Karaoke formats CDG / VCD / DVD
There are 3 Karaoke formats commonly used today
They all have instrumental tracks with backing singers minus the lead vocalist (which you perform). Words appear on a TV screen and change colour to help you keep in time with the music. These discs are known as KARAOKE. The original format was Laser disc, a 12 inch disc which was often double sided, but commonly there are 3 formats used today. They are CD size and known as DVD, VCD and CDG. DVD and VCD have full motion pictures and CDG has a blue background. All have words appearing on a TV screen to aid you in singing a song.

CDG is the most used format worldwide
For the English language CDG is the most common format used by professionals Worldwide. Last year a manufacturer noted that there was over 100,000 songs available on this format. CDG will also play in a normal CD player (sound only). So if someone was looking for a backing track to be played in a CD player, CDG would be ideal! CDG is a straight backing track with no multiplex function to learn a song. Multiplex is where a lead singer is recorded on the disc which you can switch on to aid you in learning the song. You need a Karaoke player to utilise the singer on/off function. A Karaoke player will also have a key changer which will allow you to take the key up or down to suit your voice. If a CDG disc is played in a normal CD player in will be in the original key of the singer.

DVD & VCD have full motion pictures and multiplex
DVD and VCD have full motion pictures in the background and words displaying on a TV screen. The disc is recorded with a singer and without. Using the multiplex feature on your player you can bring the singer in to aid in learning a song, or take the singer off so you are the lead performer. DVD Karaoke discs often have a menu screen which makes it difficult to cue up a song for professional users. At present there is around 15,000 songs available on VCD and about half that on DVD.

What do professional user's use?
The most common format for professional users is CDG, followed by VCD. The latest songs always seem to come out first on CDG and the recordings are always very close to the originals.

Spoilt for choice
Everyone has different needs when it comes to discs, that's why at LASER DIRECT we stock the lot! That way you get to choose what you want!