change encourages more casual interaction with lyrics without requiring users to navigate away from the main playback screen.

You can still share your favorite lines directly to social platforms from the Now Playing view, maintaining one of Spotify's popular social features. If you prefer the previous layout, Spotify notes that you can disable the feature at any time by tapping the three-dot menu and selecting "Lyrics Off."

These updates represent Spotify's continued effort to enhance its music discovery and engagement features, bringing them more in line with what Apple Music has offered. The combination of offline access, global translations, and improved visibility of lyrics should make the platform more appealing to users who value lyric content as part of their music listening experience.

The timing of these updates is interesting, coming several months after Apple Music introduced similar features. It suggests that Spotify is responding to competitive pressure and user demand for more robust lyric functionality across its platform.