1) http://www.buykaraokedownloads.com
This site offers a concise collection of karaoke music, but is largely restricted to English music. A collection of Spanish songs are also available. Once we subscribe to the site, we can search songs in MP3+G format by artist or song’s name. One can also browse songs, categorized by genres, top 100 songs, new releases and top 10 artists. Price per download is 79 cents. A public forum is also featured to discuss your interest for karaoke music.

2) http://www.tricerasoft.com/cgi-bin/KaraokeDownloads/index.asp
This site includes a far more extensive list of genres, including English as well as Irish music. You can search songs by typing artist’s name, or through first alphabet of the song. An interesting feature of the website is that it has listings of triple track medleys. Not sure whether you want to buy the songs, or not? Check out the sample. It can be downloaded without paying any costs. Another user friendly feature is that you can download the karaoke player software as well. Want to gift a few songs to a loved one? Surprise them by buying a gift pack here.

3) http://www.vocalist.org/karaoke-downloads.html
This website features everything; from karaoke music to karaoke equipment to karaoke downloads. It lists downloadable songs, their respective lyrics, and a list of free karaoke players to help you get started. If you are totally new to karaoke music, this website also has some introduction and guidelines regarding karaoke music. The downloads are available in MP3 format.

You can not only download and listen to songs online, but select and organize your favorite songs, and have them mailed to your mail box in a form of a CD. You can select whether to have tracks with vocals or without them. The regular price is $6.00 per track.

One of the features that this software offers is to create songs. Songs can be encoded into their specific and popular karaoke format i.e. CD+G, by converting a WAV, KAR or MP3 file into CDG audio file, and using words to be encoded as lyrics of respective sound files.

Another feature of such softwares is to burn CD+G files onto DVDs. If you have saved karaoke songs in CD+G format in your song library, this software will read and write onto a writeable disc.

You can also play CD+G, MP3, BIN, MIDI, and MP3+G files on your player. Another interesting feature is that you can record your voice through certain softwares with the help of microphone.

For the convenience of having the karaoke songs to be played on one’s DVD player and mobile device, some karaoke converter softwares can change CD+G into MPEG or AVI files, so they can we can enjoy them on any compatible device. A similar player can change CD+G files to video files compatible to ipod, so we can sing along, wherever we go.

Specialized programs can also help make karaoke videos by letting us design AVI or MPEG clips, which can be later on burnt to DVDs or VCDs.

Many web sites offer preliminary and simple softwares for free, which can be just used to play karaoke music. Most of the other categories of programs can be downloaded at a price determined by its features popularity.

Karaoke was first introduced in Japan in 1970s. It was major form of entertainment at family gatherings and dinners. The first karaoke machine was invented only then by a Japanese drummer Daisuke Inoue in Utagoe Kissa. 1990s saw a rising interest in karaoke in North America and other Asian countries. As the market realized the potential and popularity of this new kind of music, various different styles of karaoke systems were manufactured. Lounges and night clubs made it even further popular. This led to the advent of a new profession: Karaoke jockeys (KJ). They play the music as well as make announcements about songs and singers. Karaoke is played at various venues across North America: it can be a bar, or restaurants, wherever karaoke system and equipment is provided. Most places offer free singing opportunities since they generate money by selling their food or drinks. Chinese societies have venues called “mahjong-karaoke rooms”.

Karaoke music has been developed on various levels. There has been an increase in selection of karaoke music, karaoke systems, and other karaoke equipment as well as karaoke software and download sites for such music. Japanese played cassette tapes, but now its available in the form of laserdiscs, audio and video CDs, as well as DVDs. Audio CDs use a special format called CD+G (CD+graphics), where audio as well as images are encoded for the lyrics of the songs in bitmaps.

Karaoke songs are sung with a help of a microphone and an electronic amplification system called a PA system. The screen on which lyrics are displayed is called KTV.

Component systems are suitable if you have already had some kind of speakers, TV and related accessories. By just buying a karaoke player, you can enjoy live karaoke experience within an affordable price range. You can just add microphones, a TV or projector, an RF modulator which will decode the graphics to be showed on the TV.

