The Best Karaoke Machines of 2024

Sing your heart out at home with family and friends

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If you want to sing your heart out, our experts say you should buy The Singing Machine SML385. It's got lights to set the mood, allows you to play songs from your smartphone through the system, and even includes some effects to make non-singers sound better.

If your ambitions are far higher, check out our selection of the best machines that'll have your neighbors begging for quiet in no time.

Best Overall

Singing Machine SML385BTBK

Singing Machine SML385BTBK Bluetooth Karaoke System

Amazon

Pros
  • Versatile feature set

  • Compact and portable

  • Entertaining LED disco lights

Cons
  • So-so audio quality from speakers and microphone

  • No built-in screen

The Singing Machine SML385 is a portable, well-designed karaoke machine that's intuitive to set up and features an array of 54 LED disco lights to set the mood.

The SML385's Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to play music from your phone, and there's also a 3.5mm line-in jack (the type usually used to plug in headphones) available. Some models even support playback and recording. You also can load regular music CDs, and while there's no built-in display, the SML385 provides an output and cables to connect your TV. It has one microphone and a second mic input for your duet needs.

Regarding audio quality, the included speakers won't blow anyone away, but they present an excellent value for the price. The machine offers echo effects and controls to balance the volume of background music and vocal tracks on karaoke recordings. An auto voice control feature can cut out the vocal track when it detects someone singing.

Mics: 2 | Connectivity: Bluetooth/USB | Lights: 54 LED disco lights

Best for Serious Singers

Singtrix Party Bundle

Singtrix Party Bundle

Amazon

Pros
  • More than 400 impressive vocal effects

  • Powerful stereo speakers with subwoofer

  • Custom microphone with mic stand

Cons
  • Can't play from CDs or via Bluetooth

  • Much pricier than basic karaoke machines

Singtrix has created a system that delivers serious performance and fun if you're serious about karaoke. Its powerful "Studio" effects console is at the heart of the system, which puts more than 300 impressive preset effects at your disposal. These include professional-level technology for on-the-fly pitch correction, auto-tuning, and harmony/choir effects that can add instant backup singers at the touch of a button.

A voice cancellation feature can lower the vocals on any song you want to sing along to (though this may not be as effective as removing vocals with other software). Other effects can morph your voice in various ways or transform it to sound like other instruments, such as guitars and keyboards.

You can even plug in actual guitars and keyboards to provide the background music live. It's a powerful tool that can go beyond karaoke parties into other environments, from vocal training to music composition, studio recordings, or live performances.

Mics: 1 | Connectivity: 3.5mm | Lights: None

Budget Buy

BONAOK Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone

BONAOK Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone

Amazon

Pros
  • Kid-friendly design and color options

  • Convenient Bluetooth connection

  • Affordable price

Cons
  • Sound output very loud or high quality

The Bonaok is a microphone-based karaoke system aimed at a younger market. While anyone can use the mic, it's straightforward for kids to grip and carry. The mic also comes with a built-in speaker, producing a more robust sound than you might expect (but it won't blow your socks off).

It comes with an audio cable and a USB cable for wired input and charging, but beyond that, you can connect wirelessly over Bluetooth to play songs from any karaoke app on your phone. There's even a microSD card slot on the bottom if you want to have songs loaded right into the microphone. Plus, it comes with a case that helps transport the microphone but also helps kids keep the cables and other accessories organized.

Mics: 1 | Connectivity: Bluetooth/Micro-USB/3.5mm | Lights: None

Best for Adults

Karaoke USA GF844

Karaoke USA Karaoke System - Portable, Black (GF844)

Amazon

Pros
  • Large, loud speaker with two wireless mics

  • 7-inch color screen

  • Capable of recording voice and music mix

Cons
  • Faint buzz when not playing music

The GF844 from Karaoke USA is the system to get when you're ready to take your living room karaoke game to the next level. It can be fun for kids, too, but adults will appreciate this impressive package's features. You get a prominent, powerful-sounding speaker with expansive controls, including volume knobs, on-screen menus, and a five-channel equalizer. You can access your music in several ways—through Bluetooth, USB drivers, DVDs, SD cards, and more.

