Karaoke Mugen vs Smule

Karaoke Mugen is a free, open-source playlist manager for karaoke parties, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Operators can add, remove, reorder, shuffle, import, and export songs, while guests can suggest tracks from their own devices. Operators can enable voting, set song or singing-time quotas, and filter songs with blacklists and whitelists; sessions can also use automixes and quiz mode. The player includes playback controls, automatic volume adjustment, pitch and speed changes, and a synchronized second video player. It accepts video formats supported by mpv, uses ASS subtitles, and can import formats including Ultrastar, Karafun, and KBP. Once installed, configured, and up to date, it can run without an internet connection, but guests need the same Wi-Fi network. The software is published under the MIT license and provides a WebSockets API for additional interfaces or clients. Linux binaries require GLIBC 2.31 or higher; the Windows portable version must be updated by replacing files from a new ZIP archive.

Smule is a singing platform for karaoke, recordings, duets, and musical collaboration, available on Android, iOS, and the web. Its catalog includes more than 15 million songs across genres such as pop, rock, R&B, country, K-pop, and musicals. Singers can shape recordings with reverb, filters, vocal effects, pitch guidance, and key adjustment, then make videos with visual effects and lyric overlays; optional AI-powered voice tools are also available. Users can host or join live karaoke sessions for real-time audiences. Smule describes its singer community as spanning more than 190 countries. The free plan allows users to join existing duets. VIP All Access Pass costs $19.99 a month and adds solo recording, personal duets, group performances, and unlimited catalog access. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. The iOS app requires iOS 15 or later. Smule says accounts cannot currently be made private, though privacy settings for posted recordings can be changed.