Here is just a quick list of tips for karaoke singers in no particular order:

1. When you step on stage be sure to check the microphone. Make sure it’s on or in the on position because sometimes the previous singer will accidentally turn it off as they are exiting the stage. And that can mess you up when you go up to sing. I wish I had a quarter for every time this happens. Sometimes once a hour! Check the mic!
2. Hold the microphone close to your mouth. This will prevent feedback and enable the audience to hear you sing clearly without the karaoke host having to turn your microphone volume up excessively. If you know you have a soft voice you will need to project. And please do.
3. Project your voice to the back of the room. It’s easy to make eye contact with those in the front row, but you really want to move your eyes around the room, and look for those folks in the back as well, make sure they can hear you. If you can do that you will surely be connecting with people. Good for you!
4. Don’t be nervous because we are all friends out here just having fun. Act like you have been there (on stage) before. Yes I mean it. Act like it’s not your first time even if it is.
5. Song selection is key. Smile as you sing, unless you’re singing a real somber song. But why would you ever want to do that? It’s a karaoke party remember? Pick a song the people will get into. Pick a song that will resonate with the people who are watching you. Pick a song that they can dance too. Keep it fun. Sometimes people try to sing songs off the beaten path, choosing to sing broadway selections or esoteric showtunes. Just shoot me. Can’t they tell, it doesn’t really fit? Nope. They can’t and it’s just crazy. Sure I am picking on a certain genre and I do love all kinds of music. but it’s kind of strange when you’re at a bar and people are singing Broadway tunes or Gospel. I have always felt a karaoke night is supposed to create a fun party atmosphere. If I want to hear Broadway, I will go to Broadway show, not the corner bar hosting karaoke.
6. It is not necessary to announce or disclaim to the entire room that you’re not a professional singer. Yes people quite often do this when they are nervous. Whether you are or are not a professional singer — we will figure it out soon enough. We don’t really care. Please just have fun and don’t waste our time by not enjoying your moment on stage. We want you to enjoy the spotlight. Roll with it. Think of it like a rodeo and you just have 8 seconds.
7. Never drop the microphone(s) on stage. It’s not cool to abuse expensive sound equipment. Trust me you won’t want to be on the hook for replacing microphones out of your pocket.
8. Make sure the karaoke host knows if you are bringing a guest with you up on stage . Make sure the host knows you plan to sing a duet, trio or group sing-along. It’s best not to surprise the host with this before your time to sing because it causes delays. Karaoke hosts prefer to put extra microphones on stage whenever there is a group singing.
9. Always be close to the stage when it’s your time to sing. It should not take you more than 60 seconds to get yourself set. It’s actually rude to the other singers when you’re not ready to sing on your turn. If you pay attention and are close to the stage you will be singing very quickly and that will enable more singers to rotate in throughout the night. It really adds up, so less time spent with dead air and singer delays provides more time for actual singing. Hooray!
10. When on stage work the stage, don’t just stand in one place, put some feeling into it.

My goal is to run a fun interactive karaoke event. Naturally, I get to know the singers really well and I am their biggest fan. They trust me not to play favorites and keep requests in a numerical order. But it can change. Nobody wants to hear five slow songs in a row, you know what I mean? That is karaoke torture. I keep the party energy up in the room and as long as you want to go along with me and jump in that ride, things are going to be good.

It’s when a singer creates delays, or awkward moments that really bums me out. The singer from a previous post reminded me that it’s just not healthy for a karaoke host to get too distracted stage side. He got me thinking how important is be considerate of everyone’s time. And be considerate of the next singer that is on stage. They want and expect the karaoke hosts focus to be on the sound mix while they are taking their turn to sing and not on unnecessary conversation off stage. Yes karaoke folks for the most part are patient and considerate.

Best practice:
When you go up to talk to the karaoke host, make eye contact and wait for them to come over and talk to you. If they are busy let them finish. If you want to get them aside just be friendly, everybody likes making friends when they’re out singing karaoke. Offbeat karaoke DJs are always friendly and approachable. We get a great feel for the night by talking to the guests and we like to create special moments incorporating their fun suggestions into the show.

