This term is a combination of the abbreviations kara from the Japanese word karappo (空っぽ?, which means "empty"), and oke from orchestra (オーケストラ, ōkesutora?, "orchestra

Karaoke machines are either an appropriate PC or composed of a sound mixer, one or more microphones and a player for CD+G, VCD, Laserdisc, or DVD that produces music and synchronizes the lyrics displayed on the screen (much like subtitles). Machines using a video format are referred to in some countries by the term videoke.

Karaoke backing tracks are often stripped of the melody itself, containing only accompaniment, which allows producers to avoid paying royalties to composers (in France it is mandatory to pay a fee to the SACEM, in Belgium to SABAM and in Quebec to SODRAC). In other cases, the melody is played on a very simple instrument at low volume. Since many songs use the same chord progressions, it can be difficult to recognize which song a karaoke backing track is intended for, and it's easy to sing the wrong melody. These tracks are not suited for use as ambient music, for example.

Charlène Nomadays

SEO writer from the very beginning at Nomadays, now content manager and head of the communications team, Charlène has accompanied the adventure with passion and loyalty since its inception. After living seven years across Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolia and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, engaged, and responsible vision of tourism. For her, each article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.