Connect them all, and you are all set for a great karaoke lounge experience right in your bedroom, hall or backyard. For easy and controlled operation, you will need microphones with separate volume controls as well as digital key control. Some of the leading karaoke player’s series are by Fleco, EnterTech, and Acesonic.

All-in-one systems are one of the most popular units in the market. They have built-in mixers, amplifiers, speakers, karaoke player, and sometimes a screen to display song lyrics. It again should match your needs, a small boom box or a large system enough for larger gatherings. It is best if it already features digital key control and RF modulator.

Karaoke players have a microphone jack, and can play formats such as CDGMs (CD plus graphic multiplex), regular audio CDs, and CDGs, as well as cassette tapes, DVDs and VCDs.

A karaoke mixer serves as intermediate step between the player and the amplifier. “Mixer” as its name suggests, mixes and intermingles the input from the microphone i.e. voice, to the input from the player i.e. music. It is beneficial when neither the layer nor the amplifier have microphone connection. This is also resourceful when there are several audio and video inputs. Mixer helps in controlling such aspects as wells act as echo and vocal reducer and key control.

Karaoke decoder shows you the graphic part of the CD. It is an instrument used to convert a common CD player into a specific karaoke player. It decodes the video part of the CD while connected to a standard CD player.

Microphones come in two forms: corded and wireless. Both have their uses. The corded microphones are cheaper, and give a cleaner sound with no interference, but don’t let one move around a lot. In contrast, wireless microphones have interference problems from other sources and this affect the quality of sound.

Karaoke amplifiers are also the essential part of good karaoke equipment. A match between amplifier and speaker’s power is very important. The power of the amplifier should never exceed the power of the speakers. If you feel that by increasing the volume, the sound is losing its quality, then your amplifiers are not suited for your speakers since they have a lower power rating than the speakers themselves.

Karaoke speakers are especially designed to produce high quality sound, as Karaoke’s focus is on the vocals rather on than on the music. A standard speaker cannot handle that and thus produces suppressed sound with very loud music.

One such brand is ‘VocoPro’ which offer a series of professional karaoke systems. One such product is Viper 2 Club CDG amplified player. It consists of a professional power amplifier with a power of 300 watt, and a CDG player. This player offers features such as built in cassette player which can record as well as play the music and vocal inputs. The microphones come in pair with separate volume controls, with a total of three microphone inputs. As a way to erase vocals from CDs and audiotapes, player comes with features such as vocal partners and vocal cancels.

Another professional karaoke system is called 2000W Professional Karaoke KJ-DJ Club System. As its name suggests, it is specially designed to have both DJ and KJ controls into one set. The dual control CDG player offers pitch control to about 12 percent. It is accompanied by a 2000W amplifier, four 15 inch vocal speakers, pair of professional microphones, speaker cable as well as other accessories.

A professional karaoke system can be an all-in-one unit product, with varying sizes. The sophisticated machinery with better quality of vocals is compatible with different kinds of audio and video formats. Portable systems tend to be another factor that decides the price range of the products. The common prices range goes from $800 – $4000. Many systems are sold with great discount deals on vast range of karaoke music CDs, of all genres and languages.

Microphone based players are more popular in North America and parts of Asia. All of them have at least one microphone connection. All you need is a microphone, a karaoke player, which is further connected to a TV. Some players need power outlets, while others survive on batteries. Other functions of the player include special sound effects and pitch correction.

Karaoke players are designed to match user’s needs and demands. They can be compatible to many formats such as DVIX, MPEG, DVD, VCD as well as CDG. Furthermore, they have connections for external storage devices such as USB, and ports for computer monitors, TV or projectors. They can also vary in other features such as disc capacity, and sound processing abilities. All such features also depend on whether it’s a home or a professional system. They can also vary in their voltage capacity. Mostly display songs on the monitor screen, and can introduce silence or breaks into songs to give time for introduction or next turn.

Component karaoke players are developed for home stereo systems. They sometimes include amplifiers, speakers, and mixers along with a standard DVD or CD + G player depending on one’s requirement.

Portable karaoke players have accompanying screens for lyrics as well as built in speakers. So this saves the costs of having additional monitor, TV or speakers.