APP CULTURE
Karaoke for the Whole Family
Looking for an alternative to watching football after the big meal? Get everyone singing! Here’s how to bring the karaoke bar to your living room.
Check out the scene
Start with Sing! Karaoke by Smule, StarMaker - Sing Karaoke Songs, and Karaoke - Sing Unlimited Songs. All three make it easy to jump right in and belt out a tune. Even better, they help you up your game by listening to other singers. You could spend hours watching performances and liking your favorites, using these as inspiration to find your new perfect song.
Time for a duet
Since you’re with family and friends, we’ll skip singing solo and jump right to duets. If you’re sharing one iPhone or iPad, we suggest Karaoke’s Duets category, which clearly marks each person’s lines so it’s easy to tag-team on the same screen. If you have multiple devices and accounts, Smule and StarMaker let you pair your separately recorded performances to create an instant duet. And because Smule features clips from popular artists like DNCE, Sarah McLachlan, and Shawn Mendes, you can pair your performances with those and see what it’s like to sing with a celebrity. Too cool.
Or maybe a sing-off?
If folks are feeling competitive, compare how the various apps rate your individual performances. StarMaker scores each verse and your whole performance, so you can use some or all of that info to stage a sing-off.
Polish the production
Another neat thing to play with is the various audio and video effects. Try putting your voices through an auto-tune or grunge filter, or see how you look through snow, static, or a purple haze. If you sing with video, Karaoke lets you add intros afterward—a great chance to channel your inner diva.
Be creative. And remember to post your performances online so the rest of your family can enjoy them too!