Today arrives a new entry on the scene, coming by way of Stingray Digital and the cable television option The Karaoke Channel, called, appropriately enough, The Karaoke Channel Online.
There is no video to be consumed here. Just streaming audio and microphone recording. So if the mere thought of camera work is where you draw the line on doing a sing-a-long now and again, you’ll be pleased by what The Karaoke Channel Online provides users.
Most who venture over to TKCO (we’ll abbreviate from here on out) will presumably option a free account. The song selection at that level of registration is not so extensive (200 songs supported by banner advertisements), but given the paid membership choices available, it’s clear where many will want to begin their endeavor.
Those eager to fork over cash for access to thousands of tracks (4,064 to date) can go month to month at $9.95, with two months initial sign-up required, or subscribe to the yearly rate of $99.95. All paid-for options remove advertisements from the TKCO atmosphere.
One of the aspects of TKCO that makes it an intriguing release is its multilingual support. Songs in French, German, Spanish, and Italian are purportedly included in the catalog. English language selections of course may well be the most heavily overdubbed of all, but the fact that the choice is there is a pleasant discovery all the same.
If visual traits are important to you, TKCO will impress. Everything seems well placed and designed for fairly intuitive use. It’s been crafted to be easy, for sure. That isn’t to say that services from MySpace and The Sims are anything to sneer at. Both are quite good, and for video lovers, both manage to completely trump TKCO. Yet, there’s something to TKCO that many will latch on to.
There are just fewer things to sift through, fewer distractions. It’s less busy, and it’s more immediate in its playback of song choices. It’s a tighter package, so to speak. You might prefer it to be a bit more socially outstanding, or perhaps you’d like that 4k song count to climb into 5-, 6, or 7-figure territory. But for what it represents today, TKCO is a worthwhile alternative to services that have come before.