It's easy to see the GF844 is made to party, with a vivid 7-inch display and a built-in library of 300 songs. It's also duet-ready with two high-quality microphones, both fully wireless, so your performance is never tied down. A small remote and a holder for tablets and smartphones are included in case you want to use one as an additional display or keep it in place to serve as your controls. To top it off, the system is lightweight and portable so that you can rock out at parties or on trips.

Mics: 2 | Connectivity: Bluetooth/USB | Lights: None

Best for Children

Little Pretender L P Kids Karaoke Machine

Little Pretender L P Kids Karaoke Machine

Amazon

Pros
  • Child-friendly design

  • Quick setup

  • Adjustable stand

Cons
  • Mediocre sound

For a child-friendly karaoke set, the L P Kids Karaoke Machine is a great, affordable starting point for aspiring young stars. It's made of bright, colorful plastic that's easy to assemble, has an adjustable stand to accommodate your child's height, and includes two microphones and a portable speaker.

One of the microphones is a sing-along microphone that works with the adjustable stand, while the other is a handheld microphone. You get four AA batteries to get them up and running without a hitch. Music playback is handled by plugging in with the included aux cable. No complicated setup is involved, and your kids should be singing in no time. The speaker features volume control and an on/off knob, and it has a set of flashing stage lights for a fun light show while your child sings.

Mics: 2 | Connectivity: 3.5mm | Lights: Flashing stage lights

Singing Machine SML385BTBK Karaoke

Lifewire / Jordan Provost

What to Look For in a Karaoke Machine

Kids vs. Adults

If you’re buying a karaoke machine, it’s important to consider who will use it. Will it be brought out at parties with other adults, or are you buying it primarily for kids’ use? How complex a machine you want—or whether you want one specifically made for children—depends on who will utilize the karaoke machine the most.

Portability

Do you want to be able to easily tote your karaoke machine to friends’ houses or events, or will it primarily live in your home? There are trade-offs regarding portability—for example, you’ll usually get better sound quality with a larger machine. But if you want to be able to move your karaoke machine around quickly, then you should take its footprint into account. Some models weigh as little as 7 pounds, whereas more professional models weigh nearly triple that.

Displays and Music

Are you planning on using your karaoke machine personally or in a party setting? The answer to this question—how and where you'll take advantage of it—will help you figure out the karaoke features you want. Does the device need a built-in display, or are you content with using your tablet, phone, or TV? And how do you want it to play songs — through CDs or audio files on your phone? These questions matter quite a bit when it comes to the usability of your machine, so it's essential to keep them in mind while shopping. If you're downloading your files or burning a custom playlist, they must be in an MP3+G or WMA+G format.

FAQ
  • Do you need a special CD with karaoke lyrics?

    If you're connecting to an external display with an RCA connection, a CD that uses the CDG format provides the lyrics and background music. This supplies low-resolution graphics to accompany the music files. However, online video streaming services like YouTube replace the need for this with your phone or tablet.

  • Where can you find karaoke videos to play on your phone or tablet?

    If you're not using a CD, dozens of supported YouTube and Spotify channels specialize in karaoke videos and are updated regularly and often organized by genre and artist.

  • Is there a way to make a karaoke version of a song you can't find?

    While it won't have the lyrics playing in perfect time with the music, it is possible to strip the vocals from tracks that you can't find on more popular streaming services, provided you have an existing WAV file. While it does require a little technical aptitude, it's relatively simple, thanks to free tools like Audacity. Drop in the file you want, split the stereo track, and use the inverter effect on the bottom one. Once you've done that, select mono playback for both and give it a listen. You will notice some distortion as this is hardly a perfect method, but the vocals will be far less noticeable.

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