The Best Karaoke Software – February 2019

Karaoke has been a pretty big hit from as far back as the 1970s. So it’s definitely no surprise that it has been keeping up with technology. Back in the day, a karaoke machine was super heavy, came with rolling lyrics, and at a significant price. It began its rise in popularity, serving as a primary source of drunken entertainment in bars and pubs.

Nowadays, you can download karaoke software to your Mac or Windows PC. Just download and install it directly to your system, launch it, and hit those vocally-cracked, Mariah Carey high notes until your lungs collapse. Organizing your own karaoke party has never been easier.

“I’ve been told that my voice is like a mix between Fergie and Jesus. What’s the best karaoke software out there for a gifted voice such as mine?”

In order to bring your rockstar dreams to life, you could scour the internet in search of the best karaoke software offered. You may even stumble upon a few sites offering singing lessons (Fergie and Jesus, really?).

Ultimately, what you’re looking for is the best bang for your buck. Even if that means completely free. Though you may be on a budget, the price shouldn’t be the most definitive attribute in determining the correct karaoke software for you. You’ll also need to acquire one that works with your particular operating system as well as what packages may be bundled in.

There are plenty of karaoke software programs available to you for practically every platform including Windows devices, PCs, Android devices and more. When it comes to the complexity of usage, they can be found ranging in all skill levels from noobish innocence to top-of-the-line expert.

When it comes to choosing which software package you find necessary for your karaoke habit, don’t make any hasty decisions. Software developers understand their audience and are keen on delivering the best options and features possible with their products. Most will offer the basics but there are likely a few key features you’ll want to look out for.

Some of the basic features you can expect are song management capabilities and constant updates. You’ll want to be able to schedule songs for singers in order and also make alterations on the fly. This is especially useful if one of your performers is a no show or gets cold feet, you can easily move on to the next singer in the queue.

Having consistent updates and new song availability is a must as is consistent updates to lyrics and the software itself. Karaoke jams can get stale pretty quickly with the same old playlist available to you and your guests.

Prior to committing on a particular software, you may want to think about what exactly it’s needed for. Are we talking about personal party use or a business related necessity? There are programs offered in both instances so make sure that the one you land on is specific to your needs.

Once you understand what it is you’re looking for, you’re on your way to finding the best karaoke software for the job. Although you could go and do the research yourself, I don’t think this article would be considered as helpful as it should be. So I’ve taken the liberty of scouring the web myself and providing you with what I feel are the best karaoke software options available. Be prepared to create the ultimate karaoke experience for your guests with one of the following choices below.

Best At Cost Option – Karafun Player  

With over 31,000 songs and the option to enjoy them all offline, it should come as no surprise as to why the Karafun Player is so heavily downloaded and well received. It’s regarded as one of the best (if not the best) karaoke software programs in the world. Though it does offer both a free version and a $6, 2-day premium trial version referred to as the Party Pass, the paid subscription is where this jewel shines. In fact, it offers two different paid subscription packages from which to choose.

There is an introductory monthly subscription at $10 that gives you unlimited access to the catalog of over 31,000 tracks. However, you’ll only be able to synchronize 1000 of those tracks for offline use at any given time. You’re limited to using those songs in a single room which makes this subscription the better one for users who aren’t running a karaoke business.

The professional subscription provides the same unlimited access to all tracks while also allowing them to be synchronized offline in their entirety. Feel free to use Karafun Player in multiple rooms simultaneously and enjoy priority technical support from the staff. This package is available for use with both laptop and desktop platforms as well as most operating systems including Windows XP.

Karafun Player offers dual click and a dual screen projection option for use both personally and commercially. It allows you to save and customize all the songs, tailoring them to your speed and pitch. This is likely the most reliable and adored karaoke software that you’re going to find worth the price.

Best For Professionals – Kanto Karaoke

When looking into something more for your everyday professional life as a DJ or KJ, Kanto Karaoke should be your first stop. Kanto supports almost all multimedia and video formats that are available today. There is a free version available to you but as with the Karafun Player, the paid plan is where the awesome comes in. A one-time purchase gives way to a library featuring thousands of songs that are constantly updated, a voice-over recorder allowing you to playback vocals and external music, and a fullscreen mode for easy option navigation.

The CD+G player that comes with Kanto Karaoke gives you the power to convert your computer into a professional karaoke device. Professional features include unlimited playlists, live performance management, playlist management, edit audio settings and plenty more.

Kanto Karaoke is supported by all Windows operating systems as far back as XP and is also compatible with Mac. This software is definitely one of the best, more robust software options available to you right now.

Best For Windows OS Specifically – PCDJ Karaoki

Next on the list was actually quite close to being the best overall karaoke software out there. It will have to settle for the best karaoke software for Windows OS. Like the others so far on the list, PCDJ Karaoki is compatible with all versions of Windows as far back as XP. Similar to Kanto Karaoke, it’s an amazing tool for professional KJs and DJs in need of a solid software for their business. Best of all, it’s only a single payment necessary for purchase. The software comes with no monthly fees and they offer a free trial run to try it for yourself before buying.

PCDJ Karaoki offers plenty of features such as of singer rotation and history, key control, your choice between a half or full screen display, various singer modes, graphics offset, a robust control system, and much more.

The software is definitely for more intermediate users as it isn’t quite beginner friendly. Though, even if you are a beginner in this area, playing around with the features long enough, you should become accustomed to how it all works. If a rich karaoke experience is what is expected of you and your guests, PCDJ Karaoki is your best bet as a Windows OS user.

Best 100% Free Option – Walaoke

For a karaoke software that can do it all for free, look no further than Walaoke. So long as you have the proper codecs installed, Walaoke can play any music file format there is. You can customize the color of the lyrics as well as the background using your own videos or record a live performance.

It comes with practically every standard feature you’d expect from any other karaoke software like standard playlist management, lyric highlights and effects, the ability to save the track or channel, among others.

The entire assortment of features is completely free with Walaoke. It also uses a one-click format making it incredibly easy to use. The only negative is the likelihood of you needing to search out the tracks on your own as it doesn’t offer a large list of songs to use. Regardless, it is still one of the most downloaded karaoke players on the market so all those people can’t be wrong, right?

At the time of writing this article, the site is currently under construction. This means that you may have to wait a little bit to get your Don’t Stop Believin’ on.

Best For On-The-Go Users – Just Karaoke 2

Whether using a Windows or Mac operating system, for laptop users, Just Karaoke 2 is the perfect software package. It offers a complete digital operating solution with auto compression features that allow you to move files around with ease. You’re also able to control everything about the track playing without even getting off your butt.

Benefit from robust features such as a dual output screen, a singer announcement notification system, solid song manager with easy song navigation, crisp sound effects, singer rotation, and over 70,000 songs.

You can rotate singers around to different positions in the queue, record every singer’s performance, and make notations about the show for future viewings. Change the background music on the fly using an immense database offering you endless event options even while moving.

Just Karaoke 2 comes with a trial version so anyone interested but still on the fence can give it a go to see if it lives up to the hype. There is also a professional version available for a one-time purchase with additional goodies bundled in. The whole package is incredibly versatile and makes it easy to keep everything well organized for your next karaoke party.