Families Embrace Home Karaoke Craze

Thursday, March 1, 2001

Families Embrace Home Karaoke Craze As Demand For Home Units Soars (TTT (NAPS)—While the Internet continues to permeate our per- sonal lives, and technologies like DVD and satellite provide new ways of delivering entertainment, the fastest growing form of family entertainment surprisingly is home karaoke. “Americans have doubled the numberof karaoke machinesthey've bought this year—a sign they may be looking for more personal ways to entertain themselves, families and friends,” observes Terry Marco, director of marketing of The Singing Machine Company, the largest seller of home karaoke machines in the United States. “Virtually every segment of the country has embraced karaoke for home entertainment.” Marcocites several reasons for the explosive popularity of home karaoke. “People tell us they are looking for ways to spend quality time ai ts oui? Making family life more fun: In 2001, U.S. sales of home karaoke machines doubled. hits, ineluding CD+Gs (CDs with graphics), featuring songs made popular by *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child and Christina Aguilera. Home karaoke enthusiasts ean find just about any music genre on CD+G includ- ity to sing words and music using your own television makes that possible,” Marco said. “Our sales are almost evenly split between the smaller cassette machines designed for children and the larger CD+G (CD with graphics) units that integrate into the home ing holiday, country, Rhythm & Blues andtheoldies. You ean take a home karaokesystem just about anywhere. Even the most sophisticated CD+G systems, such as The Singing Machines SMG- 199, weigh less than 20 pounds and measureless than 18 inches in height. These compact units come with built-in stereo speakers and a standard video output jack that hooks up to any television anywhere. Home karaoke manufacturers like The Singing Machineoffer a and bringit to a friend’s homefor an evening ofinstant entertainment,” with their children, and the abil- entertainment center.” range of machines from inexpen- sive cassette players with sheet music to the new MTV STVG-700, the first karaoke machine to incorporate a fully-functional television, where lyries scroll onscreen in syne with the musie. This and units like it are particularly appealing to adults seeking ways to add excitement and fun to home parties and celebrations. And the music has come of age with home karaoke systems as well. In addition to the old standbys you can get current pop “You can pop a unit into your car notes Marco. It’s one of the reasons home karaoke systems have become so popular at holiday parties. While our traditional images are ones of family gathered around the piano or folks bundled up and caroling door to door, the advent of new electronic technology is rapidly changing that picture. “All of our units are very compact and easy to transport—a perfect way to bring the joy of the season to family parties, the elderly or housebound.”

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