Karaoke has always been about big feelings and bigger choruses, but until now, it rarely sounded like the record you fell in love with. That’s about to change. Earlier in 2025, we partnered with Warner Music Group to bring major-label artists to karaoke with original recordings. Now it’s time for indie labels to take the stage.
Today, Singa is announcing a new partnership with Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors, to bring thousands of original master recordings to karaoke. That means singers can perform along with the real studio recordings by the artists themselves, not reproductions or soundalike versions.
And yes: indie is coming to karaoke, for the first time ever. Read more or skip directly to singing at Singa.
Why original masters matter (for singers and venues)
If you’ve ever sung karaoke and thought, “This doesn’t feel quite like the track…”, you’re not alone. Traditional karaoke often relies on cover-style recreations that imitate the original.
With original master recordings, karaoke becomes something else entirely:
- Studio-quality sound made from the artist’s real recording
- More authentic energy, the exact groove, tone, and production you know
- A better experience at home and in Singa-powered venues worldwide
Indie deep cuts, meet the karaoke stage
Independent artists and labels have passionate karaoke fans, but many haven’t had the chance to sing their favorite indie tracks in a karaoke setting.
As Singa Co-Founder & CEO Atte Hujanen put it:
"Karaoke singers can now sing along to high-quality, original recordings, while helping ensure more revenue goes back to the artists and songwriters who deserve it."
Merlin CEO Jeremy Sirota highlights another huge benefit:
"Karaoke is a powerful driver of music discovery, and this partnership opens new opportunities for independent music while valuing creators properly."
A bigger catalog, and a better one
Singa is already built for variety: Singa offers the world’s largest licensed karaoke library, including major English and Spanish catalogs and 40+ other languages, giving venues a huge range of songs for diverse audiences.
This partnership doesn’t just add more songs, it adds a new kind of song experience: karaoke powered by original recordings.
Here’s a taste of what’s landing on the Singa stage on day one:
Wet Leg • Sufjan Stevens • My Morning Jacket • Fleet Foxes • The Shins • Hot Chip • The Postal Service • Animal Collective • Leonard Cohen • Major Lazer • Alice Cooper • Alice In Chains • Avenged Sevenfold • Ella Fitzgerald • Coheed and Cambria • Five Finger Death Punch • Porcupine Tree • Cynthia Erivo • Thin Lizzy • Gary Moore • and many more...
Get singing with a Indie karaoke originals playlist on Singa or at Singa-powered venues.
The bigger picture: rights-first karaoke
This collaboration is about building the future of karaoke the right way, innovative, transparent, and fair for creators.
For Merlin members and their artists, it unlocks new revenue streams. For singers, it’s more variety and an experience that finally matches the music they love.
Ready to sing the real thing?
Whether you’re warming up at home or grabbing the mic in a Singa-powered venue, go and pick a song on Singa and give it a spin! If you're a looking to offer a premium karaoke experience at your venue, see Singa Business.
