How to Turn a Laptop Into a Karaoke Machine

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Home karaoke system
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Karaoke is a fun way to sing along to your favorite songs. You can turn your laptop into a free karaoke machine that streams lyrics and plays song melodies at the same time. When you sing into a microphone, you can also record your own songs and upload them or burn them to a CD. Karaoke machines are expensive and sometimes sound no better than laptop speakers. Another benefit of using your laptop as a karaoke machine is that is portable and easy to upgrade and update.

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Step 1

Go to Download.com to find karaoke software (see Resources below). There is free software, but the paid software is often much better and allows you to upgrade your song collection, among other features. Search "karaoke" in the website's search bar to find different programs.

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Step 2

Download and install your chosen karaoke software. Pay for it using a credit card if you need to buy a license. Open the karaoke software on your computer.

Step 3

Buy a USB sound card for your laptop; USB sound cards cost less than $100.

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Step 4

Buy a microphone and cable, a mic stand and a bass amplifier set. Connect the microphone to the bass amplifier with the cable. Check the sound and adjust it as necessary.

Step 5

Connect the USB sound card to your laptop.

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Step 6

Right-click on the lower right-hand corner of your laptop to open the sound devices. Click on "Playback Devices" and choose your sound card as the default. Turn the laptop volume way down and then plug in your stereo system to your laptop's sound card.

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Step 7

Connect a RGB cable between your television and laptop. Wait until you see your laptop display on the television screen.

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Step 8

Choose a track on your karaoke software and play it to see if the sound and picture quality are decent.

Step 9

Start singing into the microphone and record your karaoke music.

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