Karaoke Box

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A Karaoke Box (カラオケボックス, Karaoke Bokkusu^?) is a common type of karaoke establishment commonly found in Japan. Karaoke Boxes consist of multiple rooms containing karaoke equipment, usually rented out for time periods. A typical Karaoke Box establishment contains 10-20 (or more) such rooms as well as a main "karaoke bar" area in the front. Karaoke Box establishments often sell refreshments.

The term "Karaoke Box" is primary used in Japan and Hong Kong. In Taiwan and China, Karaoke Box establishments are commonly known as KTV (an abbreviation of karaoke television, derived as a reference to the music television network MTV), videoke in the Philippines, noraebang (노래방) in South Korea (which literally means "song (norae) room (bang)"), and "phòng Karaoke" in Vietnam (which means karaoke room). It is also common to simply abbreviate it as "K", often when used as a verb, such as in usages like "去K歌 (To go "K" songs)" or "去唱K (To go sing "K")" especially in Hong Kong. In Vietnam, Karaoke is used as a verb as well: "đi hát karaoke"(Go sing karaoke).

[edit] Legal issue

The word "KTV" can also mean a "karaoke music video", a music video with karaoke lyrics and MMO audio track. Some karaoke music videos were sold to KTV establishments under exclusivity contracts, causing some people to illegally copy karaoke music videos and share them on the Internet. These are often found on the Internet in MPEG (VCD) or VOB (DVD) format with the string "(KTV)" appended to the filename.

[edit] Karaoke outside Asia

Karaoke itself is not as prevalent in the Western World as it is in much of Asia, with Karaoke usually being performed as a public activity inside bars and taverns rather than in private rooms. Most Westerners have experienced karaoke only in the "karaoke bar" setting, although karaoke boxes have become somewhat popular in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area since the late 1990s. Asian sub-communities around the world, for instance in Australia and the United Kingdom also have KTVs.

[edit] External links

• At the Mic: Karaoke Television, by Mia Dick, Compass Magazine, Apr-May 1998, retrieved November 5, 2006