Karaoke is mostly a singing game in which people enjoy themselves by using a karaoke microphone in order to sing well-known songs. A more complex definition would be: karaoke is known throughout the world as a form of entertainment in which amateur singers(people who do something without receiving any payment or without having formal training) sing along with recorded music using a karaoke microphone and a PA system(public address system – an electronic amplification system, used to reinforce a given sound). The karaoke player contains typical, well known music(usually pop) in which the voice of the original singer is removed or reduced in volume. In order to guide the brave who want to reveal their singing talents, lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol or with changing colours, used in the same purpose.

Generally, the most common karaoke machines are audio mixers, which contain an input for the karaoke microphone. These karaoke players can be of different types: they can have built-in CD+G, Video CD, Laser Disc, or DVD. The difference between these types of karaoke players is that the first type (CD+G) uses a special track to encode the lyrics, while the other ones natively display both audio and video. Most karaoke machines have got technologies that automatically change the pitch of the music so that while singing, amateur singers can pick a key that is appropriate for their vocal range and maintain the tempo of the song at the same time.

In the past, there were some very old karaoke systems that used cassettes, which altered playback speed while changing the pitch. Fortunately, like most of the things that surround us, the concept of karaoke player has also evolved and nowadays we can entertain ourselves with technologies that are more sophisticated. This is why the commercial use of the old karaoke players is practically nonexistent today and none of them is still on the market. Starting 2003, much software has been released, especially for hosting karaoke shows and playing karaoke songs on a personal computer. This new software permits singers to listen to one another over the Internet, having audiences from all around the world. Additionally, this means that you do not need a professional karaoke microphone anymore; you can just use your personal home MIC.

Although there is a large variety of karaoke players (as seen above), there is a more popular type for home use: the microphone based karaoke player. These players enjoy popularity mainly in North America and some Asian countries, such as the Philippines and are well suited for home use. You buy a karaoke player, a karaoke microphone, invite some friends over and the fun is guaranteed at a price which will not leave a hole in your budget.

For example, a professional CD recorder and karaoke player is about 500$, while a karaoke microphone oscillates between 15$ and 547$ (depending whether the microphone is wireless or not etc.). It is nice that with little effort, you can have your own karaoke system; you can even order it on the internet because there are already many sites with professional karaoke equipment.

All in all, karaoke has spread all over the world throughout the years, making singing a more pleasant activity and not a simple recital in the shower anymore. As the available selection of music has increased, more and more people within the industry see it as a very profitable form of lounge and nightclub entertainment. It is common nowadays for some bars to have karaoke performances even seven nights a week, which makes karaoke one of the most wanted night activities. Therefore, as a club manager, if you own a karaoke player and a karaoke microphone in your bar, you will surely have more customers every night.



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