One night when I was hosting karaoke, I had a guest come up to me and ask me a question that I had never heard up to that point. The new singer mentioned that he had never been to my karaoke night before. But he wanted to ask me how much interaction I was comfortable with at the side of the stage? You see by attending other events he was aware that some karaoke hosts would make more time to chat it up with singers than other hosts would. He just wanted to know how comfortable I was, how much space I needed, and how busy was I going to be during the night should he need some assistance.

I let him know that I really appreciated where he was coming from. I assured him that I was very approachable, and that I would intentionally be in and out as fast as I could because as a host I prefer to focus on getting the next singer up to the stage (as quick as possible – that is my thing). I let him know that I do not like dead air (moments with no music or singing). I really expect the next singer to be ready to go. I say (billboard) the names of the singers who are coming up a lot, so that nobody has to wait too long. Regulars know I like to keep things moving! And I am sure being a singer he appreciated that.

But this conversation with this new singer did make me wonder how or what kind of effect I had on people? After all I have been hosting karaoke since 1987. I wondered how my bedside manner was seen as I was on and off stage? Truth be told, I stay in the pretty much in the professional emcee lane. Uh-huh, I am the MC and that means I move the crowd. I would not say I am nurturing or a nurturer. That isn’t my strength. My desire is to present the most fun. So I am working with the audience to bring that out, that is why I am there. But nurturing, no that’s not that easy or even necessary at this point. Karaoke is not new. It is a household word. It has been around people.

If you are new to it, not a problem, jump in, we will take care of you. When you think about it, you really can’t host a fast-paced interactive night of karaoke if you are having to stop, give singing lessons, have deep conversations, provide music consultations and so on… you wouldn’t be able to get anything off the ground. But wait there’s more musings from the stage: I expect if you’re in a bar, you know why you’re there, and you know how to act. Just do as the natives do. Maybe I have high expectations…lol.

If you go out singing you will notice very quickly that the karaoke host is your friend. They are there to announce your name and get you up to sing as soon as they can. With that said, no two hosts are the same. Indeed, personalities will differ between karaoke hosts. Some KJ’s will be sweet and almost nurturing. They care to know if it’s your first time. They may suggest songs for you to try. They may even go as far as to sing along with you on stage, so that you feel more comfortable. Then on the other hand, you may come across a karaoke host who seems cold, uninterested and standoffish. They just might not be too warm and fuzzy.

Another host might be a real techie. They really get into the gear, the sound mix, the reverb on the mic, or the equipment and lighting on stage. They might barely make eye contact with you, except to point over to a clip board enabling you to write down a song request. BTW -This is a sign post to the guest that they intend for you to be quick and efficient. There’s also the wild and crazy, I’m just here to get my drink on, so excuse me while I get paid to party karaoke host. The wild and crazy loves drinks as a tip. Are you that surprised?

And lastly, there’s the karaoke host who thinks they are the show, the singer extraordinaire who must themselves sing every 20 minutes. Uh-huh, they are the show…not you. We can all agree, there is a wide range of personalities and customer service levels that you could encounter when you go out to sing.

Which kind of host am I am I? I am the game show presenter style host. I keep things all moving forward. More on that somewhere hidden on these pages.

How it really works behind the karaoke booth:

The DJ or KJ is organizing a certain rotation of sing-along. People are being patient and waiting their turn. By tipping the karaoke host you are rewarding them for the extra effort of putting you in sooner rather than later. They will be rearranging playlists, and putting you in the mix and this makes things seem temporarily out of the normal rotation. Indeed, regulars will notice the shift in the rotation. And this could upset those who don’t understand how tipping works in a karaoke bar. Regulars for the most part understand this practice and know that new faces during the evening help keep the show interesting and fun. I will say it again, karaoke nights usually take place in bars and so tipping is just commonplace in this setting. Get used to it. Another strong suggestion is go early so that you get enough time and opportunities to sing.

