A KJ runs the night. Singers join from their phones, request songs, and take the stage in turn.
Karaoke is a hosted performance night, not a trivia game. A KJ (the karaoke host) runs the show, and singers join from their phones with the session code, request a song, wait their turn in a shared queue, and perform on the venue display.
There is no leaderboard for singing itself. The queue is the heart of the mode: singers line up, the KJ assigns each one a karaoke video, and the room watches the current performer on the big screen.
Two optional layers add a little competition on top. Contest Mode lets the room rate each performance, and trivia bursts between sets reward the winner with a Priority Pass up the line. Both are off by default.
As a singer, you join with the session code, enter a name, and request a song by title and artist. You land at the back of the queue and can watch your position update as the night goes on.
When you reach the front, the KJ assigns your karaoke video and starts your performance on the venue display. You sing along to the on-screen lyrics. When you finish, the KJ marks you done and the next singer steps up.
As the KJ, you manage the waitlist, search for and assign a karaoke video to each singer, start and complete each performance, and control playback on the venue display. You can reorder the line, add walk-up singers by hand, and pop the tip screen between songs.
When the night ends, any singers still in the queue are marked skipped and the session closes. Finished performances are saved to history.
The straight karaoke flow: join, request, wait, perform. No scoring at all.
The default night. Singers cycle through the queue first-come, first-served, with the KJ assigning videos and running the stage. Nobody is scored or ranked; it is purely a performance flow.
With Fairness mode on, a singer who joins again after already performing lands behind everyone still waiting for an earlier turn, rather than going straight to the back of the line. The KJ can always reorder the queue by hand on top of that.
The room rates each performance 1 to 5 stars and standings rank singers by average rating.
With Contest Mode on, the KJ opens a voting window after a performance and the audience scores it 1 to 5 stars from their phones. Voting closes after the window you set, or when the KJ closes it by hand.
Standings rank each singer by their average star rating, with vote count as the tiebreaker. Singers cannot rate their own performance, and each voter gets one vote per performance. You can set a prize line that shows on the contest display.
Quick Name That Tune bursts between singers. The winner earns a Priority Pass up the queue.
With trivia between sets on, the KJ can fire a short Name That Tune burst (three questions by default) while the queue resets between singers. Everyone in the room answers from their phones.
The singer with the most correct answers wins the burst and earns one Priority Pass. The queue then re-sorts so singers with more passes move ahead, which is the only thing in karaoke that changes your place in line based on a result.
| Option | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Contest Mode Default: Off |
Let the room rate each performance and crown a winner.
On: after a performance you can open a voting window and the audience scores it 1 to 5 stars from their phones. Standings rank singers by their average rating.
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| Voting window Default: 60 (range 10 to 300) Only: Contest Mode |
How long the audience has to rate a performance.
Contest Mode only. The window starts when you open voting and closes after this many seconds. Settable from 10 to 300 seconds; the default is 60, roomy enough for a loud bar where people are still clapping and finding their phones.
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| Prize Default: (none) Only: Contest Mode |
The prize shown on the contest display.
Contest Mode only. A short line of text telling the room what the top-rated singer wins.
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| Trivia between sets Default: Off |
Run a quick Name That Tune round between singers.
On: a Quick Trivia button appears while the session is active. The winner of each burst earns a Priority Pass that moves them up the queue.
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| Fairness mode Default: Off |
Give first-timers priority over repeat singers when they join.
On: when a returning singer joins the queue, they land behind everyone still waiting for an earlier turn instead of at the very back. It only affects where a new join lands; the KJ can always reorder the queue by hand on top of it. Off: every new join goes straight to the back of the line, first-come, first-served.
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| Auto-advance Default: Off |
Move to the next singer automatically when a video ends.
On: when the current song finishes, the next singer in line starts after a short delay you set.
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| Auto-fade Default: Off |
Fade a video out smoothly at the end instead of cutting hard.
On: when a performance's video ends, it fades out instead of stopping abruptly.
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| Auto-fade timing Default: 5 (range 2 to 30) Only: Auto-fade |
How long the end-of-video fade takes.
Auto-fade only. Settable from 2 to 30 seconds; the default is 5.
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| Show waitlist on display Default: On |
Put the upcoming singers on the big screen.
On: the room can see who is up next, which keeps the line honest and the energy up.
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| Ticker messages Default: (none) |
Scrolling announcements along the venue display.
A rotating message bar for drink specials, shout-outs, or how to join, shown along the top or bottom.
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For singers, request early. The queue is first-come, so the sooner you get your song in, the sooner you sing. Give the KJ a clear title and artist so they can find the right karaoke track fast.
If trivia between sets is running, those bursts are worth playing. A win earns a Priority Pass that jumps you up the line, so the quickest way to skip ahead is to know your music.
In Contest Mode, the room scores the performance, not the singing skill. Pick a crowd-pleaser, commit to it, and play to the room; energy tends to pull better ratings than a flawless but flat take.
For KJs, keep the next singer's video queued while the current one performs so there are no dead gaps. Auto-advance and a visible waitlist both help the night run itself.
The queue is first-come, first-served by default. New singers join at the back, and the KJ can reorder the line by hand when needed.
A Priority Pass is the only thing that automatically changes your place. Passes are earned by winning a trivia burst, and the queue re-sorts so singers with more passes sit ahead, with join time breaking ties. Singers already on deck or performing keep their slot; only the waiting line re-sorts.
With Fairness mode on, a returning singer's new join lands behind everyone still waiting for an earlier turn and ahead of anyone waiting for a later repeat; it only affects where that new join lands, and the KJ can always reorder the queue by hand on top of it. With it off, every join goes to the back, first-come, first-served.
Contest votes are one per voter per performance, counted on the server. Singers cannot rate their own set, including from a second device or after clearing a cookie, because the server also checks device and network identity. Standings rank by average rating with vote count as the tiebreaker.
The base karaoke flow is not scored and never touches the game leaderboard. Contest ratings decide the contest only, and trivia bursts only move the queue.
Running it (host): you assign each singer a karaoke video by searching YouTube, then start and complete their performance from the dashboard. The venue display shows the current performer, an optional waitlist, a tip screen, and a scrolling ticker.
Contest standings: when Contest Mode is on, the room rates each performance 1 to 5 stars during an open voting window. Singers are ranked by their average rating across the performances they gave, with total vote count breaking ties. Self-votes are blocked and each voter gets one vote per performance.
Tip jar: the KJ can configure Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal handles and a short tip message, then pop a tip screen onto the venue display between singers. Tips are handled by those external services; Brainflood only shows the handles.
Karaoke uses YouTube videos for the music and on-screen lyrics. Microphones, mixing, and speakers are the venue's own hardware; the platform runs the queue, the display, and the optional contest and trivia layers.
A session can be paused and resumed mid-night, so the KJ can hold the queue for a break without ending the night early.