Karaoke
A KJ runs the night. Singers join from their phones, request songs, and take the stage in turn.
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Play a free daily game Start hosting freeWhat Karaoke is
Karaoke is a hosted performance night, not a trivia game. A KJ (the karaoke host) runs the show from the KJ console. Singers join from their phones with the session code or the QR on the TV. They request a song, wait their turn in a shared queue, and perform on the TV.
There is no in-game score for singing itself. The queue is the heart of the mode: singers line up, the KJ picks a YouTube karaoke video for each one, and the room watches the current performer on the big screen.
Two optional layers add a little competition on top. Contest Mode lets the room rate each performance, and trivia bursts between sets reward the winner with a Priority Pass up the line. Both are off unless you turn them on.
How the night flows
As a singer, scan the QR on the TV or open the join link. Type the name the KJ should call, and add a song and artist if you know them. No app and no account are needed. Sign in if you want the song saved to your history.
Your phone shows your spot in line and how many singers are ahead. It buzzes when two singers are ahead of you, and again when one is. When you are next it says You're on deck, and when the KJ starts your song it buzzes You're up. You can change your song request until you go on stage.
When you reach the front, the KJ starts your video on the TV and you sing along to the on-screen lyrics. When you finish, the KJ marks you done. Tap Sing again to rejoin the line with a new song.
As the KJ, you run the night from one screen. Pick a singer and the song search already looks up their request on YouTube; tap a result to assign it. Start puts a singer on stage, Done ends the song, and Next finishes the current singer and brings on the next one with their video.
You can drag the line into a new order, add walk-up singers by hand, skip a no-show to the back of the line (they keep their song), and remove someone (you are asked to confirm). The TV controls push the join code, who is singing now, the next three singers, a message, a countdown, or the tip screen. You can also save up to 10 filler videos to play between singers.
A new session starts as Not started. Singers can already join, and the TV shows the join screen. Press Start Session when the room is ready. Pause stops new joins and holds the line; Resume opens it again.
When you end the night, anyone still waiting is marked skipped, voting stops, and the console shows a wrap-up with the night's song count. Every phone gets the wrap-up too. Finished performances are saved to history.
Variants
Open mic
The straight karaoke flow: join, request, wait, perform. No scoring at all.
The default night. Singers cycle through the queue first-come, first-served, with the KJ assigning videos and running the stage. Nobody is scored or ranked; it is purely a performance flow.
Each phone or account holds one spot in line at a time. Joining again, or reloading the page, gives the same spot back. After you sing, Sing again puts you back in line.
With Fairness mode on, a singer who joins again after already performing lands behind everyone still waiting for an earlier turn, rather than going straight to the back of the line. The KJ can always reorder the queue by hand on top of that.
Contest night
Singers in line rate each performance 1 to 5 stars; standings rank singers by average rating.
With Contest Mode on, voting opens on its own when the KJ marks a song Done or presses Next. Everyone whose phone is in tonight's line gets a star picker with a countdown, and the TV shows the votes coming in. Voting closes when the window runs out, and the TV shows that song's stars. If the next song has started, the voting card sits in a corner of the TV instead of covering the video.
To vote from a phone, join the line first, signed in or not. Each phone or account gets one vote per song, and nobody can rate their own song.
Standings rank each singer by their average star rating across all their songs tonight, weighted so a singer with only a few votes is pulled toward the room's average: one friend's five stars is not enough to top the night. The TV still shows the plain average. Set a prize line so the room knows what they are singing for.
Crown the winner, in the KJ console's Contest panel, puts the leader, the prize and the top five on the TV. Ending the night does it on its own, and the TV keeps the winner up until the KJ clears it or starts something else.
Trivia between sets
Quick Name That Tune bursts between singers. The winner earns a Priority Pass up the queue.
With trivia between sets on, the KJ can fire a short Name That Tune burst between singers: three multiple choice music questions. The song clip plays from the KJ console, and the TV shows the question, the options, and how many singers have answered.
Singers in the line answer on their phones, one answer per question. The singer with the most right answers wins one Priority Pass; on a tie, the first right answer wins. If nobody gets one right, nobody wins a pass. Each person can win one pass a night, and the singer on deck or on stage cannot use one, so the pass goes to the next best score in line.
The waiting line then re-sorts so pass holders move ahead. The singer on deck keeps that spot. This is the only thing in karaoke that changes your place in line based on a result.
Quick trivia game over a set
Drop a real one-round trivia game on the TV mid-night, then return to the queue.
This is a different thing from the trivia burst, and it is always available. From the side activity row in the KJ console, launch a one-round trivia game. Pick a preset (Mixed bag, Music trivia, Name That Tune, Picture round, or Quickfire true or false) and 1 to 20 questions. Or choose the questions yourself from a pack or by hand.
