View source for Karaoke

{{short description|Form of entertainment involving singing to recorded music}}
{{About||other uses|Karaoke (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
[[File:卡拉OK.jpg|thumb|A person singing karaoke in Hong Kong ("Run Away from Home" by [[Janice Vidal]])]]
{{nihongo|'''Karaoke'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|lang|ˌ|k|ær|i|ˈ|oʊ|k|i}};<ref>{{cite EPD|18}}</ref> {{IPA|ja|ka.ɾa.o.ke|lang|Ja-Karaoke.oga}}.<ref>{{cite book|script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典|publisher=NHK Publishing|editor=NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute|date=24 May 2016|lang=ja}}</ref><br>[[Clipped compound]] of Japanese {{nihongo||空|kara|{{xlat|empty}}}} and {{nihongo||オーケストラ|ōkesutora|{{xlat|orchestra}}}}.}}|カラオケ}} is a type of [[interactive entertainment]] system usually offered in [[Nightclub|nightclubs]] and bars, where people [[Singing|sing]] along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a [[microphone]]. 

Its musical content is an [[instrumental]] rendition of a well-known [[popular music|popular]] song. In recent times, [[lyrics]] are typically displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol, changing colour, or [[music video]] images, to guide the singer. In Chinese-speaking countries and regions such as mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, a karaoke box is called a KTV. The global karaoke market has been estimated to be worth nearly $10&nbsp;billion.<ref>[http://torrentfreak.com/uk-police-and-prs-shutdown-karaoke-torrent-site-150313/ UK Police and PRS Shutdown Karaoke Torrent Site]. Torrentfreak. 13 March 2015</ref>

Karaoke's global popularity has been fueled by technological advancements, making it a staple of social gatherings and entertainment venues all over the world. The precursors of karaoke machines using [[Compact Cassette|cassette tapes]] made their first appearances in [[Japan]] and the [[Philippines]] in the 1970s. Commercial versions manufactured by Japanese companies using [[LaserDisc]] became available worldwide in the 1980s, leading to a surge in popularity. Karaoke machines are commonly found in lounges, nightclubs, and bars; as well as in-home versions which later combined with [[Home cinema|home theater systems]]. Over time, karaoke has evolved with digital music, [[Video game|video games]], [[Mobile app|smartphone apps]], and online platforms, allowing users to sing anytime and anywhere. Beyond leisure, karaoke is used for professional training in music and public speaking, highlighting its broad appeal and impact on popular culture.

==History==
[[File:Wuhan-LuoyuDongLu-karaoke-4108.jpg|thumb|A karaoke bar in [[Wuhan]], Hubei, China]]

===1960s: Development of audio-visual-recording devices===
From 1961 to 1966, the American TV network [[NBC]] carried a karaoke-like series, ''Sing Along with Mitch'', featuring host [[Mitch Miller]] and a chorus, which superimposed the lyrics to their songs near the bottom of the TV screen for home audience participation.<ref>{{citation|first1=Tim|last1=Brooks|first2=Earle|last2=Marsh|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows|publisher=Ballantine Books|year=1992|isbn=978-0-345-37792-0|title-link=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows}}</ref> The primary difference between karaoke and sing-along songs is the absence of the lead vocalist.

Sing-alongs (present since the beginning of singing) fundamentally changed with the introduction of new technology. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s, stored audible materials began to dominate the music recording industry and revolutionized the portability and ease of use of band and instrumental music by musicians and entertainers as the demand for entertainers increased globally. This may have been attributable to the [[Cassette tape#Introduction|introduction of music cassette tapes]], technology that arose from the need to customize music recordings and the desire for a "handy" format that would allow fast and convenient duplication of music and thereby meet the requirements of the entertainers' lifestyles and the 'footloose' character of the entertainment industry.

===1970s: Development of the karaoke machine===
Despite the Japanese provenance of the term ''karaoke'' (first attested in 1977), the invention of karaoke-styled machines is controversial.<ref name="Tongson journal">{{cite journal |last1=Tongson |first1=Karen |title=Empty Orchestra: The Karaoke Standard and Pop Celebrity |journal=Public Culture |date=1 January 2015 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=85–108 |doi=10.1215/08992363-2798355}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=karaoke |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/karaoke_n |website=Oxford English Dictionary |access-date=21 March 2025}}</ref> It is usually credited to two people, depending on the sources: [[Daisuke Inoue]] of [[Japan]] or [[Roberto del Rosario]] of the [[Philippines]],<ref name="Tongson journal"/> neither of whom significantly benefited from the worldwide surge of popularity of the karaoke starting from the 1980s. The profits in the karaoke industry went to later machines developed by larger Japanese corporations.<ref name="Tongson journal"/><ref name="Zhou"/> Other people have also claimed to have invented karaoke-styled machines at various dates, but only del Rosario has a patent on his machine.<ref name="Zhou">{{cite book |last1=Zhou |first1=Xun |last2=Tarocco |first2=Francesca |title=Karaoke: The Global Phenomenon |date=2013 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=9781780232409 |pages=19–21}}</ref><ref name="Drew">{{cite book |last1=Drew |first1=Rob |title=Unspooled: How the Cassette Made Music Shareable |date=2023 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=9781478027713}}</ref><ref name="Shahriari">{{cite book |last1=Shahriari |first1=Andrew |title=Popular World Music |date=2015 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781317345381 |page=175}}</ref><ref name="Tongson">{{cite book |last1=Tongson |first1=Karen|chapter=Karaoke, Queer Theory, Queer Performance |title=The Oxford Handbook of Music and Queerness |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780197607527 |page=223}}</ref><ref name="Lee">{{cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Raina |title=Hit Me with Your Best Shot! The Ultimate Guide to Karaoke Domination |date=2008 |publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=9780811861403 |pages=25–27}}</ref> The fact that the karaoke machine is simply an aggregate of existing technologies and is built on the older concept of sing-alongs makes it likely that it was developed independently multiple times.<ref name="Tongson journal"/>

====Daisuke Inoue====
In a 1996 interview with a [[Singapore]]-based all-karaoke TV channel, the Japanese nightclub musician [[Daisuke Inoue]]<ref>[http://www.events-in-music.com/who-invented-the-karaoke-machine.html Who Invented the Karaoke Machine?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305204829/http://www.events-in-music.com/who-invented-the-karaoke-machine.html |date=5 March 2008 }} Events-in-Music.com</ref> claimed to have invented the first karaoke-style machine in the city of [[Kobe]] in 1971.<ref>[http://www.inouej1.com/index.html 井上大祐【カラオケ発明者】 J-ONE/INOUE] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321051214/http://www.inouej1.com/index.html |date=21 March 2009 }} Events-in-Music.com</ref><ref>''Time 100:Daisuke Inoue'', 23–30 August 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 7/8</ref> He was also credited for the invention of karaoke when he was later also featured on a [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] article in 1999.<ref name=time>{{cite magazine |last1=Iyer |first1=Pico |title=Daisuke Inoue |url=https://time.com/archive/6955676/daisuke-inoue/ |access-date=23 March 2025 |magazine=Time |date=23 August 1999}}</ref>

Inoue, a bandleader, drummer, and [[Electone]] keyboardist, specialized in leading sing-alongs at nightclubs in Sannomiya, the entertainment district of the city of Kobe. In 1970, he and six bandmates played instruments in fancy drinking establishments to accompany middle-aged businessmen who would sing traditional Japanese songs. He claimed to have first thought of the idea of a karaoke-style machine when he was asked by a prominent client to play for him on an overnight trip to an [[onsen]]. Not being able to do so, he instead provided a tape of his accompaniment to the client. Realizing its potential, he thought of merging these pre-taped accompaniments with a [[jukebox]].<ref name=time/>

