I’ve sung karaoke in a bar once, and my face still reddens at the memory of attempting Hollaback Girl in front of a room full of strangers. My kids share none of my shyness though and since I refuse to drag them to the nearest late-night “open mike,” I’m thankful we’ve discovered The Karaoke Channel website to scratch our sing-along itch.
To get started, I tried out The Karaoke Channel Kit which includes
two sturdy microphones and a USB vocal mixer, although those pros who have their own microphones can use them as well. I then visited The
Karaoke Channel to sign up for a free trial, which gave me access to 250 songs sung in the same style as the original artists.
Bothering no one but my kids and the cat, I was singing just a few minutes after hopping onto the site. Our family’s “amazing” vocal talents can even be recorded and shared with other site users, but I was way too camera shy to try this out.
For access to the thousands of songs on The Karaoke Channel all without advertising, you’ll want either a
monthly or one-year subscription. Or just do the 24-hour
account that is perfect when you find your house filled with a bunch of
8-year-olds at a sleepover.
The Karaoke Channel is a great ego boost since it does not rate our singing or pit us against a duet partner like in our PS2 or Wii karaoke games. In fact, it even lets me adjust the pitch midway through a song, which helped me stay in range when I belted out My Heart Will Go On without fear of public humiliation. Oh, wait. –Christina
The Karaoke Channel Kit and online access is available at The Karaoke Channel Online. You can also visit their download store or see if your cable provider carries the channel.
