Liner Notes

Know who's on the record.

Liner Notes hears the record on your turntable, or whatever Spotify is playing, and puts the cover, the lyrics, the credits and the band's story on a screen next to you. No button to press. It just listens.

Download for Windows

Free. Windows 10 and 11. Windows may say the publisher is unknown: click More info, then Run anyway.

Side A Listening

  1. A1

    Hears the turntable

    A microphone in the room, or an old phone by the speakers, picks up the record and Shazam names the song. It only listens properly once there's music.

  2. A2

    Follows the whole album

    Once one song is recognized, it loads the album's tracklist and moves to the next song when each one ends, even the ones Shazam doesn't know. It tells you when to flip the record.

  3. A3

    Reads Spotify too

    Anything playing on the PC shows up instantly and exactly, with where you are in the song.

  4. A4

    Lyrics that keep up

    Timed lyrics scroll along with the song beside the cover.

Side B Knowing

  1. B1

    The band, and who played what

    A bio, the full credits from Discogs, and links to the band on Bandcamp, Spotify and more.

  2. B2

    Save the band

    Tap the heart to keep a song you heard on a record. With Spotify connected, it lands in a playlist.

  3. B3

    Your listening, on paper

    Top records and artists, how much was on vinyl, and recap cards for the day, week, month or year to share.

  4. B4

    Records on Last.fm

    Your vinyl plays get scrobbled next to your Spotify ones.

Liner Notes on a phone, with lyrics scrolling under the album cover

That old phone in the drawer is the screen.

Plug an Android phone into the PC and it becomes a little always-on display by the turntable, and its microphone can do the listening. It sleeps when your PC sleeps and wakes up for the next record. An iPhone works over Wi-Fi.

How to set up the phone

The screen between records: the album you just played and your recent records
Between records: what you just played, then a slow slideshow of your covers.
The song page with the artist's bio and lyrics
Tap any song for the bio, lyrics and credits.
A monthly recap card

Share your month

Recap cards for the last 24 hours, a week, a month or a year: your top records and artists, how much was on vinyl, and the bands that were new to you. Save it, or send it straight from the phone.

Getting started

  1. Download and run the installer

    No admin password needed. Liner Notes opens in its own window and keeps a record icon by the clock.

  2. Put a record on

    The first time a song plays in the room it asks what's playing it: vinyl, CD, tape or radio. Set your usual one in Settings and it won't ask again.

  3. Add a phone, if you like

    Settings > Use a phone as a second screen walks you through it, checking each step off as you go.

Credits

Song recognition
Shazam
Covers, years and labels
Apple Music, Deezer, MusicBrainz
Tracklists and credits
Discogs
Lyrics
LRCLIB, lyrics.ovh
Bios
Wikipedia, Last.fm
Written and produced by
Adam Waitt, Los Angeles

The albums and bands in these pictures are made up. Liner Notes is free and its code is on GitHub. Song recognition uses an unofficial Shazam library, so it could stop working if Shazam changes things.

If it earns a spot by your turntable, buy me a coffee.