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Karaoke is the singing of the lyrics of a song to its instrumental version. The lyrics are displayed on a screen. Karaoke has its origin in Japan but is now popular around the world, especially in Asia. Karaoke bars and shops are spread all over the country. Modern karaoke shops consist of several private rooms (karaoke boxes) that are each equipped with a karaoke player, screens, and microphones. One can also order drinks and food in most karaoke boxes. Such rooms are available in various sizes: from rooms for only two persons up to large party rooms. With a remote control one enters a title, and within a few seconds the video clip of an instrumental version of the selected song with written lyrics appear on the screen. In modern karaoke shops, the huge collections of songs are stored digitally, but in older stores, somebody has to jump around and change tapes and discs. Nowadays private home karaoke players are also popular. Furthermore, several karaoke players and sound files are available on the internet and can be downloaded onto your own computer.

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History of Karaoke (karaokescene.com) About the history of karaoke.