Lacking the skills to make the machine himself, one of his bandmates introduced him to a friend who owned an electronics shop. He described his idea to him and commissioned 11 home-made machines which he called "8 Juke." Each machine cost around $425 per unit and consisted of a box containing an [[amplifier]], a microphone, a coin box, and a [[Vehicle audio|car stereo]] which used specially made 8-track tapes. The machines metered out several minutes of singing time and used ¥100 coins.<ref name="Inoue">{{cite journal |last1=Inoue |first1=Daisuke |last2=Scott |first2=Robert |title=Voice Hero: The Inventor of Karaoke Speaks |journal=The Appendix |date=October 2013 |volume=1 |issue=4 |url=https://theappendix.net/issues/2013/10/voice-hero-the-inventor-of-karaoke-speaks}}</ref>

He initially recorded his own versions of popular songs with his bandmates for the tapes.<ref name="Inoue"/> Starting from 1971, Inoue loaned the machines to establishments for free in exchange for a portion of the monthly earnings from the machines.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World|last=Alt|first=Matt|publisher=Crown|year=2021|isbn=978-1-9848-2671-8|pages=92}}</ref> He placed the first 8 Jukes in Sannomiya's "snack bars", but they initially failed to take off. Inoue then hired hostesses to ostentatiously sing on them, which successfully sparked interest. This also caused a great deal of friction with Inoue's fellow musicians, who saw it as drawing customers away from them. 

When profits improved at around four years of operation, he hired professional musicians and rented a recording studio to create the 8-tracks for the machines.<ref name="Inoue"/> He made the songs in keys that made them easier for casual singers. As such he also included a rudimentary reverb function to help mask singers' deficiencies.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World|last=Alt|first=Matt|publisher=Crown|year=2021|isbn=978-1-9848-2671-8|pages=90–91}}</ref><ref name=time/> By this time, the number of units he rented had increased from the initial eleven to around 25,000. Club owners from Kobe had started bringing his machines to new clubs in [[Osaka]] which became the birthplace of the karaoke boom in Japan. He also managed to convince large record labels to include their songs in the tracks for the 8 Jukes.<ref name="Inoue"/> For these reasons, Inoue is often considered to be the inventor of the modern business model for karaoke.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World|last=Alt|first=Matt|publisher=Crown|year=2021|isbn=978-1-9848-2671-8|pages=90–93}}</ref>

Inoue never patented his machine. While initially successful and earning approximately half a million dollars a year, Inoue lost interest in the business. He eventually handed over the company to his brother. By the 1980s, the idea of coin-operated sing-along machines was picked up by larger Japanese corporations who started manufacturing commercial versions of their own with better technologies like [[LaserDisc]]s.<ref name=time/><ref name="Inoue"/>

In 2004, Daisuke Inoue was awarded the [[tongue-in-cheek]] [[Ig Nobel]] Peace Prize for inventing karaoke, "thereby providing an entirely new way for people to learn to tolerate each other."<ref name="ignobel 2004">{{cite web|url=http://improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2004|title=The 2004 Ig Nobel Prize Winners|work=Winners of the Ig Nobel Prize|date=August 2006 |publisher=[[Improbable Research]]|access-date=17 October 2009}}</ref>

====Roberto del Rosario====
In 1975, the Filipino entrepreneur and piano manufacturer [[Roberto del Rosario]] also claimed to have invented the first karaoke-type machine known as the "Sing-Along System" (SAS). The machine included multiple features enclosed in a single portable cabinet casing; including an amplifier, a [[Loudspeaker|speaker]], a double or single tape deck, an optional [[Electronic tuner|tuner]] or radio, and a microphone mixer that enhances the singer's voice using effects like [[Reverb effect|reverb]] and [[Echo#Echo in music|echo]]. The machine used [[Compact Cassette|cassette tapes]] of [[instrumental]] versions of popular songs which would later become more widely known as [[Minus-One recordings|Minus-One]]. The machine did not have video, but it included songbooks with lyrics.<ref name="Zhou"/><ref name="Shahriari"/><ref name="Drew"/><ref name="Lee"/><ref name="Herbert"/>

The SAS was originally developed since the late 1960s as a teaching device for students taking singing lessons at del Rosario's Trebel School of Music.<ref name="Malang"/> It was refashioned for amateur and recreational use from 1975 to 1977. Unlike Inoue's "8 Juke", it was not coin-operated.<ref name="Tongson journal"/><ref name="Malang"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Karaoke Lyrics |url=https://wynkmusic.online/karaoke-lyrics |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=Wynk Music Online |language=en-US |archive-date=24 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250524165905/https://wynkmusic.online/karaoke-lyrics |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Del Rosario was himself a pianist and was a member of the amateur [[jazz]] group [[Raul Manglapus#Early political career|Executive Combo Band]] (composed mainly of politicians and prominent businessmen). He  owned a company, Trebel Industries, that was the leading manufacturer of [[piano]]s and [[harpsichord]]s in the Philippines. Del Rosario also invented and patented other audio equipment before and after the SAS. His other inventions included the 1972 "One-Man Band" (OMB), an acoustic piano that automatically plays a full orchestra accompaniment; the "Piano Tuners' Guide", an electronic push-button device for piano tuning; and "Voice Color Tapes", ready-made multiplex tapes with songs recorded and programmed to match a specific vocal range.<ref name="Malang"/><ref name="ifia">{{cite web |title=World Intellectual Property Day – April 26, 2025 |url=https://ifia.com/world-intellectual-property-day-2025/ |website=International Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA) |date=3 March 2025 |access-date=22 March 2025}}</ref>

Unlike Inoue, del Rosario patented the "Sing-Along System" (issued in 1983 and 1986) and is recognized as the sole holder of a patent for a karaoke system in the world after he won a patent infringement case against a Chinese company in the 1990s.<ref name="Zhou"/><ref name="Herbert"/><ref name="Lee"/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20110812-travelwise-karaoke-in-the-philippines| title = BBC – Travel – Karaoke in the Philippines| date = 12 August 2011}}</ref> Despite this, he also did not profit significantly from his invention. Like Inoue, his machines were eventually replaced by more advanced commercial versions made by larger corporations that became available by the 1980s.<ref name="Malang"/>

In 1985, Del Rosario was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Inventor by the [[World Intellectual Property Organization]] for the Sing-Along System, among other awards.<ref name="Herbert">{{cite book |last1=Herbert |first1=Marion |title=Multicultural America |date=2013 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=9781452276267 |pages=1286–1287}}</ref><ref name="Malang"/> He was also elected to the executive board of the [[International Federation of Inventors' Associations]] (IFIA). He also lobbied for more government support for inventors in the [[Congress of the Philippines]], leading to the successful passage of Republic Act No. 7459, better known as the Inventor and Inventions Incentives Act of 1992.<ref name="Malang">{{cite book |last1=Malang |first1=Virgilio L. |title=Inventions & Innovations: A Glimpse of the Filipino Legacy |date=1999 |publisher=TAPI Book |isbn=9789718822012 |pages=35–37}}</ref><ref name="ifia"/>

