Singing karaoke on a phone is really easy to set up and can be brilliant for parties. In this article, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about using your phone for karaoke, and it works for both Apple and Android devices.
The Quick Answer
You can use a smart phone for karaoke by downloading a karaoke app such as Smule or StarMaker, or by using YouTube. Connect your smart phone to an external microphone and speaker, or use an all-in-one wireless karaoke microphone for best results.
1. Download a Karaoke App
The first thing you need to do to sing karaoke on your phone, is to download a karaoke app. Google Play Store and the App Store are full of great free and paid karaoke apps with various different features and a wide library of high quality songs available. YouTube can also be used on both devices for karaoke.
One of the best options for this is Singa which has a free and paid option, and the option to sign up to a free trial giving you access to over 80,000 songs. It also works on smart TVs. Check out Singa for more information.
Best Karaoke Apps for Apple Devices
- Singa
- Smule
- Karaoke by Yokee
- StarMaker
- The Voice
- Karafun
- SingSnap
| Karaoke App | Monthly Cost | Free Trial or Option | Number of Songs |
| Singa | $9.99 | Both | 80,000 |
| Smule | $7.99 | 1 week trial | Over 1 million |
| Karaoke by Yokee | $4.99 | Free option | Over 1 million |
| StarMaker | $16.99 | Free option | Over 1 million |
| The Voice | $7.99 | Free option | Over 1 million |
| KaraFun | $9.99 | No | Over 42,000 |
| SingSnap | $14.99 | Free option | Over 1000 |
Best Karaoke Apps for Android Devices
- Singa
- Smule
- Karaoke by Yokee
- StarMaker
- The Voice
- Karaoke Mode
- Karaoke Online
| Karaoke App | Monthly Cost | Free Trial or Option | Number of Songs |
| Singa | $9.99 | Both | 80,000 |
| Smule | $7.99 | 1 week trial | Over 1 million |
| Karaoke by Yokee | $4.99 | Free option | Over 1 million |
| StarMaker | $16.99 | Free option | Over 1 million |
| The Voice | $7.99 | Free option | Over 1 million |
| Karoke Mode | Free | Free option | Over 1000 |
| KaraFun | $9.99 | No | Over 42,000 |
2. Use an External Microphone
The main problem with using a phone for karaoke is that the microphone is poor quality for recording. Also, your phone will not amplify the volume of your singing, so you will need an external microphone to do karaoke properly using your phone.
There are two options for this:
- An all-in-one microphone
- An external speaker and separate microphone
Option 1: All-In-One Microphone
- These connect to your smart device e.g. phone, using Bluetooth or an AUX cable
- The microphone has a built-in speaker so will increase the volume of your singing, without having to use an external speaker
- Most karaoke all-in-one microphones will also increase the volume of the backing track so there is no need for an external speaker
Check out this All-in-One Karaoke Microphone on Amazon. It’s the perfect option that doesn’t involve any extra equipment at an awesome price. I was really surprised at just how cheap they were.
Option 2: External Microphone and Speaker
- Connect your external microphone to your using either Bluetooth or an AUX cable
- Connect your speaker and microphone using either Bluetooth or an AUX cable
- Keep in mind that you will not be able to connect both the speaker and microphone using Bluetooth, and you will need to use a wired connection for one of the devices
Your external microphone doesn’t need to be anything fancy. In a lot of cases, the built-in-microphone found on headphones actually works really well and is a cheap solution to getting better quality audio.
These methods work really well for YouTube too, if you’re looking for a cheap karaoke solution. Check out my guide to using YouTube for karaoke for some more information.
How to Record Your Singing
If you want to record your singing performances on your smart phone, then you can use a karaoke app such as Smule or StarMaker, which allow you to easily share your recordings online. Use an external microphone to record your singing for the best audio quality.
How to Use Your Phone as a Karaoke Microphone
Smart phones can be used as karaoke microphones by following these steps:
- Download a microphone app e.g. Pro Microphone or Megaphone
- Connect your smart phone to an external speaker using Bluetooth or an AUX connection
This will allow you to use your smart phone for karaoke.
Keep in mind though, that the audio quality will be better if you opt for an external microphone, as the microphone quality on a smart phone is usually not that good for singing.
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