What is karaoke?

Karaoke is singing together to a backing track: you pick a well-known song, the lyrics appear on a screen, and you sing into a microphone. It is not a live band and not an open-mic slot with original songs.

How a karaoke night works

A bar or club runs a karaoke setup. Guests put song titles on a list or pick from a catalogue. The host starts the track, you sing, the room listens or joins the chorus.

You do not need an instrument or a prepared set. Range and nerve are enough; many nights are deliberately casual and loud.

Who is it for?

Karaoke is a party format. It is for people who enjoy singing – not for musicians who want to jam or present original songs.

• Original songs on a stage: open mic
• Improvising with others: jam session
• Musician formats compared: Open mic vs. jam session

What to bring

• Willingness to sing; sign-up is often at the bar or on a tablet
• Optional: song requests that are in the catalogue
• No amp, no guitar – unless the host advertised a live band (then it is often not pure karaoke)

Find karaoke

OpenStage lists karaoke nights by city. Under Find events pick a city and filter by karaoke.