Frequently asked questions

Do guests need to install an app?

No. Guests can use the website in a mobile browser. On Android, the karaokemo app on Google Play is the easiest remote (phones, tablets, and Android TV). iPhone users can add the site to their home screen. The karaoke screen on a TV or laptop is still a browser tab.

Where does the music come from?

Playback uses YouTube embeds on the karaoke screen. Remotes search YouTube (when a server API key is configured) or accept a pasted YouTube URL. Availability, age restrictions, and ads inside videos follow YouTube’s own rules — karaokemo does not host the audio files.

Can multiple people add songs at once?

Yes. Any phone connected to the same Screen ID can search and add. The queue updates on the screen and on remotes. If two people add at the same moment, both songs appear; order is first-come.

Why didn’t search return results?

Search needs a working YouTube Data API key on the server. If search fails or returns nothing useful, paste a YouTube link instead. A “no results” message is not the same as a broken room — the screen can still play anything you queue by URL.

The TV has no sound, or the video will not start

Many TV browsers block unmuted autoplay until you press OK or click once on the player. Play a short test track after you start the screen. If the built-in browser is stubborn, HDMI a laptop and use a desktop browser instead. More detail is in the smart TV guide.

We typed the Screen ID and it said not found

Codes are short and easy to mistype. Check that the karaoke screen tab is still open, that you are on the same site (www vs non-www rarely matters here, but a stale bookmark can), and that you did not add extra spaces. Rooms that sit idle for a long time are cleaned up automatically.

Can I remove a song I added?

If you added it from that phone, you can usually remove it from your remote while it is still in the queue. The person at the screen can also skip whatever is playing. There is no public “delete anyone’s song” control on guest remotes, on purpose.

What is the score after a song?

It is a playful reveal for the room, not a judged contest. Treat it as a cheer break, then the next singer intro plays.

Do you store my karaoke history?

Rooms keep queue metadata (YouTube id, title, thumbnail, optional display names) so the night can run. Idle rooms are removed. We do not ask guests to create accounts. See the privacy policy for what the contact form and admin tools store.

Can guests skip the song that is playing?

No. Skip and next stay on the karaoke screen so six remotes cannot fight the player. If you added a track from that phone, you can usually remove it while it is still waiting. Once it is now playing, the person at the TV skips.

What is a stage greeting?

A remote can send a short birthday, anniversary, monthsary, congratulations, or custom greeting with a name. It shows on the big screen. It is not a queued song. Use it when the person is in the room.

Does karaokemo record people singing?

No. The karaoke screen plays a YouTube embed through the TV or laptop speakers. We do not capture a room microphone, webcam, or “performance take.” Optional display names exist so the intro card can announce who is up. They are not accounts and they leave when the room is cleaned up. See the privacy policy for the contact form and what a room stores (YouTube id, title, thumbnail, optional name).

Can two TVs share the same queue?

No. Each time someone taps Start karaoke screen, they get a new Screen ID. Two TVs are two rooms unless one of them is just showing the other via HDMI. Guests must join the code printed on the display they are looking at. Starting a “test” screen on a phone is the usual way this goes wrong — close it. More on that stall: host mistakes.

Why is there an ad inside a karaoke video?

YouTube may insert its own ad into an upload. karaokemo cannot remove it. Wait, lower the TV volume, or skip the track if the upload is a dud. Ads we place, when they appear, are only on informational articles (guides, this FAQ, about). Karaoke screens and phone remotes are product UI. We do not treat them as ad surfaces.

Is karaokemo free?

Creating a screen, joining from a phone, and queueing YouTube songs is free. We may show ads on informational pages (guides, this FAQ, about) to help cover hosting. Karaoke screens and phone remotes are product UI, not article pages, so we do not treat them as AdSense surfaces.

Still stuck?

See How it works, the guides, or troubleshooting. You can also send a message from the contact form.