Free online SMI to LRC converter
Convert SAMI subtitles to timed LRC lyrics for music players and karaoke software.
Convert SMI to LRC online - free
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How it works
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Upload your .smi file
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Perform .smi to .lrc conversion
After successful file upload, click to convert when you are ready.
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Download converted .lrc file
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How to convert smi to lrc file
- Video subtitles
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What the SMI format is
SMI, commonly referring to SAMI (Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange), is an HTML-like subtitle format developed for synchronized captions. It stores subtitle text and timestamps in markup such as <SYNC Start="1250">, where the time is measured in milliseconds from the beginning of the media.
SAMI files are created by subtitle-authoring and captioning software and are often found beside video files with extensions such as .smi or .sami. A file can contain multiple languages, CSS styling, speaker information, and HTML entities in addition to the visible captions.
What the LRC format is
LRC is a plain-text format for synchronized lyrics. Each lyric line normally begins with a timestamp such as [00:12.50]First lyric line; optional metadata tags include [ar:Artist], [ti:Title], and [al:Album].
LRC is supported by many music players, portable audio devices, karaoke programs, and media-center applications. It is smaller and easier to edit than SAMI because it normally contains only timestamps, lyric text, and optional metadata rather than HTML markup.
How to convert SMI to LRC
The built-in converter on 101convert.com can perform this conversion without installing software:
- Open the SMI-to-LRC converter on 101convert.com.
- Upload the SAMI file, using its original
.smiextension. - Select
LRCas the output format and start the conversion. - Download the generated
.lrcfile and give it the same base name as the audio file; for example, usesong.lrcbesidesong.mp3. - Open the LRC file in a plain-text editor and check several timestamps before using it with the player.
The converter reads each SAMI synchronization point, changes milliseconds to LRC timestamps, removes subtitle markup, and writes the visible caption text as lyric lines. If the SMI file contains language-specific entries, select the intended language when the converter provides that option.
Quality and compatibility limits
SAMI timestamps can represent millisecond precision, while common LRC players use centiseconds in the mm:ss.xx form. Conversion can therefore round timings, usually by a few milliseconds. LRC also has no standard equivalent for SAMI CSS, speaker styling, positioning, or rich markup, so those features are discarded.
A SAMI file may record the time when a caption starts but not an explicit end time; the next synchronization point implicitly replaces it. This maps naturally to line-based LRC, but lyric players may display a line until the next timestamp. Subtitle files containing multiple simultaneous languages or captions may produce duplicate or incorrectly ordered LRC lines and require manual cleanup.
Save the result as UTF-8 when possible. If accented characters appear incorrectly, reopen the SMI with its original encoding and convert again, or change the LRC encoding in a text editor that supports UTF-8. LRC support varies: some players recognize only basic timestamps, while others support metadata, three-digit fractions, or enhanced word-level tags.
Note: This smi to lrc conversion record is incomplete, must be verified, and may contain inaccuracies. Please vote below whether you found this information helpful or not.
SMI vs LRC: format comparison
How the SMI and LRC formats compare on the properties that matter most for this conversion.
| Property | .SMI SAMI Caption File | .LRC Lyrics file |
|---|---|---|
| Text styling | Extensive | Basic |
| On-screen positioning | Yes | No |
| Timing precision | Centiseconds | Centiseconds |
| Storage | Embedded in the file | Embedded in the file |
| Player support | Limited | Limited |
| Plain-text readable | Yes | Yes |
| Typical file size | Very small | Very small |
| Open standard | Partly open | Partly open |
| Introduced | 1998 | — |
| Developer | Microsoft | — |
| MIME type | application/smil+xml | — |
Frequently asked questions
Is the SMI to LRC converter free?
Yes, converting SMI to LRC on 101convert.com is completely free. No registration, email address or installation is required. If you need a higher file size limit or want to convert more files at once, see our plans.
How large can my SMI file be?
You can upload SMI files up to 100 MB and convert up to 100 files at once in a single batch.
What happens to my uploaded files?
Files are processed automatically and deleted from our servers within a few minutes after conversion. We never view or share your files.
Do I need to install any software to convert SMI to LRC?
No. The SMI to LRC conversion runs entirely online in your browser and works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.
Did the conversion fail?
In most cases, the cause is an incorrect file format. Please upload a valid SMI file for this SMI to LRC conversion. Occasionally, the issue may be on our side. We analyze recurring conversion failures and disable or fix the converter if we detect a defect.