Starting a song

Siri, the Action Button and shortcuts

Record an idea in Lyric Genie without opening the app, from Siri, the Action Button, Control Center or the Lock Screen, and start a song or a Freestyle the same way.

An idea rarely waits for you to unlock your phone and find the right screen. Lyric Genie gives Siri, the Action Button and Control Center three things it can do straight away: record an idea, start a new song, and start a Freestyle.

None of them needs setting up for Siri. Say the phrase and it works.

Record an Idea#

Record an Idea starts recording the moment you ask, without opening the app. Run it again to stop, and the take is saved to your Ideas in Recordings, named with the date and time, such as Idea · Oct 15, 3:42 PM. From there you can add it to a song or start a new one from it.

Any of these phrases starts it:

• "Hey Siri, record an idea in Lyric Genie"
• "Hey Siri, start recording in Lyric Genie"
• "Hey Siri, new idea in Lyric Genie"

That works from the Lock Screen, and in the car through Siri.

While it records#

A Live Activity shows the timer on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, with a Stop button. Tap Stop, or run Record an Idea again, and the take is saved.

A take stops by itself after 60 minutes, in case you forget it is running.

What it needs#

• iOS 18 or later to record in the background. On iOS 17, Record an Idea opens the app's recorder instead.
• Lyric Genie 2.23 or later.
• The microphone allowed. If you have never allowed it, open the app once and say yes when it asks. Siri tells you if this is the problem.
• No live session running. A session is using the microphone, so Record an Idea says so and does nothing.

On the Action Button#

On an iPhone with an Action Button, one press can start an idea and the next press can save it.

1. Open the Settings app, then Action Button.
2. Swipe to Shortcut, and tap Choose a Shortcut.
3. Under Lyric Genie, choose Record an Idea.

You can choose New Song or Start Freestyle there instead.

In Control Center and on the Lock Screen#

Record an Idea is also a control you can add, so it is one tap away.

• Control Center: open Control Center, touch and hold an empty space, tap Add a Control, and search for Lyric Genie.
• Lock Screen: touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose the Lock Screen, then tap one of the two controls at the bottom to replace it with Record an Idea.

The other two shortcuts#

Both open the app. You can find all three in the Shortcuts app under Lyric Genie, to use in a shortcut of your own.