OpenHomeKaraoke
OpenHomeKaraoke is a free, open-source home karaoke system for finding, downloading, queueing, and playing songs.
What OpenHomeKaraoke is
OpenHomeKaraoke is a free, open-source home karaoke system for finding, downloading, queueing, and playing songs. It searches YouTube and can download from YouTube and other video sites, including Youku and Bilibili. Playback supports MP3 and CDG files, including ZIP bundles. A DNN-based vocal splitter offers instrumental, vocal, or combined playback and requires PyTorch, preferably with GPU support; stereo track subtraction is also described as an alternative. Voice search and queueing use OpenAI’s multilingual Whisper speech recognition model. People on the same network can use a phone or computer browser to search the local library and add songs to a shared queue. Controls include pause, skip, restart, seeking, volume, pitch and tempo changes, and audio and subtitle delay adjustments. The display can be sent to a TV over HDMI or screen sharing, or viewed in a browser through an HTTP stream. It supports Linux, Windows, Raspberry Pi, and macOS. Setup requires Python dependencies, VLC, and ffmpeg. Offline, users can access their existing library but cannot search or download new songs from the internet.
Good
- Plays MP3 and CDG, including ZIP bundles.
- Supports shared browser-based song queues.
- Offers voice search using Whisper.
- Can display on a TV or in a browser.
- Optional password can restrict administrative controls.
Watch out
- Internet search and new downloads require a network connection.
- Setup requires Python dependencies, VLC, and ffmpeg.
- Large libraries and concurrent downloads may suffer on some devices.
- Without an administrator password, everyone is an admin.
Who it suits
It suits households that want a shared karaoke queue and browser-based song search across devices on the same network. Users should be prepared to install its stated dependencies and consider the performance cautions for some devices.
Verdict
OpenHomeKaraoke offers shared song queuing, multiple playback controls, and several display options for a home setup. Account for its installation requirements, network-dependent discovery, and the optional nature of its administrator password.
The facts
Each one read from OpenHomeKaraoke's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Access control
- An optional administrator password can restrict queue editing, player controls, song editing, and system shutdown; without one, everyone is an admin.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Admin controls
- An optional administrator password can restrict queue editing, player controls, song editing and system shutdown; without it, everyone is an admin.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Display
- The player can display on a TV via HDMI or screen sharing, and can stream its captured screen over HTTP for viewing in a browser.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository identifies its license as GPL-3.0.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License and releases
- The repository identifies a GPL-3.0 license and its GitHub releases page says there are no releases.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Media formats
- The project supports MP3 and CDG files, including compressed ZIP bundles.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Offline use
- Without a network connection, users can access the existing song library but cannot search or download new songs from the internet.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Performance limit
- The README cautions that concurrent downloads and browsing large song libraries may suffer, and recommends multi-core Raspberry Pi devices.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Playback
- It supports mp3 and cdg files, including compressed .zip bundles.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Playback controls
- The interface supports pause, skip, restart, volume, pitch and tempo changes, seeking, and audio and subtitle delay adjustments.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- OpenHomeKaraoke is an open-source, YouTube-based home karaoke system for searching, downloading and queueing songs.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- Installation instructions call for Python dependencies, VLC and ffmpeg, and describe GPU setup for accelerated vocal splitting or speech recognition.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security status
- GitHub reports that the repository has no detected security policy and no published security advisories.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Shared queue
- Multiple users on the same network can use a smartphone or computer browser to search the local library and queue songs.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Shared web interface
- Multiple users on the same network can use a browser, including a smartphone browser, to search the local library and queue songs.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Song discovery
- Users can search YouTube and download songs from YouTube and other video sites, including Youku and Bilibili.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Song sources
- Users can search YouTube and download songs from YouTube and other video sites, including Youku and Bilibili.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Speech recognition
- Users can search for and queue songs by voice using OpenAI's multilingual Whisper speech recognition model.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Supported systems
- The README says it works on Linux, Windows, Raspberry Pi, and Mac OS.checked 8 Oct 2026
- TV display
- The karaoke display can be shown on a TV over HDMI, screen sharing, or a TV web browser using an HTTP stream.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Vocal options
- A DNN-based vocal splitter can provide instrumental, vocal, or combined playback; the project also describes stereo track subtraction as an alternative method.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Vocal separation
- A DNN-based vocal splitter can play instrumental, vocal or both tracks; it requires PyTorch, preferably with GPU support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Voice search
- Voice-based song search uses OpenAI’s multilingual Whisper speech recognition model.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Device limits
- The README says concurrent downloads and browsing large song libraries may suffer on some devices, and recommends multi-core Raspberry Pi models.checked 8 Oct 2026
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