====Other possible inventors====
Japanese engineer [[Shigeichi Negishi]], who ran a consumer electronics assembly business, also claimed to have made the first karaoke-styled machine in 1967;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.karaoke.or.jp/03nenpyo/|title=A History of KARAOKE|website=All-Japan Karaoke Industrialist Association}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Karaoke Secret History – world revolution of ingenuity|last=Ugaya|first=Hiromichi|publisher=Shinchosha Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-4106102929|pages=49–53}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|title=Selection from TOP 100 Japanese Innovations of "Karaoke"|url=https://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi_e/kokusai_e/training/enishi/theme/No11_December2015_11.pdf|journal=IP Friends Connections|volume=December 2015 No. 11|pages=53|access-date=19 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109014209/https://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi_e/kokusai_e/training/enishi/theme/No11_December2015_11.pdf|archive-date=9 January 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> He subsequently began mass producing coin-operated versions under the brand name "Sparko Box", making it the first commercially available karaoke machine. For media, it used 8-track cassette tapes of commercially available instrumental recordings. Lyrics were provided in a paper booklet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-man-who-invented-karaoke-is-95-and-his-machine-stil-1844154550|title=The Man Who Invented Karaoke Is 95 And His Machine Still Works|website=kotaku.com|date=26 June 2020 }}</ref> However, he ran into distribution troubles and ceased production of the Sparko Box shortly thereafter.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World|last=Alt|first=Matt|publisher=Crown|year=2021|isbn=978-1-9848-2671-8|pages=89–90}}</ref> Despite being credited by some as the first to automate and commercialize the karaoke singalong, Negishi, who died in 2024, never patented his invention.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/music/karaoke-inventor-shigeichi-negishi-dies-100-79d2d52d|title=Shigeichi Negishi, the Inventor of Karaoke, Dies at 100|first=Matt|last=Alt|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=March 14, 2024|accessdate=March 14, 2024}}</ref> 

Another possible early pioneer was Toshiharu Yamashita, who worked as a singing coach, and in 1970 sold an 8-track playback deck with microphone for sing-alongs.<ref name=":1" />

===Later developments===
Shortly after the development of the [[LaserDisc]], [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]] started to offer Video Karaoke machines in the 1980s. These are capable of displaying lyrics over a video that accompanies the music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jg8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41-IA3|title=Billboard – Karaoke Japan|date=30 May 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=U.S. Dealers Set To Chime In On Karaoke Sing-A-Long Profits / Japanese Karaoke Craze Ready To Roll Into Lucrative American Music Market |magazine=[[Vending Times]] |date=August 1989 |volume=29 |issue=10 |pages=100, 107 |url=https://archive.org/details/VendingTimesVOL29NO10August1989Clearscan/page/n91}}</ref>
[[File:Taipei KTV-Eingangshalle.jpg|250px|thumb|Entrance hall of a karaoke box in [[Taipei]], Taiwan]] In 1992, a scientist named Yuichi Yasutomo created a networked karaoke system for [[Brother Industries]]. Called {{Nihongo|''{{ill|tsūshin karaoke|ja|通信カラオケ}}''|通信カラオケ|{{literal translation|communications karaoke}}}}, it served up songs in [[MIDI]] format via phone lines to [[modem]]-equipped karaoke machines. This new technology swept Japan; by 1998, 94% of karaoke was being sung on networked karaoke machines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.karaoke.or.jp/03nenpyo/03_02.php|title=Karoke History Chart}}</ref> As an early form of music on demand, it could be called the first successful [[audio streaming]] service. It also allowed for [[big data]] analysis of songs popularity in realtime.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World|last=Alt|first=Matt|publisher=Crown|year=2021|isbn=978-1-9848-2671-8|pages=177–178}}</ref>

Karaoke soon spread to the rest of Asia and other countries all over the world. In-home karaoke machines soon followed but lacked success in the American and Canadian markets. When creators became aware of this problem, karaoke machines were no longer being sold strictly for the purpose of karaoke but as [[home cinema|home theater]] systems to enhance television watching to "movie theater like quality". Home theater systems took off, and karaoke went from being the main purpose of the stereo system to a side feature.

As more music became available for karaoke machines, more people within the industry saw karaoke as a profitable form of [[Bar (counter)|lounge]] and [[nightclub]] entertainment. It is not uncommon for some bars to have karaoke performances seven nights a week, <ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nVTqAQAAQBAJ&q=karaoke+performances+seven+nights+a+week&pg=PA67|title=Karaoke: The Global Phenomenon|last1=Zhou|first1=Xun|last2=Tarocco|first2=Francesca|date=1 June 2013|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=9781780232409|language=en}}</ref> commonly with high-end sound equipment superior to the small, stand-alone consumer versions. [[:wikt:dance floor|Dance floor]]s and lighting effects are also becoming common sights in karaoke bars. Lyrics are often displayed on multiple television screens around the bar.

==Technology==
A basic karaoke machine consists of a music player, [[microphone]] inputs, a means of altering the [[Pitch (music)|pitch]] of the played music, and an audio output. Some low-end machines attempt to provide vocal suppression so that one can feed regular songs into the machine and remove the voice of the original singer; however this was, historically, rarely effective. Most common machines are [[CD+G]], [[LaserDisc|Laser Disc]], [[Video CD|VCD]] or DVD players with microphone inputs and an audio mixer built in, though [[VHS]] [[Videocassette recorder|VCR]]s are sometimes used.<ref name="cloud">{{cite web | url=http://karaokecloud.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/the-history-of-karaoke-in-america/ | title=The History of Karaoke in America | publisher=Karaoke Cloud | access-date=15 January 2014| date=12 April 2013 }}</ref> CD+G players use a special track called [[subcode]] to encode the lyrics and pictures displayed on the screen while other formats natively display both audio and video.

Most karaoke machines have technology<ref name=clickblue>Clickblue [http://clickblue.in/persang-entertainment-pvtltd/http-googl-zyp7hp "Best technology Karaoke systems from a renowned karaoke manufacturing company"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626141451/http://clickblue.in/persang-entertainment-pvtltd/http-googl-zyp7hp |date=26 June 2015 }}, 30 November 2014, ''International Business Times''. Retrieved 30 November 2014</ref> that electronically changes the pitch of the music so that amateur singers can choose a key that is appropriate for their vocal range, while maintaining the original tempo of the song. (Old systems which used [[Cassette tape|cassette]]s changed the pitch by altering playback speed, but none are still on the market, and their commercial use is virtually nonexistent.)

A popular game using karaoke is to type in a random number and call up a song, which participants attempt to sing. In some machines, this game is pre-programmed and may be limited to a genre so that they cannot call up an obscure national anthem that none of the participants can sing. This game has come to be called "Kamikaze Karaoke" or "Karaoke [[Roulette]]" in some parts of the United States and Canada.<ref>One Baltimore variation involves limiting the songs to titles written by participants into a sombrero for the KJ (karaoke jockey) to pick from; Xun Zhou and Francesca Tarocco, ''Karaoke: The Global Phenomenon'' (Reaktion, 2013), 131–32. {{ISBN|9781780232409}} Portraits of kamikaze/roulette karaoke appear in recent fiction, highlighting the features of social challenge and anxiety involved, e.g. Eileen Shapiro, ''Precious Little Devils'' (2016) and Mike Donald, ''Louisiana Blood'' (2017).</ref>

Many low-end entertainment systems have a karaoke mode that attempts to remove the vocal track from regular audio CDs, using an [[Out Of Phase Stereo (OOPS)]] technique. This is done by center channel extraction, which exploits the fact that in most stereo recordings the vocals are in the center. This means that the voice, as part of the music, has equal volume on both stereo channels and no phase difference. To get the quasi-karaoke ([[monoaural|mono]]) track, the left channel of the original audio is subtracted from the right channel. The Sega Saturn also has a "mute vocals" feature that is based on the same principle and is also able to adjust the pitch of the song to match the singer's vocal range.

