Lyrics Display Components for foobar2000

foobar2000 displays lyrics through third-party components. Over the years, several different lyrics panels have existed, but only a small number are still relevant. This post outlines the main lyrics display components, explains their current status, and identifies which ones are actively maintained and most commonly used.

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OpenLyrics (foo_openlyrics)

Status: Actively maintained
Current relevance: Most recommended and most actively developed lyrics component

OpenLyrics is the most modern and fully featured lyrics display component available for foobar2000. It provides an embeddable lyrics panel that works with both Default UI and Columns UI and supports downloading, displaying, editing, and saving lyrics locally.

Key features include support for both timed and untimed lyrics, multiple online lyrics sources, automatic saving of lyrics to files, and a built-in lyrics editor. Lyrics can be scrolled, synchronized, and reused across future playback sessions once saved.

OpenLyrics is currently the most actively developed lyrics component for foobar2000, with regular updates and ongoing maintenance. As of early 2025, it remains the most reliable option in terms of source availability, stability, and long-term usability.

Official component page:
www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_openlyrics

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Lyric Show Panel 3 (foo_uie_lyrics3)

Status: Maintained, but less actively
Current relevance: Widely used, especially in older layouts and themes

Lyric Show Panel 3 is one of the longest-standing lyrics display components for foobar2000. It provides a configurable lyrics panel that supports both timed and untimed lyrics and can download lyrics from multiple sources.

It works with both Default UI and Columns UI and is still included in many legacy layouts and skins. However, development activity has slowed compared to OpenLyrics, and some built-in lyrics sources have historically required additional configuration or external source scripts to remain functional.

While still usable and supported, Lyric Show Panel 3 has largely been superseded by OpenLyrics in modern setups, particularly for users who want reliable automatic lyrics retrieval and active development.

Official component page:
www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_uie_lyrics3

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ESLyric (foo_uie_eslyric)

Status: Partially maintained by the community
Current relevance: Niche and script-dependent

ESLyric is another lyrics display panel component that relies heavily on user-configured search scripts to retrieve lyrics from online sources. It is more flexible than older components but requires significantly more manual setup.

Its functionality depends on third-party scripts, and long-term reliability varies depending on script maintenance. As a result, ESLyric is not commonly recommended for general users and is primarily used by advanced users who are comfortable maintaining their own lyrics source scripts.

Official component page:
http://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_uie_eslyric

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Older and Deprecated Lyrics Components

Several older lyrics-related components exist but are no longer recommended due to lack of maintenance or compatibility issues with modern foobar2000 versions. These include:

• foo_uie_lyrics (predecessor to Lyric Show Panel 3)
• foo_gasazip
• MiniLyrics viewer components

These components are either unmaintained, unreliable, or incompatible with current versions of foobar2000 and should generally be avoided.

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Which Lyrics Component Is Most Used Today?

In current foobar2000 installations:

• OpenLyrics is the most recommended and actively maintained lyrics display component.
• Lyric Show Panel 3 remains widely installed, particularly in older configurations and existing layouts, but sees less active development.
• ESLyric is used by a smaller, more technical audience and is not considered mainstream.

For new installations or users rebuilding their layouts, OpenLyrics is the clear choice for long-term reliability and functionality.

References:

old.reddit.com/r/foobar2000/comments/l0t88d/how_i_scrape_lyrics_with_foobar2000/gjvseft/