Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why does the song book have multiple listings of the same song?
A1. Occasionally discs go missing or even get stolen. If you choose a song which we have 'lost' we will use one of the alternative versions. Also, some singers prefer one 'brand' over another and will specifically request a certain version of a song.
Q2. What is karaoke?
A2. Karaoke is singing along with a song with the singer replacing the original lead singer. Karaoke songs are reproduced to sound like the original song but without lead vocals. The lyrics of the song are displayed to the singer on a TV screen with the words to be sung highlighted so that the singer can follow along without having to memorise the song lyrics.Karaoke songs may include some vocals - if the original song contains background vocals then the karaoke versions will usually contain them as well. Certain karaoke discs provide the lead vocals as well. See our Karaoke Formats section for information about each type of karaoke disc. You can also find out more information about karaoke from Wikipedia.
Q3. Do karaoke songs use original artist recordings?
A3. Karaoke songs are never produced by the original artist or recording studio. They are recreated by independent karaoke manufacturers. Most of these manufacturers use professional musicians and singers to reproduce the likeness of the original song. Their goal in creating a karaoke song is to sound as similar to the original song as possible. Each manufacturers' version of a song will sound different from the original song.
Q4. Do karaoke songs have background vocals?
A4. Yes, if the original song has background vocals (e.g. chrous, harmonies, etc.), then most manufacturers will include such background vocals in their karaoke version of that song. These background vocals are not removable.
Q5. Why can't I find the song that I am looking for?
A5. LA Karaoke has a large collection of songs but we know that some people will have favourite songs which are not in our collection. The best thing to do is to download the Custom Burn master songbook. This searchable PDF songbook contains more than 20,000 songs listed on over 300 pages. Let us know the songs you would like and we will try to get hold of your favourites.
It is important to note that not all songs are available in karaoke format. Manufacturers tend to recreate the more popular songs only and they also have to obtain legal rights to reproduce each song. Certain artist and recording studios do not always allow their songs to be produced into a karaoke version. If the song you're looking for is very new, it may just be a matter of time before it becomes available as a karaoke song.
Q6. What is CDG, CDGM, VCD, DVD, SCDG, and NEO+G?
A6. These are all different types of karaoke disc formats. Each format has it's advantages and disadvantages and each format requires a karaoke player capable of playing that particular format.
Q7. Will CDG's play on my standard CD player, DVD player or computer?
A7. You can listen to a CDG karaoke disc on any standard CD or DVD player. A CDG karaoke disc will usually work on a computer with a CD/DVD-ROM drive but it depends on the karaoke disc manufacturer. Some manufacturers have disc protection which prevents the CDG from being read by a computer. If a CDG has this type of protection it will still play on standard CD and DVD players.
Please remember that only a CDG karaoke player can read the graphics track so the song lyrics will not be displayed on a standard CD / DVD player or computer.
Q8. Will karaoke DVD's play on my standard DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive?
A8. Yes but a Karaoke DVD Player will usually have additional features such as microphone inputs, key changer, and echo control.
Q9. How do I know what key the song is recorded in?
A9. The song is usually recorded in the same key as the original song. Unfortunately, most karaoke manufacturers do not provide the key information of the song. Sometimes the key is shown in the graphic display before the song starts.
Q10. Can I change the key of the song?
A10. Yes, with a "key control" function. Many karaoke players allow key control but only a digital key control effectively changes the key.
Q11. What if more than one person wants to sing at a time?
A11. No problem. LA Karaoke have enough microphones to ensure that everyone who wants to sing can do so.