[[File:Karaoke Booth.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A row of 3 karaoke booths at a shopping center in [[Angeles City]], [[Philippines]]]]
This crude approach results in the often-poor performance of voice removal. Common effects are hearing the [[reverb effect]]s on the voice track (due to stereo reverb on the vocals not being in the center); also, other instruments (snare/bass drum, bass guitar and solo instruments) that happen to be mixed into the center get removed, degrading this approach to hardly more than a gimmick in those devices. Recent years have seen the development of new techniques based on the [[fast Fourier transform]]. Although still not perfect, the results are usually much better than the old technique, because the stereo left-right comparison can be done on individual frequencies.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

===Early age===
Early karaoke machines used [[8-track tape|8-track cartridges]] (The Singing Machine) and [[cassette tape]]s, with printed lyric sheets, but technological advances replaced this with CDs, [[video CD|VCD]]s, [[LaserDisc]]s and, currently, DVDs. In the late 1980s and 1990s, [[Pioneer Electronics]] dominated the international karaoke music video market, producing high quality karaoke music videos (inspired by the music videos such as those on [[MTV]]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Retro Blue – A Brief History of Karaoke|url=http://retroblueentertainment.com/a-brief-history-of-karaoke|access-date=2021-10-20|website=retroblueentertainment.com}}{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In 1992, [[Taito]] introduced the X2000, which fetched music via a dial-up telephone network. Its repertoire of music and graphics was limited, but its smaller size and the advantage of continuous updates saw it gradually replace traditional machines. Karaoke machines which are connected via [[fiber-optic]] links enabling them to provide instant high-quality music and video are becoming increasingly popular.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

''Karaoke direct'' is an Internet division established in 1997 been serving the public online since 1998. They released the first karaoke player that supports [[MP3+G]] and now {{When|date=June 2010}} the KDX2000 model supporting karaoke in DIVX, Format.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?loc=ol_ue&typeofrhyme=wke&Word=Divx|title=RhymeZone: Use Divx in a sentence|website=rhymezone.com|access-date=2020-03-14}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

One of the long-running karaoke device is the DVD and HDD karaoke systems, which comes with thousands of songs that are popular in business such as karaoke machine rentals and KTV bars, and became popular in Asia, especially the Philippines. This device also provides [[MIDI]] format with on-screen lyrics on a background video and scoring after you sing, the score will appear from 60 (lowest) to 100 (highest) based on timing and pitch.

===Video games===
{{Main|Music video game#Pitch games}}

The earliest karaoke-based [[music video game]], called ''[[Karaoke Studio]]'', was released for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Famicom]] in 1985, but its limited computing ability made for a short catalog of songs and therefore reduced replay value. As a result, karaoke games were considered little more than collector's items until they saw release in higher-capacity DVD formats.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

''[[Karaoke Revolution]]'', created for the [[PlayStation 2]] by [[Harmonix]] and released by [[Konami]] in North America in 2003, is a console game in which a single player sings along with on-screen guidance and receives a score based on pitch, timing, and rhythm. The game soon spawned several follow-ups including ''Karaoke Revolution Vol. 2'', ''Karaoke Revolution Vol. 3'', ''Karaoke Revolution Party Edition'', ''CMT Presents Karaoke Revolution: Country'' and ''Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol''. While the original ''Karaoke Revolution'' was also eventually released for the Microsoft [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] console in late 2004, the new online-enabled version included the ability to download additional song packs through the console's exclusive [[Xbox Live]] service.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

A similar series, ''[[SingStar]]'', published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, is particularly popular in the European and Australasian markets. Other music video game titles that involve singing by the player include ''[[Boogie (video game)|Boogie]]'' and its sequel ''[[Boogie Superstar]]'', ''[[Disney Sing It]]'', ''[[Get On Da Mic]]'', the ''[[Guitar Hero (series)|Guitar Hero]]'' series starting with ''[[Guitar Hero World Tour|World Tour]]'', ''[[High School Musical: Sing It!]]'', ''[[Lips (video game)|Lips]]'', the ''[[Rock Band (video game)|Rock Band]]'' series, ''SingSong'', ''[[UltraStar]]'', and ''[[Xbox Music Mixer]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Search results : learn|url=https://www.xbox.com/en-in/search/learn|website=xbox.com|language=en-in|access-date=2020-03-14}}</ref>

An Xbox Live App with the same name created by iNiS and powered by The Karaoke Channel/Stingray Karaoke was released on 12 December 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft's upcoming XBOX 360 Karaoke App will charge you by the hour|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-19-microsofts-upcoming-xbox-360-karaoke-app-will-charge-you-by-the-hour|work=EuroGamer|access-date=19 November 2012|date=19 November 2012}}</ref> The app uses [[Unreal Engine 3]].

===VCDs===
Many VCD players in Southeast Asia have a built-in karaoke function. On stereo recordings, one speaker will play the music with the vocal track, and the other speaker will play the music without the vocal track. So, to sing karaoke, users play the music-only track through both speakers. In the past, there were only pop-song karaoke VCDs. Nowadays, different types of karaoke VCDs are available. [[Cantonese opera]] karaoke VCD is now a big hit among the elderly in China.<ref>{{Citation|title=China's Elderly Sing The Praises Of Daytime Karaoke {{!}} NBC News| date=21 December 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aay2Wgh-m0I|language=en|access-date=2021-06-04}}</ref>

===On computers and the Internet===
[[File:Karaoke versus full.png|alt=comparison of two spectrograms, one with vocals, one without|thumb|Electronic music production has made distribution of instrumental '[[Stem mixing and mastering|stems]]' simple.]]

Since 2003, much software has been released for hosting karaoke shows and playing karaoke songs on a personal computer. Instead of having to carry around hundreds of CD-Gs or LaserDiscs, karaoke jockeys can [[ripping|rip]] their entire libraries onto their hard drives and play the songs and lyrics from the computer.

Additionally, new software permits singers to sing and listen to one another over the Internet.

Karaoke devices in the 2000s saw a shift towards the use of hard drives to store large collections of karaoke tracks and touch screen devices that allows users to select their songs. This trend was driven by the declining cost of hard drive storage<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomcoughlin/2017/12/20/digital-storage-projections-for-2018-part-1/|title=Digital Storage Projections For 2018, Part 1|last=Coughlin|first=Tom|work=Forbes|access-date=6 June 2018}}</ref> and improvement in [[touchscreen]] technology in the consumer space.

In 2005, Freeware Karaoke software from Thailand on Windows "All In One Karaoke Player" Version 2.0 has released<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-11-24 |title=Karaoke Software Development |url=http://www.karaoke-soft.com/main/index.php |access-date=2024-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124012337/http://www.karaoke-soft.com/main/index.php |archive-date=24 November 2005 }}</ref> It can play all MIDI Karaoke file (.MID, .KAR, .RMS etc.), Video Karaoke file (VCD, MP4, DVD, MPG, DAT, WMV) and Audio Karaoke file (MP3, OGG+HotBeat).