While out on the town, you will often see a tip jar located next to the DJ booth. Let’s pretend you went up and made a song request. Let’s pretend you went up made a song request and put some money in the tip jar. Which scenario might get a quicker response? Correct! It’s easy to add this up. None the less, some people are pretty clueless when it comes to tipping. Maybe they just don’t get out that often.

Let’s review:

• In the hospitality business good to great service is usually rewarded with a tip.

• Some DJs or KJ’s will decide not to play songs or make changes to the lineup not because of the money, or an amount of a tip, but because the request is just wrong or inappropriate for the moment, and or the venue. Sometimes it’s the attitude of the guest who is barking out orders that rub the performer the wrong way.

There are many reasons a deejay might choose to not respond to a guests request. Every host is different. Every venue is different. In most situations, it’s okay to go up to the DJ or KJ and talk to them. Just make sure the host is not busy mixing the music or speaking on or the microphone. At an appropriate time, try to get them aside so that you can just communicate and learn the lay of the land. Most venues that have been hosting karaoke for a long time have a very welcoming feeling and nightly regulars who will make you feel comfortable, and that obviously keeps people coming back for more. My suggestion when making a request, asking questions or voicing concerns is just be civil and easy going about it. Even better, put a tip in the jar and see if that helps you.

Let’s go even deeper with some quick karaoke Q and A:

Question #1: Do I have to provide a tip just so I can sing?

No, in most situations you don’t have to put money in the jar to sing. There are some venues that make you buy a two drink minimum or make you pay a cover charge. That is naturally a venue by venue, case by case scenario.

Question #2:

If I tip more than the next person will I get to sing more than the next person?

That really depends on your host and the venue. I would definitely suggest tipping if you or someone you are with is impatient and so overly anxious to sing. The karaoke host will notice your support of the night.

A lot of karaoke hosts are afraid to talk about tipping. Some hosts believe tipping is the only way to make more money for themselves. 

Personally I would rather the venue pay me (the karaoke host) what I’m worth = a good nights salary, so that I do not have to accept or think about tips. Fortunately, I have worked at venues where that was the case. But some bar owners only pay a modest rate and encourage their performers to play things up for tips (see for yourself by attending a night at Howl at the Moon Dueling pianos. It’s so painful to watch, they begin, then abbreviate and swap out songs feverishly to increase the tip taking).

At any rate, accepting tips is judge a common hospitality thing. It can cause drama at times, especially around people who don’t know the value of tipping. 

Which doesn’t make sense to me because 1. We are adults who have been around restaurants and hospitality venues before, so we really should know the arena by now and 2. Usually we are in a bar setting where tipping is expected, especially if you want to get a drink in a spirited and timely manner.

People who routinely go out for karaoke sing-a-long will quickly realize that blinking tip jar, reading “Tips Welcome.” If a singer is looking for special privileges: such as moving to the front of the line, and getting to sing ahead of others, the quickest or should I say sincerest way to make something special happen like that, is with a tip. 

A tip says “thank you” for changing what you were already doing and accommodating me. It’s that simple people.

Keep in mind the DJ or KJ already knows what he or she is doing or planning to play.

Your request or suggestion is welcomed but it’s not a necessity. Of course the karaoke host needs singers, but tipping usually isn’t so important at the beginning of the night, it usually comes into play later in the evening when the room is packed and open singing positions are limited.

One generous singer I know starts at the beginning of the night by coming up to me, saying hello and he then drops a $20 bill in my tip jar! Never have I ever asked for such a thing but naturally I make sure he gets to sing every rotation. Why would I want to upset him right? Other singers like wait till the end of the night, and as they are leaving or saying goodnight they toss something in the tip jar, it’s a little something to help out their favorite karaoke host. It’s all good. What’s not good is when people treat the DJ or KJ like a human jukebox, changing songs over and over and being rather high maintenance but then they forget to put any coins in the machine… that’s rich.

No worries, I’m just a messenger helping you understand some of the tricky navigation points of going out and singing karaoke.