The live console opens in a new tab and the TV switches to the game. Anyone in the bar can join with the game code; it does not award Priority Passes. Press Return now when you are done: the game ends and the queue comes back on the TV.
Host setup options
| Option | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Contest Mode Default: Off |
Let the room rate each performance and rank the singers.
On: when you mark a performance Done or press Next, voting opens on its own. Singers in line rate it 1 to 5 stars from their phones, and standings rank singers by their average rating. A Contest panel in the KJ console shows the votes and the standings, lets you open or close voting on a song, and has Crown the winner to put the leader and the prize on the TV. You can set a starting value in Host Settings.
See how it works, in pictures →
|
| Voting window Default: 60 seconds Only: Contest Mode |
How long the room has to rate a performance.
Contest Mode only. The window starts when you mark the song Done or press Next, and closes on its own when the time runs out. The default of 60 seconds leaves room for a loud bar where people are still clapping and finding their phones.
|
| Prize Default: (none) Only: Contest Mode |
What the top-rated singer wins.
Contest Mode only. A short line, up to 255 characters, such as a bar tab or bragging rights. It shows on the TV's winner card.
|
| Trivia between sets Default: Off |
Run a quick Name That Tune burst between singers.
On: a Quick Trivia button appears in the KJ console header while the session is live. Each burst is three music questions answered on the singers' phones. The winner earns a Priority Pass that moves them up the queue.
See how it works, in pictures →
|
| Fairness mode Default: Off |
Put first-timers ahead of repeat singers when someone rejoins.
On: when a returning singer joins the queue, they land behind everyone still waiting for an earlier turn instead of at the very back. It only affects where a new join lands; the KJ can always reorder the queue by hand on top of it. Off: every new join goes straight to the back of the line, first-come, first-served. The creator starts from your Host Settings default.
See how it works, in pictures →
|
| Suggested setlist Default: (none) |
A planning list of songs for the KJ.
Up to 60 songs, one per line, set when you create the night or by the Event Builder. It shows only in the KJ console. Singers never see it and can still request anything.
|
| Auto-advance Default: Off |
Bring the next singer on automatically when a video ends.
On: when the current video finishes on the TV, the singer is marked done (just like pressing Done) and the next singer in line goes on after the delay you set. Keep the KJ console open; it is the console that makes the move.
|
| Auto-advance delay Default: 15 (range 5 to 120) Only: Auto-advance |
Seconds to wait after a video ends before the next singer goes on.
Auto-advance only. Gives the room a beat to clap before the next song starts.
|
| Auto-fade Default: Off |
Fade a video out smoothly at the end instead of cutting hard.
On: the sound and the picture on the TV fade out over the last few seconds of each video, instead of stopping abruptly.
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| Auto-fade timing Default: 5 (range 2 to 30) Only: Auto-fade |
How long the end-of-video fade takes.
Auto-fade only. Settable from 2 to 30 seconds; the default is 5.
|
| Show waitlist on display Default: On |
Put the upcoming singers on the big screen.
On: between songs the TV switches between the join QR and the line, and the ticker names who is up next. Off: the TV stays on the join QR and the ticker leaves the line out.
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| Announce next singer Default: Off |
Read the next singer's name aloud when you move to them.
On: pressing Next (or an auto-advance) speaks 'Next up' and the singer's name in the voice you pick under Voice and Audio. The sound plays from the KJ console's computer, so run that into your speakers.
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| Tip message Default: (your Host Settings default) |
The headline on the tip screen and the Tip the KJ sheet.
A short line such as 'Tips appreciated'. Your tip methods (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Zelle, or your own link) are set once in Host Settings and used every night.
|
| Ticker messages Default: (none) |
Scrolling announcements along the TV.
A rotating message bar for drink specials, shout-outs, or how to join, along the top or bottom of the TV and on the singers' phones. Up to 50 lines, with your own speed, size, font and colors.
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In pictures
Contest Mode, song to standings
Voting opens on its own when the KJ marks a song Done or presses Next. The TV counts the votes as they come in. When the window runs out, voting closes and the TV shows that song's stars. No votes count once the KJ ends the night.
The KJ can put the winner on the TV at any time with Crown the winner. Ending a contest night does it on its own, and the TV keeps the winner and the prize up until the KJ clears it.
Anyone whose phone joined tonight's line can vote, signed in or not. That is one vote per phone or account for each song. Nobody can rate their own song: the server checks both the account and the phone.
A singer who has just been called up is not asked to vote while they sing. If that vote is still open when their song ends, it shows up then.
Contest ratings decide the contest only. They never move anyone in the song queue.
