Craving karaoke? What if you could turn your living room into a karaoke bar? You can bring the experience to you with the help of your smart TV.
A smart TV and a simple Bluetooth microphone are all you need to get a karaoke session started in your own house.
Want to learn more?
Here’s What You Need to Know about Smart TVs and Karaoke:
Smart TVs allow you to access diverse entertainment sources, ranging from movies, TV programs, music—and even karaoke! The easiest way to sing karaoke with your smart TV is with a dedicated karaoke app available for download on your TV’s app store.
1. How Can You Sing Karaoke on a Smart TV?
There are plenty of karaoke apps available for download on your smart TV, as well as karaoke tracks uploaded on YouTube.
You can search for these apps on the app store of your smart TV, or log into YouTube and look for Karaoke-d versions of your favorite songs.
To get the best karaoke experience from your smart TV, it is recommended to use a microphone with your smart TV.
2. What Do You Need for a Karaoke Set Up with a Smart TV?
The most straightforward way of doing Karaoke on a smart TV is to pair it with a Bluetooth microphone.
But you may not get the best results, especially if the audio output is routed to the Bluetooth microphone’s built-in speaker, which may not be enough to fill the room with the sweet sound of your voice!
Ideally, you would route the output to your smart TV’s speakers or soundbar.
If you want a bigger sound, similar to the kind karaoke bars use, here’s what you can do:
- Buy a mixer and plug it into your microphone and line output or headphone output of your smart TV.
- From the mixer, you can send the audio output to your preferred speakers.
The advantage of this setup is that you can add more microphones and choose between wired and wireless connections.
3. What Are the Best Karaoke Apps for Smart TVs?
If you are looking for a karaoke app for your smart TV, here are some options.
StarMaker
StarMaker is an app that lets you sing and record with your friends. The song selection spans thousands, and Starmaker updates its song library regularly, so you’ll get the latest hits.
This app is free and can be used on Android smart TVs.
Karaoke Party
Karaoke Party is one of the few karaoke apps that is available on platforms outside Android. This app gives you access to over 100,000 songs and a competitive component since it offers a scoring system.
This app is free and is available on Chromecast, Fire TV, Android, and LG WebOS.
Smule
The Smule Karaoke app features more than a million karaoke tracks, covering the old standards and the newest hit songs. If you use it in tandem with a Bluetooth microphone, you will be able to use effects, including autotune.
The app is available on Android TV and costs $7.99 a month, or $39.99 annually.
Karaoke Channel
The Karaoke Channel is an app that was made for larger displays. It lets you access thousands of karaoke tracks and comes with a free trial period.
This app is available only for Samsung smart TVs and costs $59.99 a year.
KaraFun
KaraFun is a karaoke app that offers more than 33,000 tracks, with adjustable tempo and key for the songs. You can add or remove vocal tracks to help you enhance your singing experience.
They also have a professional plan which includes song licensing and offline use to save on bandwidth.
This app is available on Android and Fire TV and starts at $5.99 for a two-day pass. The business plan starts at $129.99 a month, with the option for a custom plan for a more tailor-fit subscription.
4. How Do I Download Karaoke Apps on Smart TVs?
You can download the apps listed above from the app store of your smart TV.
If there is no app available, you can also try screen mirroring from your smartphone.
5. How Do I Connect My Bluetooth Microphone to My Smart TV?
You can connect a Bluetooth microphone to your smart TV by going to your Bluetooth settings.
You can read more about connecting your Bluetooth to your TV in our article Smart TVs & Bluetooth: 14 Answers For Beginners.
6. Can You Connect a Karaoke Machine to a Smart TV?
You can connect a karaoke machine to your smart TV, as long as they have compatible ports and cables.
A karaoke machine is the easiest way to use karaoke on your smart TV. It already contains thousands of songs and only needs a few cables to work.
It can also work offline and comes with the option of a wired or wireless connection for the microphones.
The downside to a karaoke machine is that you need to update it to get the latest songs.