In 2006, first released of eXtreme Karaoke<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-11-28 |title=Karaoke Software Development - Home |url=http://www.karaoke-soft.com/extreme/index.php |access-date=2024-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128052636/http://www.karaoke-soft.com/extreme/index.php |archive-date=28 November 2006 }}</ref> is a paid software by bank transfer pay 500 THB and send to E-mail for activate license key<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-11-28 |title=การสั่งซื้อ |url=http://www.karaoke-soft.com/karaoke/extreme/doc/order/order.html |access-date=2024-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128052825/http://www.karaoke-soft.com/karaoke/extreme/doc/order/order.html |archive-date=28 November 2006 }}</ref> and also can play same with All In One Karaoke Player. and in 2008 eXtreme Karaoke changed from License file to HardLock (USB Dongle) the price is 2,000 THB for software.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-12-08 |title=เปิดจำหน่ายแล้วครับ eXtreme Karaoke version 3.0 (Hardlock) |url=http://www.karaoke-soft.com/smf/index.php?topic=3252.0 |access-date=2024-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208181416/http://www.karaoke-soft.com/smf/index.php?topic=3252.0 |archive-date=8 December 2008 }}</ref> In 2006, Recisio was founded as a downloadable karaoke software.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|date=2016-09-01|title=KaraFun Bar : a journey that began 10 years ago|url=https://www.karafunbar.com/blog/492-karafun-bar-a-journey-that-began-10-years-ago.html|access-date=2024-07-17}}</ref>

In 2010, a new concept of home karaoke system through the use of live streaming from a cloud server emerged. The earliest cloud based streaming device, KaraOK!, was released by [[StarHub]] on 14 January 2010,<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.starhub.com/about-us/newsroom/2010/january/14012010_singyourheartsoutwithstarhub.html|title=Sing Your Hearts Out With StarHub|work=StarHub|access-date=16 October 2018}}</ref> licensing songs from RIMMS.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.rimss.com.sg/starhub-karaok/|title=24/7 SINGALONG FUN FOR THE FAMILY|work=RIMMSS|access-date=16 October 2018}}</ref> The use of cloud streaming allows for smaller devices with over the air updates compared to costly and bulky hard drive-based systems. Recisio transitioned into Karafun, an online  subscription based system in 2011.<ref name="auto"/> In 2015, Singa (karaoke) was launched, providing karaoke for Android and iOS mobile devices, in addition to a web browser product<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-06-04|title=About Singa|url=https://singa.com/en/about|access-date=2024-07-17}}</ref> for a subscription fee. Other similar service providers include Smule and Starmaker.

In August 2017, [[ROXI]] home music system launched in the UK, and later that year in the US, providing on-demand music streaming and a karaoke singalong feature called Sing with the Stars. ROXI matches songs in its cloud based licensed music streaming catalogue to a lyrics database to provide real time scrolling on-screen lyrics. The music system also uses a hand-held [[Wii]] style point and click controller with built-in microphone allowing users to select and sing along to thousands of songs from its catalogue.<ref>Landridge, Max. [https://www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/news/142990-what-is-the-roxi-entertainment-device-how-much-is-it-and-what-can-it-do "What is the ROXI Entertainment device, how much is it and what can it do?"], ''Pocket-Lint.com'', London, 29 November 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2018.</ref>

In July 2023, YouTube channel Sing King Karaoke reached 11 million subscribers, making it the largest karaoke channel on the platform.

===On mobile phones===
In 2003, several companies started offering a karaoke service on mobile phones, using a [[Java (programming language)|Java]] [[MIDlet]] that runs with a text file containing the words and a MIDI file with the music. More usual is to contain the lyrics within the same MIDI file. Often the file extension is then changed from .mid to .kar, both are compatible with the standard for MIDI files.

Researchers have also developed karaoke games for cell phones to boost music database training. In 2006, the Interactive Audio Lab at [[Northwestern University]] released a game called [[Karaoke Callout]] for the Nokia Series 60 phone. The project has since then expanded into a web-based game and will be released soon as an iPhone application.

Karaoke is now available for the Android, iPhone and other playback devices at many internet storefronts.

===In automobiles===
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2018}}
Taxicabs equipped with sound systems and a microphone appeared in South Korea in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-14-mn-805-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Paul | last=Shin | date=14 June 1992 | title='' Karoake '' Taxicabs Are Latest Fad for South Koreans Who Love to Belt Out a Song}}</ref>

Chinese [[automobile]] maker [[Geely Automobile]] received much press in 2003 for being the first to equip a car, their [[Geely BL|Beauty Leopard]], with a karaoke machine as standard equipment. Europe's first commercial "karaokecab" which was a London TX4 taxi with a karaoke machine inside for occupants of the cab to use to sing whilst in the cab. The idea and installation were made by Richard Harfield of karaokeshop.com and was featured on Channel 4's Big Breakfast and several German TV stations featured the karaokecab. Granada TV also featured the cab, which is now in its 4th vehicle and operates in [[Bolton]], Greater Manchester as Clint's Karaoke Cab. Karaoke is often also found as a feature in [[Aftermarket (automotive)|aftermarket]] in-car DVD players.

In 2010, karaoke taxis were available in London, England in the 'Kabeoke' fleet of private hire vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.starnow.co.uk/listing/177086|title=Photoshoot for The Kabeoke – Karaoke Taxi- London}}</ref>

[[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]]'s newer cars have an infotainment system that features a "Car-a-oke" app.

===Mini karaoke box===
[[File:Sing and record machine in Haiikou - 01.jpg|thumb|upright|Mini karaoke box]]
'''Mini karaoke box''' or '''karaoke booth''' is a device similar in shape and size to a [[phone booth]], equipped with a [[karaoke machine]] inside. Typically made from soundproof glass, it can be installed anywhere and is suitable for use by one or two people. It is popular in East Asia.

===Alternative playback devices===
The [[CD+G]] format of a karaoke disc, which contains the lyrics on a specially encoded subcode track, has heretofore required special—and expensive—equipment to play. Commercial players have come down in price, though, and some unexpected devices (including the [[Sega Saturn]] [[video game console]] and [[XBMC Media Center]] on the first Xbox) can decode the graphics; in fact, karaoke machines, including video and sometimes recording capability, are often popular electronics items for sale in toy stores and electronics stores.

Additionally, there is software for Windows, Pocket PC, Linux, and Macintosh PCs that can decode and display karaoke song tracks, though usually these must be ripped from the CD first, and possibly compressed.

In addition to CD+G and software-based karaoke, microphone-based karaoke players enjoy popularity mainly in North America and some Asian countries such as the Philippines. Microphone-based karaoke players only need to be connected to a TV—and in some cases to a power outlet; in other cases they run on batteries. These devices often support advanced features, such as pitch correction and special sound effects. Some companies offer karaoke content for paid download to extend the song library in microphone-based karaoke systems.

CD+G, DVD, VCD and microphone-based players are most popular for home use. Due to song selection and quality of recordings, CD+G is the most popular format for English and Spanish. It is also important to note that CD+G has limited graphical capabilities, whereas VCD and DVD usually have a moving picture or video background. VCD and DVD are the most common format for Asian singers due to music availability and largely due to the moving picture/video background.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

==Terms==
;Jūhachiban
: ([[wiktionary:十八番|十八番]]. also ''ohako''). Many karaoke singers have one song which they are especially good at and which they use to show off their singing abilities. In Japan, this is called ''jūhachiban'' in reference to [[Kabuki Jūhachiban]], the 18 best [[kabuki]] plays. 十八番 means eighteen in Japanese as well.
;Karamovie or Movioke
:{{Main| Movieoke}} Karaoke using scenes from movies. Amateur actors replace their favorite movie stars in popular movies. Usually facilitated by software or remote control muting and screen blanking/freezing. Karamovie originated in 2003.
;Karaoke jockey or KJ
:A karaoke jockey plays and manages the music for a venue. The role of the KJ often includes announcing song titles and whose turn it is to use the microphone.
;Hitokara
:Singing karaoke alone is called hitokara (ヒトカラ, abbreviation for ひとりカラオケ; ひとり ''hitori'', "one person" or "alone" + カラオケ ''karaoke'') in Japan. Recently this trend has become very popular amongst amateur singers in Japan, India and China, though mostly Japan.

