Zoom has become a very popular way to host online karaoke parties with your friends. In this article, I’ll explain exactly how to set up karaoke using Zoom in under 10 minutes.
The Quick Answer
Zoom can be used for karaoke by opening YouTube or a Karaoke app for the instrumental and lyric video, and then sharing the screen with the other participants in the meeting. You will need a Zoom account and the app downloaded to do this which will usually take less than 10 minutes to set up.
1. Create a Zoom Account
If you do not already have a zoom account setup, then you’ll need to create one first. It’s free and will take less than ten minutes to get started. Here’s how.
- Visit zoom.us
- Sign up using the orange button on the top right. This can be done using an email, Gmail account or Facebook.
- Download the zoom app to your desktop by completing the steps that you are prompted to do.


2. Find a Song on YouTube or a Karaoke App
If you prefer, you can do this after the step where you add participants to the meeting, however I prefer to have this bit ready before adding anyone to the meeting so that it runs more smoothly.
I prefer using YouTube for karaoke in a Zoom meeting. Simple search the song that you are looking for and “karaoke” and you will find a video which has the instrumental audio and the lyrics on screen.
If you don’t want to use YouTube, then you can use a Karaoke app or Spotify instead. Check out these articles to find out how to set them up.
3. Start a Meeting
If you are hosting the meeting, then you’ll need to create a meeting. If you are joining someone else’s meeting, then they will invite you to it, then you enter the meeting ID provided by the host and press joi
- When you are signed into zoom on your browser (not the desktop app), click either join a meeting, where you will be prompted to enter the ID provided by your host, or host a meeting.
- If you are hosting, click launch meeting. This will open up the desktop app. You may be asked to sign in to the app if you are not already signed in.


4. Share Your Screen and Check the Audio
Again, this step can be done after adding participants to the meeting in step 4, but I prefer to get it all ready beforehand.
Next make sure your screen is shared. This is at the bottom of your screen next to “chat” and “record”. You can then decide which screen to share (if you have multiple screens) and adjust the size of the screen area you wish to share. This will be highlighted in green on your screen allowing you to see which area is being shared.
You will also need to take your microphone off “mute”, which can be found at the bottom left of the screen. You can also go into audio settings to adjust the speakers. It’s best to do this when the participants are in the meeting to check that the levels sound good for them. You may also need to “disable” the setting for “supressing intermittent and persistent background noise”.


5. Add Participants to the Meeting
Click on participants at the bottom of the screen. You can then add anyone, and they will be given the meeting ID so they can join your meeting. They will also need to have a zoom account to do this and the desktop app.
On the free plan of Zoom, you may only host a meeting for 40 minutes, if there 3-100 people in the meeting. The best work-around, if you need a longer meeting, is to end the meeting and for another participant to then be the host. If only two people are in the meeting, then the maximum time is 24 hours.
Once you’ve added participants to your meeting, you’re ready to start singing!
6. Stop Sharing Your Screen When You’re Done
Once you’ve finished singing and it’s someone else’s turn, don’t forget to stop sharing your screen. This will allow the next singer to follow the steps above and have their turn at being the karaoke star!
Using Zoom for Karaoke With the Mobile App
If you’re not using the desktop app and want to use your smart phone or tablet instead then here’s how:
- One member needs to launch zoom on their desktop app for this to work.
- Join the zoom meeting on your smart device. If you are the one using the desktop app as well, then you will need to sign out on your mobile/ tablet and then join using the meeting ID.
- Make sure the desktop app is the one using screen sharing and use the steps above to set it up.
More Zoom Karaoke Tips
Hosting a karaoke party on Zoom is really simple if you follow the 6 steps outlined above. However, the audio quality may not be amazing, and there are definitely some ways to improve the overall experience. Here are my favourite Zoom karaoke tips!
- Using a microphone is the best way to improve audio quality. If you have a proper karaoke microphone, that’s great! Check out this article on how to connect your microphone to your device. If not, don’t worry, a headphone microphone can work really well too. So plug in your headphones to your audio jack and get singing!
- For duets and group songs, simply let the other members turn their audio, and share the screen with the lyric video.
- Enable “stereo” in the audio settings if possible to improve the quality.
- Try and choose a room with lots of fabric e.g. carpet, rugs, chairs etc. as this will help to reduce the echo.
- Close any browsers/ windows you aren’t currently using to help speed up the app.