Using YouTube is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to setup karaoke at home. You don’t need to pay for any songs so it’s completely free. Plus it works on a range of devices.
And there’s literally thousands of songs to choose from because some lovely people have made instrumental music videos with lyrics for pretty much every song you could ever need!
But how do you actually use YouTube to play karaoke at home? Well there’s a couple of options you can choose from and some equipment you’ll need. So let’s jump right in and get you started!
The Quick Answer
To sing karaoke using YouTube, you will need either a karaoke machine, or a smart device and a microphone. Connect your microphone and smart device or karaoke machine together, and go to YouTube to select a song. For best results, use an external speaker to improve the audio quality.
Choose a Setup
The first thing you’ll need to do, is decide on your setup. There are two main ways of using YouTube to play karaoke.
- Using a Karaoke Machine
- Using a DIY Karaoke Setup
Now if you want a really simple option and don’t feel very confident with electronics, go for the karaoke machine. It’s the most straightforward way of setting up karaoke at home using YouTube. But if you’re feeling brave, you can go for a DIY setup. This will give you more freedom to choose the rest of your equipment.
For a DIY karaoke setup you’ll need the following:
- Speakers
- Mixer
- Microphones
- Device e.g tablet, laptop, TV etc.
- Connection Cables
But with a karaoke machine, everything is usually supplied in an all-in-one system which makes it easy to set up in minutes.
To help you decide which option to go for, check out our guide on everything you need to setup karaoke.
Using a Karaoke Machine with YouTube
If you want to keep things simple and go for a karaoke machine, then it’s pretty easy to set it up using YouTube.
You’ll just need to go ahead and pick yourself up a quality karaoke machine that’s designed to work with YouTube. Most karaoke machines come as a set that includes a couple of microphones, any wires or connections (unless it’s wireless), and some accessories such as stand.
To set up your karaoke machine, you’ll need to connect your microphones (this should be explained in the manual) and then connect your machine to a device like a smart TV, tablet or mobile. It’s by far the easiest way to set up a karaoke system using YouTube.
You can connect your handheld device to your TV too if you want a large screen, the best way to do this is by using a HDMI cable.
Check out this diagram to help you out.
So the first thing you need to do, is to connect your karaoke machine to a screen. There are usually three wires, collectively called an RCA connector to help you do this.
Simple connect the wires supplied with your karaoke machine to the corresponding colours on your TV (usually at the back or on the side of the screen).
After that, you simple connect the microphone to the karaoke machine, turn your screen on and use the source button to find the right setting to display the lyrics screen.
The types of cable, colours and connections will vary depending on your exact karaoke machine. Always be sure to check the instruction manual.
Best YouTube Compatible Karaoke Machine
Karaoke USA is one of the best brands out there for YouTube compatible karaoke machines.
The best option in my opinion is the Karaoke USA Complete which has a built-in screen, two microphones and can be connected to a TV easily.
Using a DIY Setup with YouTube
It’s the easiest way to create a great sounding karaoke system in the fastest time possible. The karaoke kits and systems include everything you could ever need to create a karaoke setup. The only thing you need to connect is your personal device, for example a tablet or mobile which means you can get started in just a few minutes.
If you’ve decided to ditch the karaoke machine and use a DIY setup instead, then it’s a little more complicated but don’t worry, we’ll take you through it.
You’ll need the following to set up karaoke using YouTube if you’re not choosing a karaoke machine.
- Microphones
- Speakers
- Mixer
- Connection cables
- Device e.g. smart TV, tablet, mobile phone, laptop
If you know what all this equipment is, then that’s great, you can move on to how to set everything up.
You can also have a look at our guide on everything you need for karaoke and scroll down to the DIY karaoke setup section for some more detailed explanations.
To summarise though, you’ll need preferably two microphones, some PA or active speakers, a compatible mixer and a device that allows you to connect the song instrumental to the mixer and a screen for the lyric video.
You can have separate devices for the instrumental audio and lyric video and connect them together. Or you can use a smart TV, tablet or other device that has both of these functions.
Connecting a DIY Karaoke Setup
So now you’ve got all your equipment ready, it’s time to connect everything together. Take a look at this DIY karaoke setup diagram to help you get started.
So the first thing you need to do, is connect your microphone to the mixer. Most wired microphones use XLR cables and most modern mixers have 1/4″ TS and XLR channel inputs. If your microphones are wireless, then set them up as specified, usually either by WiFi or bluetooth. Now you need to connect your speaker to the mixer. This again is usually wireless or requires XLR cables.
Next you’ll need to connect the mixer to your audio and video device. This can be using a bluetooth or other wireless connection. If it’s wired, then it’s likely to be either an RCA or USB connection.
After that, you’ll need to connect your audio/ video device to the TV screen using a HDMI cable or it can be done wirelessly with a smart TV.
Setting up YouTube
So that’s exactly how you can play karaoke using YouTube!
Don’t forget to check out our guide on everything you need for karaoke to make sure you have the perfect setup and don’t forget anything!