Spotify's new free update adds a cool Karaoke mode – here's where to find it
But be warned, it will judge your singing
Amateur troubadours and divas rejoice! Music streaming service Spotify has begun rolling out an all-new karaoke mode for singing along to your favourite tracks, though it hasn't appeared for all users yet.
Fire up the feature when listening to a song on a mobile device and you’ll be provided with the track’s lyrics, with the app using your device’s built-in microphone to monitor your voice.
For those looking to see how good their pitch is, the new mode also rates your singing, giving you a score out of 100 for your accuracy.
The new feature builds upon the service’s recent addition of its Lyrics mode, which allows listeners to see real-time song words displayed as the tune plays as well as letting you share them with friends.
The new karaoke option is the latest in a number of new features revealed by the service in recent weeks, with Spotify currently rolling out a “Community” tab for mobile users, and the company also announcing plans to introduce audiobooks to the platform in the coming months.
How to find Spotify's new karaoke feature
The great news is that you don’t need to be a premium Spotify subscriber to use the new singalong feature, with the new karaoke mode appearing to be available even to users on the streaming service’s free tier.
You’ll need to update the app to the latest version that was released for both Android and iOS yesterday to use the new functionality, though it looks like it's not enabled for everyone yet. Team TechRadar has yet to be blessed with the option of lighting up the office with our dulcet tones. At least, not with Spotify's help.
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To find it, fire up a song of your choosing, then select the lyrics option at the foot of the screen. Once the words to the song are displayed, you’ll be able to select the “sing” in the top right-hand corner of the screen – hopefully.
Once pressed, an audio analyzer display appears in the middle of screen, letting you know that your crooning is being monitored.
While the new feature appears to be in the process of being rolled out to users from all corners of the world, it really seems to be luck of the draw if you can access it right now – some Spotify users in the US and the UK have reported being able to get singing with the feature, while others from the same regions can’t.
Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.