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Getting Started with Threnic

2026-04-08•By Threnic Team

Threnic runs a GPU-accelerated lyric video engine directly in your web browser. By leveraging your hardware's graphics processor, you get real-time audio-reactive 3D previews and fast local video exports without needing heavy desktop software or paid rendering subscriptions. Let's walk through creating your first project from scratch.

What You'll Need

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • A Chromium-based browser — Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Brave (version 94 or newer). Threnic relies on the WebCodecs API for hardware-accelerated video export, which is only available in Chromium browsers.
  • A dedicated GPU — Any modern discrete or integrated GPU will work. For best results at 4K resolution, a GPU with at least 4GB of VRAM is recommended.
  • An audio file — MP3 or WAV format. This is the track you want to create a lyric video for.
  • Your lyrics — Either as plain text or in LRC format if you already have pre-synced timing data.

Step 1: Upload Your Audio

Navigate to threnic.com/app and click the audio upload button in the toolbar. Select an MP3 or WAV file from your computer.

Since Threnic operates with a local-first architecture, your files are never uploaded to any external server. The audio is decoded directly in your browser using the Web Audio API, which means your intellectual property stays completely private and your workflow remains fast regardless of internet speed.

Once your audio loads, you'll see the waveform appear in the timeline at the bottom of the screen. You can scrub through the track by clicking anywhere on the waveform, or use the spacebar to play and pause.

Pro tip: If your audio file is large (over 50MB), consider converting it to a compressed MP3 first. While Threnic handles both formats, smaller files decode faster and use less memory, leaving more headroom for visual effects.

Step 2: Add and Sync Your Lyrics

Select the Lyrics tab in the right sidebar to open the lyric editor and timing controls. You have two options:

Option A: Paste Plain Text

Paste your lyrics directly into the text area. Each line will become a separate lyric event on the timeline. You'll then need to manually set the start and end time for each line by dragging the lyric blocks on the timeline.

Option B: Import an LRC File

If you have an LRC file with pre-synced timestamps, click Import LRC to load it. Threnic will automatically place each lyric line at the correct position on the timeline's LYRICS lane, saving you significant manual work. For a deep dive into timing precision, see our guide on Mastering Lyric Timing and Synchronization.

Timing Your Lyrics Manually

For manual timing, use Threnic's hotkey system:

  1. Play your audio from the beginning.
  2. Click Sync Lyrics in the sidebar to enter real-time timing mode.
  3. Tap-along or press the stamp hotkey at the exact moment each lyric line should appear.
  4. Fine-tune positions by dragging lyric blocks directly on the LYRICS timeline track.

The visual timeline shows your audio waveform on the AUDIO lane and lyric blocks on the LYRICS lane, making it easy to align words precisely.

Step 3: Customize the Visual Style

The right sidebar contains dedicated tabs to control how your video looks:

Typography & Title

Under the Lyrics tab, select your font, adjust font size, word spacing, letter spacing, and vertical alignment. This tab also hosts Track Title overlay controls, allowing you to configure title appearances and copy settings across all playlist tracks.

Background Slideshow

Import images, videos, or color blocks directly into the BACKGROUND lane of the timeline at the bottom of the screen. Selecting a background clip opens the Clip Inspector under the Timeline tab in the right sidebar. Here, you can customize:

  • Transform & Alignment: Adjust scale, offsets (X/Y position), rotation angle, fit modes (Cover, Contain, Stretch, Original), and tiling.
  • NLE Adjustments: Control opacity, brightness, contrast, and blur filters.
  • Playbacks: Toggle looping and speed rates for video files.
  • Transitions: Set up smooth transitions (crossfade, slide, zoom, wipe) entering each slide.

Visual Effects

Under the Effects tab in the right sidebar, layer post-processing and 3D scene effects to add cinematic flair:

  • Bloom — Adds a soft glow around bright text
  • Chromatic Aberration — Creates RGB color splitting for a glitchy, analog feel
  • Distortion — Warps the image with customizable patterns
  • VHS / Film Grain — Adds texture and vintage character
  • Scene Effects — Adds real-time 3D particle systems, falling rain, or dynamic starfields

Each effect can be fine-tuned with intensity, speed, and frequency parameters, and most support audio reactivity (driven by Bass, Mid, or High frequencies). Drag and drop effects to rearrange processing order. See Understanding Audio Reactivity for a complete breakdown.

Presets

Don't want to start from scratch? Tweak parameters or browse the Preset Store (star icon) to quickly apply pre-designed styles.

Step 4: Preview and Export

Once your lyrics are timed and your visuals are styled, use the play controls to preview your video in real time. The GPU renders everything live, so what you see in the preview is exactly what the final export will look like.

When you're satisfied with the result:

  1. Select the Export tab in the right sidebar.
  2. Choose your resolution (720p, 1080p, 2K, or 4K) and aspect ratio (Landscape 16:9, Portrait 9:16, Square 1:1).
  3. Set your target framerate, video codec, and encoding bitrate.
  4. Click Start Export.

The export process uses the WebCodecs API to encode video frames directly on your GPU locally. A typical 3-minute video at 1080p takes about 2-5 minutes to export, depending on your hardware. For detailed guidance on choosing the right export settings for different platforms, see our Export Settings Guide.

Troubleshooting

Export button is grayed out? Make sure you have audio loaded and at least one lyric block on the timeline.

Preview is stuttering? Try reducing the number of active effects or lowering the preview resolution. See Performance Optimization Tips for detailed advice.

Audio sounds wrong in preview? Ensure your audio file isn't corrupted. Try re-encoding it as a 44.1kHz MP3 using a tool like Audacity.

Next Steps

Now that you have the basics down, explore these guides to level up your lyric videos:

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