Fairness mode, where a rejoin lands
Fairness mode only decides where a returning singer lands at the moment they rejoin: behind everyone still waiting for an earlier turn, ahead of anyone waiting for a later repeat. Nobody already in line is moved, and a rejoin never lands ahead of the singer on deck.
The KJ can still drag the queue into any order by hand. With fairness off, every join simply goes to the back of the line.
Trivia between sets, burst to Priority Pass
A burst is three multiple choice music questions. The KJ moves to the next question when the room is ready, or ends the burst early.
Only singers in the line (waiting, up next, or on stage) can answer. Everyone else sees a note to join the queue. The TV shows how many have answered.
A Priority Pass is the only thing in karaoke that changes your place in line based on a result. The singer on stage and the singer on deck keep their spots; the rest of the line re-sorts.
🏆 Glory Points
Signed-in singers earn Glory Points when the KJ ends a night that ran at least five minutes. On a plain night you earn for your time and for each song you sang.
On a contest night, singers are ranked by their average stars. On a trivia night (with Contest Mode off), they are ranked by trivia points. The KJ earns host Glory for a night of 15 minutes or more where at least three people sang.
Tips
For singers, join early. The queue is first-come, so the sooner you are in line, the sooner you sing. Give the KJ a clear title and artist so they can find the right karaoke track fast.
If trivia between sets is running, play those bursts. A win earns a Priority Pass that jumps you up the line, so the quickest way to skip ahead is to know your music.
In Contest Mode, the room scores the performance, not the singing skill. Pick a crowd-pleaser, commit to it, and play to the room; energy tends to pull better ratings than a flawless but flat take.
For KJs, assign the next singer's video while the current one performs so there are no dead gaps. The singer on deck is the one to look up. Auto-advance and a visible waitlist both help the night run itself.
Fairness & the fine print
The queue is first-come, first-served by default. New singers join at the back, and the KJ can reorder the line by hand when needed. One phone or account holds one spot at a time (joining again or tapping Sing again twice gives back the same spot), and a single night's line tops out at 150 singers.
A Priority Pass is the only thing that automatically changes your place. Passes are earned by winning a trivia burst, one per person a night. The waiting line then re-sorts: more passes first, then (with Fairness mode on) fewer songs sung tonight, then join time. The singer on stage and the singer on deck keep their spots. The re-sort sets the rest of the waiting line by these rules, so it replaces any hand reorder of it.
With Fairness mode on, a returning singer's new join lands behind everyone still waiting for an earlier turn and ahead of anyone waiting for a later repeat; it only affects where that new join lands, it never lands ahead of a Priority Pass holder, and the KJ can always reorder the queue by hand on top of it. With it off, every join goes to the back, first-come, first-served.
Contest votes are one per phone or account for each song, checked on the server. A phone has to be in tonight's line to vote, and clearing cookies does not buy a second ballot. Singers cannot rate their own song: the server checks both the account and the phone. It never judges by network, because every phone on the bar's Wi-Fi shares one. Standings rank by average rating, weighted toward the room's average until a singer has a few votes, with vote count as the tiebreaker.
Contest ratings decide the contest only, and trivia bursts only move the queue. Only singers in line can answer a burst, and only one answer per question counts.
Running it (host): the KJ console header holds the session status, Start or Pause and End, Quick Trivia (when it is on), and Open TV. Share links, the rules, and the Event Builder sit behind the More menu. Below, the stage, the song search, and the line sit side by side; on a phone the line sits right under the stage. With Contest Mode on, a Contest panel under the song search holds the votes and the standings.
Presets: when you make a karaoke night in the creator, open Quick Start a Night to start from Open Mic Night, Contest Night, Trivia Karaoke, or Tip Jar Special, or from one of your own past nights. A preset fills in the settings; you can change any of them before you create the night.
The TV: between songs it switches every eight seconds between a join QR with the code and the list of who is up next (turn off Show waitlist on display to keep it on the join QR). During a song it plays the video. A ticker can scroll along the top or bottom. If a video will not play, the KJ console says so.
Tip the KJ: set your tip methods once in Host Settings (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Zelle, or your own link). Every singer's phone shows a Tip the KJ button, unless you have no methods or turned tip prompts off. You can also put the tip screen on the TV between singers, with a QR code for each method the room can scan, and print table tents or posters from the tip signage page. Tips go straight to those services; Brainflood never touches the money.
Karaoke uses YouTube videos for the music and on-screen lyrics. A video marked blocked in the search cannot be embedded and will not play on the TV. Microphones, mixing, and speakers are the venue's own hardware; the platform runs the queue, the display, and the optional contest and trivia layers.
A session can be paused and resumed mid-night, so the KJ can hold the queue for a break without ending the night early. New singers cannot join while it is paused.
Launching karaoke from an event takes you straight to its KJ console. Sessions you have not started yet appear in your karaoke list as Not started.
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