Apple Music includes a handy feature that lets you translate foreign language lyrics instantly while the music plays. Whether it’s a Korean K-pop hit or a Spanish ballad, the lyrics appear on the screen with an English translation and even a phonetic pronunciation. This way you better understand what the artist is singing and you can sing along effortlessly, even if you don’t speak the language.
Apple does not currently support live translation in Dutch, but the feature is available worldwide for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV users.
Live translations lyrics
Since iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and tvOS 26, Apple Music immediately shows translations of lyrics in foreign languages ​​(such as Korean or Spanish) into English, including phonetic pronunciations, while listening. This way you can better understand what is being sung and sing along, even if you don’t speak the language. Unfortunately, this function is not yet supported in Dutch.
Enable live translated lyrics
- Open Music on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV
- Start a song in another language (Apple Music Subscriptionst required)
- Tap or select the lyrics symbol (speech bubble with quote)
- Activate the translation icon (sphere symbol with text)
Then you can translate and the phonetic pronunciation enable with the corresponding buttons. If you choose ‘Show translation’ you may be asked in which language you want to translate the lyrics. For example, choose ‘English’ to activate automatic translation.
Live translations are ideal for music lovers who want to understand the meaning of a song or sing along in a foreign language. Thanks to the phonetic pronunciation, you can even enjoy an authentic singing experience, without a dictionary or extra app.
Not available on a Mac
At this time, Apple Music’s phonetic pronunciation and live lyrics translation feature is not yet available on Mac. Only iPhone and iPad Apple Music users can now translate song lyrics live and display them phonetically. 🎶 Find out how to turn on this feature and sing along in any language. and Apple TV can view the translated lyrics. It is not yet known when Apple will add this functionality to the macOS version of Apple Music.