How karaokemo works
One TV or laptop plays the queue. Everyone else uses their phone as a remote. Android guests can install the app from Google Play, or just use the website.
1. Start the karaoke screen
On the big display, open karaokemo and choose Start karaoke screen. You get a short Screen ID (for example K7R2MQ) and a QR code. Leave that page open — it is the stage. Closing the tab or navigating away pauses the room for everyone.
The screen shows the current video, the upcoming queue, and the join code. Guests do not control volume or full-screen from their phones; those stay with whoever is standing at the TV.
2. Connect phones
Guests open the same site on their phones, enter the Screen ID (or scan the QR), and tap Connect device. On Android they can also install the karaokemo app from Google Play and join with the same code. Each phone becomes a remote for that room only. A phone can leave and rejoin with the same code as long as the screen is still up.
Names are optional but useful. They appear on the queue and in the singer intro. We do not turn them into accounts, and they are not used to track people across other websites.
3. Queue songs
From a remote, search YouTube karaoke tracks or paste a YouTube link. Songs line up in the order they were added. When a video ends, the screen can show a playful score, then advance to the next song automatically.
Search quality depends on what YouTube returns for “karaoke” plus your query. If the first result is a live concert or a lyric-less upload, skip it and try a more specific title, or paste a video you already trust.
What happens between songs
When a video ends, the screen can show a short playful score, then an “Up next” card with the next title and singer name. Playback waits about ten seconds so the room can cheer and the next person can find the lyrics. If a stage promo is configured, it can run after the score and before that intro. Skip and Next on the screen still move the queue when a video is unavailable or the wrong upload.
What the screen does that phones do not
Playback, skip, next, pause, and volume live on the karaoke screen (and a host remote if you use one) so one person can keep the night moving without six remotes fighting the player. Guest phones search, add, and watch the queue. That split is intentional: the TV stays readable, and guests are not hunting for a tiny play button.
Greetings on the stage
From a remote, a guest can send a short greeting — birthday, anniversary, monthsary, congratulations, or a custom line — with who it is for. It shows on the karaoke screen for the room. It is not a song and it does not replace the queue. Use it when the person is actually in the room.
What karaokemo does not do
We do not host karaoke files, strip vocals, or guarantee lyrics. If YouTube disables embedding on a video, the screen cannot play it. If the TV browser blocks unmuted autoplay, you still need that first OK or click. Rooms are not accounts: close the tab, and after idle cleanup the Screen ID is gone.
A night in one room, not two
One karaoke screen tab is the room. A second Start on a laptop or a phone creates a second code and a second queue. Guests who typed the number on the wall will never see songs added to the ghost tab. Close extras. Keep the ID people can see. The longer list of these stalls is host mistakes.
The screen device is also the loudspeaker path. Phones search and add; they do not fill a living room. If you care about mics, feedback, or where singers stand so they do not block lyrics, that is room layout and sound, not a hidden player setting.
Tips for a smooth night
- Put the karaoke screen on the TV browser (or HDMI from a laptop), then full-screen the player so lyrics stay readable from the couch.
- Ask guests to type a display name when they add a song. The screen announces “Singer is …” before playback so the room knows who is up.
- Keep one person near the screen for skip or next if someone freezes, picked an instrumental, or queued a lyric-less upload.
- Use a stable Wi-Fi network so remotes can search and add without lag. Venue captive portals often block phones until each guest accepts the login page.
What you need
A device with a browser and speakers (or HDMI to a TV), phones for guests, and a YouTube connection. Song search uses the YouTube Data API on our servers — guests never need their own API key. If search is empty, anyone can still paste a YouTube URL.