How to Build a Karaoke Library as a KJ

A great karaoke library is the backbone of any KJ business. It determines which requests you can fulfill, how quickly you can respond to a crowd, and whether singers feel at home or left out. This guide walks through sourcing tracks, creating your own when commercial versions don't exist, and organizing everything so you can run a smooth show.

Start with licensed commercial tracks

The fastest way to build a KJ library is to buy from established karaoke suppliers. These companies produce professionally licensed, quality tracks in CDG format and sell them individually or in bulk packs. A few of the most notable suppliers:

• Karaoke Version: individual track purchases, large catalog, solid quality
• Stingray Karaoke: strong pop and country selection, subscription options
• Sound Choice: a long standing brand trusted by working KJs
• Sunfly: popular in the UK and Europe with extensive pop coverage
• Chartbuster: good for classic hits and older catalog

When starting out, invest in genre packs that cover your most common request categories. For most venues, that means top 40 pop, classic rock, country, 80s and 90s hits, and a selection of R&B and hip hop. These will cover the majority of what an average crowd asks for.

Expect to spend several hundred dollars building an initial library of 1,000 to 2,000 tracks. This is a real business expense, and buying licensed tracks protects you legally when performing at paid venues.

Fill gaps by making your own tracks

No commercial library covers everything. New songs drop every week, niche requests come up constantly, and some genres are underrepresented by traditional suppliers. When you can't find a commercial version, you can make your own.

The process has two parts: separating the vocals from the original recording to get an instrumental, and then adding synced lyrics to create a complete karaoke track.

Karadeo's AI Karaoke Maker handles the first part automatically. Upload any song and the AI separates the vocals and instrumental tracks. The result is a clean instrumental you can use as the audio base for a CDG file. For songs with complex production or prominent backing vocals, review the output and use the editor to adjust the balance.

How to create a CDG file for your library

Once you have an instrumental, you need to add lyrics and export the result as a CDG file. CDG (CD+Graphics) is the standard format for KJ libraries and is compatible with virtually all KJ software and hardware players. Here's the full workflow using Karadeo's CDG Maker:

Step 1: Upload your instrumental

Go to the CDG Maker and upload the instrumental audio file you created with the AI Karaoke Maker (or any other karaoke track you have on hand). The tool supports MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, and other common formats.

Step 2: Add and sync your lyrics

Paste the song lyrics as plain text. Use the AI auto sync feature to align each line to the music. The AI analyzes the audio waveform and positions each line to match when it's sung. After syncing, play through the song and adjust any lines that are slightly off by dragging them on the timeline.

For word by word highlighting (the highlight that moves across each word as it's sung), you can either let the AI estimate word timing or drag individual words to adjust each one. Word level timing makes a real difference in singability. Singers can follow along much more naturally when the highlight moves at the right pace.

Step 3: Choose your colors

CDG supports a limited color palette, which is part of what keeps file sizes small and compatibility broad. Choose a background color (usually black or dark blue), a text fill color (white or light gray), and a highlight color (yellow is the classic karaoke standard, red is common too). High contrast is more important than aesthetics here. Your singers may be reading from across a room in low light.

Step 4: Export as CDG

Export your project as a CDG file. Karadeo packages the .cdg graphics file and your audio file into a zip download. Unzip it and you'll have two files that share the same filename, for example song-title.cdg and song-title.mp3. This pairing is exactly what KJ software expects.

How to organize your library

A library of 5,000 songs that you can't search quickly is nearly useless in the middle of a show. Good organization is what separates a professional KJ setup from an amateur one.

File naming convention. Pick a consistent format and stick to it. A common pattern is Artist - Title (Supplier).mp3/.cdg. For example: Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (Karaoke Version).cdg. This makes it easy to sort by artist, identify the source, and spot duplicates.

Folder structure. Some KJs organize by supplier, others by genre or decade. If you use KJ software with a built in database, the folder structure matters less because the software indexes everything. If you manage files manually, a simple flat folder with consistent naming beats elaborate subfolder trees.

Separate commercial from custom. Keep tracks you made yourself in a separate folder from commercially purchased ones. This makes it easy to review your custom catalog and export again if you update a version.

Back up everything. Your library represents hundreds or thousands of dollars in purchases and hours of work. Keep at least one backup on an external drive that you store separately from your performance rig.

Choosing KJ software

KJ software is the interface you use at shows to manage the song queue, browse your library, and control playback. A few widely used options:

• OpenKJ: free and open source, runs on Windows and macOS, supports CDG and MP4, strong community
• PCDJ Karaoki: popular paid option with a polished interface and tablet singer request integration
• Karma: modern UI, good for KJs who also DJ, smooth crossfading between songs
• Hoster: lightweight and straightforward, popular with KJs who want simplicity

Most of these index your library automatically once you point them at your music folder. They display song and artist info, manage a singer rotation queue, and handle playback and display output to a second screen or projector.

Building your library over time

No KJ starts with a complete library. Expect to grow yours show by show. Keep a running list of requests you couldn't fulfill. These are your highest priority additions for next time. After each gig, note which songs got sung repeatedly and which genres drew the most requests at that particular venue. Libraries evolve to match the audiences you serve.

A few things worth tracking as you grow:

• Songs requested but not in your library (add these first)
• Duplicate versions of the same song (keep the best, remove the rest)
• Custom tracks you made that could benefit from timing improvements
• New releases in genres popular with your regular crowd

With a solid core library and the ability to create custom CDG files for any song that isn't commercially available, you can walk into any venue ready to handle almost any request that comes your way.

Frequently asked questions

How many songs does a KJ need in their library?

Most working KJs recommend starting with at least 1,000 songs across popular genres. A library of 5,000 to 10,000 songs covers most requests at any venue. The quality of your picks matters more than the total count.

What file format should I use for my KJ library?

CDG (CD+Graphics) paired with an MP3 audio file is the most widely supported format across KJ software. MP4 video files are increasingly common too, but CDG remains the standard for compatibility with hardware players and software like OpenKJ and PCDJ Karaoki.

Is it legal to make my own karaoke tracks for KJ use?

Making karaoke tracks for personal practice is generally considered fair use. For commercial KJ work at paid venues, you should purchase properly licensed tracks from karaoke suppliers. Check the licensing terms for any tracks you create or purchase before performing publicly.

Can I use Karadeo to make CDG files for my KJ library?

Yes. You can use Karadeo's AI Karaoke Maker to separate vocals from any song and then export a CDG file with synced, highlighted lyrics using the CDG Maker. This is useful for filling gaps in your library where commercial karaoke versions aren't available.