==In culture==

===Public places===
[[File:カラオケ館 (44208255041).jpg|thumb|220px|Lobby of a karaoke box in Japan]]
[[File:Karaoke-Harbin6303733.jpg|thumb|220px|Entrance to a karaoke box in China]]
[[File:Karaoke-irish-pub.jpg|220px|thumb|Karaoke in an Irish [[pub]] in Hamburg]]

====Asia====
In Asia, a '''[[karaoke box]]''' is the most popular type of karaoke venue. A karaoke box is a small or medium-sized room containing karaoke equipment rented by the hour or half-hour, providing a more intimate atmosphere. Karaoke venues of this type are often dedicated businesses, some with multiple floors and a variety of amenities including food service, but hotels and business facilities sometimes provide karaoke boxes as well. In [[South Korea]], karaoke boxes are called ''noraebangs''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.exploringkorea.com/karaoke-in-korea/|title=Karaoke in Korea – Exploring Korea|date=11 July 2011|newspaper=Exploring Korea|access-date=22 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119184544/http://www.exploringkorea.com/karaoke-in-korea/|archive-date=19 November 2016}}</ref> In mainland China and Taiwan, a karaoke establishment is called a KTV.

In some [[dim sum|traditional Chinese restaurants]], there are so-called "mahjong-karaoke rooms" where the elderly play [[mahjong]] while teenagers sing karaoke. The result is fewer complaints about boredom, but more noise. [[Noise regulation]]s can be an issue, especially when karaoke is brought into residential areas.

Violent reactions to karaoke singing have made headlines in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, with reports of killings by listeners disturbed by the singing. In the Philippines, at least half a dozen killings of people singing "[[My Way]]" caused newspapers there to label the phenomenon "[[My Way killings]]"; such that some bars refused to allow the song, and some singers refrained from vocalizing it among strangers.<ref name="noss">{{Cite news |last=Onishi |first=Norimitsu |author-link=Norimitsu Onishi |date=February 7, 2010 |title=Sinatra Song Often Strikes Deadly Chord |page=A6 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/world/asia/07karaoke.html |url-access=limited |access-date=February 7, 2010}}</ref>

Prostitution became an issue implicating karaoke in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/09/world/asia/cambodia-cfr-mira-sorvino-karaoke-brothels/index.html|title=Inside Cambodia's hidden child brothels|first= Mira |last=Sorvino|date=9 December 2013 |publisher=CNN|access-date=10 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/03/04/prostitution-rings-in-colombo/|title=Prostitution Rings in Colombo – The Sunday Leader|access-date=10 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thailand-prostitution-crackdown-underage-girls-rescued-karaoke-bar-1468645|title=Thailand: 13 Girls Forced into Prostitution in Karaoke Bar Rescued|first=Ludovica|last=Iaccino|date=6 October 2014|access-date=10 August 2017}}</ref> In Thailand, "karaoke girls" are brought in not only from Thailand itself but from neighboring countries and are sent to other parts of the world.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nVTqAQAAQBAJ|title=Karaoke: The Global Phenomenon|first1=Xun|last1=Zhou|first2=Francesca|last2=Tarocco|date=1 June 2013|publisher=Reaktion Books|access-date=10 August 2017|via=Google Books|isbn=9781780232409}}</ref>

Asian karaoke establishments are often fronts for [[gentlemen's clubs]], where men pay for female hosts to drink, sing, and dance with them.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} In Japan, such a business is called a piano bar.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/b|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607121811/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/b/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 June 2019|title=Japanese make working relationships work in Piano bars|last=Coy|first=Peter|date=29 March 1988|newspaper=The Washington post|access-date=7 June 2019}}</ref>

After the COVID-19 outbreak, karaoke bars in Japan reopened with rules such as mask wearing, mic covers, and singer must face same direction as onlookers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fulton|first=Wil|title=The Future of Karaoke Bars Is Filled With Uncertainty and Hope|url=https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/future-of-karaoke-bars-covid-19|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Thrillist|date=18 September 2020 }}</ref> 

=====Philippines=====
[[Instrumental]] tracks on [[cassette tape]]s were initially the format used by [[Roberto del Rosario]]'s "Sing-Along System".<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|last1=Sood|first1=Suemedha|title=Karaoke in the Philippines|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20110812-travelwise-karaoke-in-the-philippines|accessdate=19 February 2018|work=BBC Travel|date=12 August 2011}}</ref> By the 1980s, including instrumental-only tracks on the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] of commercial song and album releases had become standard practice in the Philippine recording industry, popularly known as [[Minus one recordings|Minus-One]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Zsa Zsa Padilla – Ikaw Lamang {{!}} Discogs|date=1986 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/4801403-Zsa-Zsa-Padilla-Ikaw-Lamang|language=en}}<!--(example of B-side)--></ref> 

Del Rosario's "Sing-Along System" led to the rapid growth of popularity of "sing-alongs" in the Philippines.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Karaoke |url=https://lalakaraoke.com/blog/history-of-karaoke/ |website=Lala Karaoke |date=19 May 2022 |access-date=22 March 2025}}</ref> Singing contests were staged in [[barangay|town]] [[Patronal festival|fiesta]]s, where amateurs from all walks of life competed. In later years, the audio-only Sing-Along Systems were replaced by Japanese-style coin-operated machines with video and running lyrics that came to be known as ''"videoke"''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Felongco |first1=Gilbert |title=Videoke machines new craze for music addicted masses |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/videoke-machines-new-craze-for-music-addicted-masses-1.360300 |access-date=22 March 2025 |work=Gulf News |date=23 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=The Difference Between Videoke and Karaoke {{!}} Karaoke Feel|url=https://karaokefeel.com/the-difference-between-videoke-and-karaokelanguage=en| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211072918/https://karaokefeel.com/the-difference-between-videoke-and-karaokelanguage=en | archive-date=11 February 2024 }}</ref> It became a popular domestic recreational pastime among Filipinos. It also led to the popularity of nighttime [[Karaoke box|videoke bars]].<ref name="Jackson">{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=Allison |title='We love singing': Filipinos find joy in karaoke |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/10/20/23/we-love-singing-pinoys-find-joy-in-karaoke |access-date=22 March 2025 |work=ABS-CBN News |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=20 October 2023}}</ref>

=====Taiwan=====
{{Expand section|date=June 2013}}
In Taiwan, karaoke bars similar to those in Japan and South Korea are called KTVs, which stands for karaoke television. Karaoke is a highly popular form of recreation in Taiwan. The biggest KTV chains in Taiwan are Partyworld Cashbox, Holiday KTV and NewCBParty.