7. Does Netflix Have Karaoke?
Netflix does not have karaoke features.
8. How Do I Play YouTube Karaoke on My Smart TV?
You can search for karaoke versions of your favorite songs on YouTube.
Users upload these tracks so that others may use them in their next karaoke sessions.
You can then connect your smart TV to your Bluetooth microphone and route the audio output to your favorite soundbar.
9. How Much Does the Karaoke Channel Cost?
A subscription to the Karaoke Channel app costs $59.99 a year. This app is available on Samsung smart TVs.
10. What Are the Best Bluetooth Microphones to Use for Karaoke?
If you are looking to buy a Bluetooth microphone for karaoke sessions, you can try the Goodaaa Wireless Karaoke Microphone.
- It works with smart TVs and features a duet function and a reverb effect.
- The battery on this microphone can last up to eight hours.
- It has a premium feel to it, thanks to the leather handle and metal body.
Another good option is the Bonaok Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone.
- It features a built-in recorder and works with Android.
- It also has an auxiliary cable, which you can plug into a mixer with your smart TV for a single output.
- The Bonaok Bluetooth Microphone also charges quickly and can give you up to 10 hours of use after just two hours of charging.
If you want a more professional setup you might also want to look into using two microphones for the singer.
11. What Are the Best Smart TVs for Karaoke?
Most of the Karaoke apps are available on Android TVs.
And because Bluetooth microphones default as the speakers for your karaoke session, a smart TV that can do dual audio outputs so that you can play the songs on your speakers is your best bet.
And if you have friends over for karaoke, you also want to have wide viewing angles, so anyone can sing wherever they are sitting or standing.
Here are three smart TVs that meet these stipulations. The smart TVs listed here are from Sony since they are among the best smart TV manufacturers that use Android TV.
Sony A8H
The Sony A8H is an entry-level OLED smart TV that you should consider if you love karaoke.
- It can perform well in well-lit rooms and at night, and it has wide viewing angles, which means you can pass the microphone around during the karaoke jam and not worry about missing the words onscreen.
- It can handle dual audio outputs so that you can have both audio produced on the Bluetooth microphone and your smart TV’s speakers or soundbar.
- The downside of this smart TV is the risk of burn-in that is associated with OLED screens.
The A8H comes in 55, and 65-inch models, which is ideal for bigger rooms.
Sony X950H
The X950H from Sony is another viable option for your karaoke parties.
- It uses a 4k LED display, which has good color accuracy. The X950H can handle different lighting conditions, so you can use it any time of the day or night.
- This smart TV also has the X-Wide Angle technology, which improves viewing angles, although not on the same level as the A8H.
The X950H comes in 49, 55, 65, 75, and 85-inch models, making it ideal if you want to have more people over or want a professional vibe.
Sony X750H
The Sony X750H is a budget option to consider for karaoke usage.
- It features 4k resolution and performs best in darker environments.
- It has good upscaling capabilities, in case you want to use a karaoke machine with the X750H.
- Since it uses a VA panel, the X750H is not ideal for well-lit rooms, and its viewing angles are not as good as the A8H or the X950H.
The X750H comes in 55, 65, and 75-inch models.
12. What Karaoke Apps Are Compatible with Chromecast?
If you are using a computer or smartphone, YouTube is your best bet to connect via Chromecast.
But it won’t have other effects on-board like the apps listed above.
Now, if you only want to make do with what you have (i.e., your smart TV is not Android but has Chromecast), you can try the following Chromecast-compatible apps on your smartphone.
- Rockit Karaoke
- Smule
- Red Karaoke
Final Thoughts:
Setting up your karaoke system with a smart TV is easier than ever before, thanks to new technologies.
You don’t need fancy equipment, and you can get the party started by downloading an app on your smart TV.
Sources:
Think You Can Sing? These Karaoke Mics Let You Belt It Out Whenever, Wherever
The Best Karaoke Apps for Smart TV
How to setup Karaoke at Home using YouTube