=====South Korea=====
A '''noraebang'''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/noraebang_n?tl=true | title=Noraebang, n. Meanings, etymology and more &#124; Oxford English Dictionary }}</ref> ([[Hangul]]: 노래방) refers to a singing venue in South Korea where private sound-proof rooms are available for rent, equipped for singing – typically microphones, remote controls, a large video screen, couches, and mood décor such as disco lights and tambourines. The term noraebang is a Korean compound word, blending norae ([[Hangul]]: 노래, English: song) and bang ([[Hangul]]: 방, English: room). It is the regional equivalent to the [[Karaoke box]] in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 February 2017 |title=Noraebang: The Korean Karaoke Box |url=https://musicaroo.com/noraebang-korean-karaoke-box/ |website=Musicaroo}}</ref>

Singing is an important part of social life in Korea, where people will perform, and be persuaded to perform, an impromptu song at virtually any social occasion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Clark |first=Donald |date=2000 |title=Culture and Customs of Korea|url=https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00clar |url-access=registration }}</ref> As such, noraebangs are popular and widespread, often identifiable by bright neon signs with musical notes or microphones.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://traveltips.usatoday.com/things-see-seoul-korea-11625.html| title = "Things to See & Do in Seoul, Korea"| newspaper = Travel Tips - USA Today}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''USA Today'' <!-- retrieved 7 December 2015 --></ref>

Often the last stop after a night of alcohol-lined entertainment for youths and businesspeople alike,<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/off-track-planet/karaoke-seoul_b_4144228.html "How to Karaoke Like a Boss in Seoul"] ''HuffPost'' 29 October 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.koreanzbc.co.nz/en/-business-in-korea/doing-business-in-korea "Doing Business in Korea"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605043543/http://www.koreanzbc.co.nz/en/-business-in-korea/doing-business-in-korea |date=5 June 2017 }} ''Korean New Zealand Business Council <!-- retrieved 7 December 2015 --></ref> noraebangs are also a favorite family pastime, and many are surprisingly dry venues.<ref>[http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/People/view?articleId=120631 "Singin’ in the room noraebang nights"] ''Korea.net'' 16 July 2014</ref> People also frequent noraebangs as a form of stress relief, and some noraebangs cater to those who seek to sing alone.<ref>[http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140212001033 "Uniquely Korean – Noraebang: Singing relieves stress, smoothes relationships"] ''The Korea Herald'', 2 December 2014</ref>

====North America and Europe====
[[File:Asemakatu 31-33 Oulu 20101024.JPG|thumb|A karaoke bar in [[Oulu|Oulu, Finland]]]]
A karaoke bar, restaurant, [[Nightclub|club]] or lounge is a bar or restaurant that provides karaoke equipment so that people can sing publicly, sometimes on a small stage. Most of these establishments allow patrons to sing for free, with the expectation that sufficient revenue will be made selling food and drink to the singers. Less commonly, the patron wishing to sing must pay a small fee for each song they sing. Both are financially beneficial for the establishment by not having to pay a professional singer or a cabaret tax which is usually applied to any entertainment of more than one person.

Many establishments offer karaoke on a weekly schedule, while some have shows every night. Such establishments commonly invest more in both equipment and song discs, and are often extremely popular, with an hour or more wait between a singer's opportunities to take the stage (called the ''rotation'').

Private karaoke rooms, similar to Asia's karaoke boxes, are commonplace in major cities.

Karaoke is very popular in [[Scotland]] with dedicated karaoke venues in most reasonably large towns. [[Aberdeen]] is home to a number of notable karaoke bars including Weagleys, The Spirit Level, Bardot's Karaoke Bar, Sing City. In North America, the Tri State area is known to have many lounges that participate in weekly karaoke shows. [[New Jersey]] has many establishments that are frequented by people of different backgrounds who also participate in karaoke. Hugo's Lounge and Love Lounge located in [[Plainfield, New Jersey]] are just a couple of the many establishments with weekly karaoke schedules.

Throughout much of North America, live band karaoke is also popular. With [[live band karaoke]], singers sing with a live band instead of the prerecorded backing track.

Rock critic [[Rob Sheffield]] claims that the 1986 music video for the song "[[Wild Wild Life]]" by [[Talking Heads]] was the first depiction of karaoke in American popular culture. The video features a variety of characters taking turns singing portions of the song to an audience at a bar.<ref name="sheffield">{{cite book|title=Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love and Karaoke|publisher=HarperCollins|author=Sheffield, Rob|year=2013|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/turnaroundbright0000shef/page/288 288] |isbn=978-0062207623|url=https://archive.org/details/turnaroundbright0000shef/page/288 }}</ref> However a karaoke bar in [[Honolulu]] called "Sing Sing" is depicted in an episode of the American TV series ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' entitled "The Man from Marseilles" first broadcast on March 14, 1985.

In Italy, karaoke had become popular by early 1994, popularized by television personality [[Rosario Fiorello]] who had a karaoke program that appeared weekly on national television.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=International News: Italy |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=January 1994 |volume=20 |issue=1 |page=26 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-20-number-1-january-1994/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2020%2C%20Number%201%20-%20January%201994/page/26}}</ref>

[[File:Room 601, Karaoke Kan, Tokyo.jpg|right|thumb|The karaoke box at Karaoke Kan (Tokyo) where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson sang in ''Lost in Translation'']] Karaoke made a brief appearance in Sofia Coppola's 2003 movie ''[[Lost in Translation (film)|Lost in Translation]]'', and it was, three years before, the primary focus of [[Bruce Paltrow]]'s 2000 film ''[[Duets (film)|Duets]],'' written by John Bynum and starring Paltrow's daughter [[Gwyneth Paltrow|Gwyneth]] and [[Huey Lewis]], "anchor-man" of [[Huey Lewis and the News]].

Also popular among the international performing arts community in Europe, a group of Finnish producers organized an international karaoke competition called KWC (Karaoke World Championships). Their 2011 international karaoke competition has attracted [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] producers to help host America's karaoke competition in Las Vegas Nevada called Karaoke Battle USA. The competition is promised to select 1 male and 1 female contestant to represent the U.S. in the international arena. Largely supported by the Broadway community in Times Square, Pulse Karaoke Lounge sponsored 2011's New York state karaoke finals to select individuals representing New York in the eastern finals.

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', the dozens of karaoke bars in [[Portland, Oregon]] make it not just "the capital of karaoke" in the United States, but "one of the most exciting music scenes in America."<ref>''[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/magazine/portland-karaoke-scene.html?pagewanted=all How Good Does Karaoke Have to Be to Qualify as Art?]'', Dan Kois, ''[[The New York Times]]'', 17 January 2013</ref>

====Australia====
In Australia, karaoke was gradually popularized in the late 1980s. A number of Filipino migrants brought with them their own 'minus-one' music from cassette music tapes and video tapes purchased mainly in the Philippines. A number of Philippine-imported karaoke units with two cassette drives were used in private households. Video TV tapes, mainly consisted of popular and contemporary songs rendered by Filipino artists, and with a mix of English and Tagalog songs were soon used. Projected lyrics on TV screens became very common as the main source of karaoke renditions. These tapes were soon replaced by CD+Gs, but a plug-n-play karaoke microphone that housed a factory built-in songchip loaded with hundreds of karaoke songs quickly became a favourite. This unit would usually be purchased in the Philippines and brought into Australia, becoming a common household item and is popularly used during gatherings.

Commercially, karaoke was first introduced into Australia in 1989 by Robin Hemmings who had seen karaoke operating in Fiji. Prior to this, karaoke was generally unknown to the broader population. Hemmings, of Adelaide, South Australia, offered systems manufactured by Pioneer which used 12in (30&nbsp;cm) double-sided laser discs containing a maximum of 24 songs with accompanying video track and subtitled lyrics.

Despite some initial resistance, Adelaide hoteliers The Booze Brothers offered limited access to their hotels and the karaoke phenomenon was born. Hemmings business, Karaoke Hire Systems, operated seven machines on a casual rental basis to numerous hotels, clubs and private parties in and around Adelaide with an additional machine on snow-season lease at Jindabyne, NSW. Each system came complete with up to 24 discs containing a maximum of 576 music video tracks. In Adelaide, karaoke reached its zenith in 1991 with virtually every hotel offering at least one karaoke night per week with many having undertaken alterations to their premises with the addition of purpose built stages and sound systems. Karaoke rental suppliers had proliferated during this period and Hemmings is known to have sold his business in late 1991 as a going concern.

Karaoke's popularity in Adelaide waned from mid 1992 and was virtually extinguished by early 1993, until recently where karaoke bars have largely regained their former popularity among the city's increasing international population.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Noble |first=Kelly |date=2018-09-26 |title=A Guide To Adelaide's Karaoke Bars |url=https://glamadelaide.com.au/a-guide-to-adelaides-karaoke-bars/ |access-date=2023-06-11 |website=Glam Adelaide |language=en-AU}}</ref> In 2021, the [[University of Adelaide]] Karaoke Club was formed, re-popularizing karaoke among the student population of Adelaide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Karaoke Club |url=https://youx.org.au/interests/clubs/join/8232/ |access-date=2023-06-11 |website=youx.org.au}}</ref>

In the mid-2000s, a number of karaoke bars sprouted in Sydney with karaoke boxes frequented by Japanese students and tourists and a few locals, especially on Thursday nights and weekends. A number of clubs such as RSL, League Clubs and restaurants and bars mainly feature karaoke nights to entice more customers and to entertain guests. Sunfly Karaoke is probably the major karaoke brand in Australia as well as the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About Sunfly Karaoke|url=https://www.sunflykaraoke.com/about-sunfly-karaoke|access-date=2021-01-21|website=www.sunflykaraoke.com}}</ref>

===Production methods===
[[File:Kumyoung vivaus feeltong.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Karaoke box|Computer Music Player]] by [[Keumyoung Group|Kumyoung]] in South Korea]]

Karaoke is very popular in Asian countries, and many artists distribute a karaoke track at the same time the song is released. The most common form of karaoke nowadays{{when|date=January 2018}} is released in [[MIDI]] format with on-screen lyrics on a DVD background video.

In Europe and North America, karaoke tracks are almost never done by the original artist, but are re-recorded by other musicians.

South Korean firms [[TJ Media]], Magic Sing, [[Keumyoung Group|Kumyoung]] produce digital music content in MIDI format and manufacture [[MIDI|computer music players]] for the Asian market.

===Contests===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2010}}

Since the rise of karaoke around the world, karaoke contests have become a phenomenon of mainstream culture, giving non-professional singers opportunity to showcase their talent, win prizes, and at times, travel the world. Contest participants are usually rated 50% by customer votes and 50% by judges' votes, but this may vary, depending on the venue and the level of competition.

[[Karaoke World Championships|Karaoke World Championship]] is one of the most popular karaoke contests and has been around since 2003. In September 2025, the Karaoke World Championships will be held in Bangkok, Thailand.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Karaoke World Championships USA (KWCUSA)
| url = https://www.kwcusa.org/
| website = KWCUSA
| publisher = Karaoke World Championships USA
| access-date = 2025-06-11
}}</ref>


===World records===
As of 2009, the world record for the most people singing karaoke was at [[Bristol Motor Speedway]] in the United States. Over 160,000 people began to sing Garth Brooks' song "[[Friends in Low Places]]" before the NASCAR [[Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race|Sharpie 500]] race began.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/karaoke-most-participants|title=Karaoke – most participants|work=Guinness World Records|access-date=26 June 2018}}</ref>

Hungary holds the record for the longest Karaoke marathon, with multiple participants for an event organized in the Honey Grill Restaurant by Gabor Dániel Szabó (REVVOX Music). It lasted for 1,011 hours, 1 minute, between 20 July 2011, and 31 August 2011. Each song was over 3 minutes long and the gap between songs was no longer than 30 seconds. No song was repeated in any two-hour period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Longest-karoke-marathon-by-multiple-participants/BLOG/223028/7691.html|title=Longest karaoke marathon by multiple participants|access-date=10 August 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211062054/http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Longest-karoke-marathon-by-multiple-participants/BLOG/223028/7691.html|archive-date=11 December 2013}}</ref>

The record for the longest Karaoke solo marathon is held by the Italian Leonardo Polverelli, who sang 1,295 songs in 101 hours, 59 minutes, and 15 seconds.<ref>{{cite web |title=Longest marathon karaoke |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-marathon-karaoke |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |title=Premium Quality Karaoke Songs |url=https://hindikaraokeshop.com |website=Hindi Karaoke Shop}}</ref>

===Violence in karaoke bars===
{{Main|My Way killings|Karaoke bar}}
Between 2002 and 2012, numerous fatal incidents in the Philippines occurred in connection to karaoke bars and the song "[[My Way]]", popularized by [[Frank Sinatra]].<ref name="ichimura">{{Cite web |last1=Ichimura |first1=Anri |date=17 October 2019 |title=How Frank Sinatra's Song 'My Way' Triggered Filipino Karaoke Killings |url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/music/how-frank-sinatra-s-song-my-way-triggered-filipino-karaoke-killings-a00304-20191017-lfrm |access-date=21 March 2022 |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire Philippines]]}}</ref> Similar violent and fatal incidents connected to karaoke bars have also occurred in other countries, including [[Malaysia]], [[Thailand]], and [[China]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=MacKinnon |first1=Ian |title=Malaysian man killed for hogging karaoke microphone |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/05/karaoke-killing-malaysia |access-date=March 21, 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=February 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Drummond |first1=Andrew |title=John Denver karaoke sparks Thai killing spree |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1581130/John-Denver-karaoke-sparks-Thai-killing-spree.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 21, 2021 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=March 8, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Rob|title=American tourist stabbed to death after refusing to stop singing with band in Thailand bar|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/american-tourist-stabbed-to-death-after-refusing-to-stop-singing-with-band-in-thailand-bar-8742041.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/american-tourist-stabbed-to-death-after-refusing-to-stop-singing-with-band-in-thailand-bar-8742041.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=27 December 2014|work=The Independent|date=August 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Malcolm |title=Chinese toddler's karaoke tantrum ends in bloodbath |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9508353/Chinese-toddlers-karaoke-tantrum-ends-in-bloodbath.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 21, 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=August 30, 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Japan|Philippines|Music|Society}}

* [[Closed captioning]]
* [[Fansub]]
* [[List of English words of Japanese origin]]
* [[Music Minus One]]
* [[PowerPoint karaoke]]
* [[Same language subtitling]]
* [[Subtitle (captioning)|Subtitling]]
* [[Surtitles]]
* [[The Singing Machine Company]]
* [[Utagoe coffeehouse|Utagoe Kissa]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
<!-- READ FIRST: Do not add commercial links here. They will be removed! Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a karaoke website or software directory. -->
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{{Music of Japan}}
{{Music topics}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Japan|Philippines|Oregon|Pop music|}}

[[Category:Karaoke| ]]
[[Category:Party games]]
[[Category:Singing]]
[[Category:Lyrics]]
[[Category:Japanese entertainment terms]]
[[Category:Japanese words and phrases]]
[[Category:Japanese inventions]]
[[Category:Filipino inventions]]
[[Category:Equipment]]