What is KTV? The cultural significance behind this growing musical trend
What is KTV?
While commonly referred to as "karaoke" or a "karaoke box" in areas like Japan, Macau, and Hong Kong, establishments in which karaoke is performed are called KTV (an informal abbreviation of Karaoke Television - modeled after the earlier MTV "Movie TV...
KTV: The Global Appeal
Since its creation and launch in the early 1970s, karaoke has been a continually integral concept and artform in many Asian cultures. As expected, its embrace by Western audiences has, likewise, resulted in tremendous cultural shifts and has even made lasting impressions on interpersonal relationships regarding how people socialize.Companies like Singa, which provide high-quality karaoke streaming for private karaoke rooms, have truly affected change within various entertainment industries by putting more and more people in touch with this phenomenon. Karaoke has always been BIG. Today, the use of karaoke in society is only going to get BIGGER.
KTV today
In China, KTV, and in particular KTV booths, are becoming part of a growing trend in everyday culture and not just as fixtures in bars and restaurants. Such booths, similar to photobooths, are popping up in cinemas, shopping malls, and subway stations - anywhere there are opportunities for gathered friends to get together and pop in to sing in an ultra-personal setting. Many of these newly sprouted karaoke booths, which because of their size, are cheaper than traditional KTV rooms, but still feature amenities like air conditioning, headsets, tablets for song selection, and seating. Essentially, what you’d get in a traditional KTV bar, but with a more intimate feel.Additionally, karaoke remains very much a product of its time: now many karaoke enthusiasts prefer the more intimate nature of KTV and private rooms as it provides entertainment and socializing opportunities among friends in a more personalized and less open space.There are estimated to be around 20,000 of these mini karaoke booths operating in China. The new trend of KTV-on-the-go is responsible for an upsurge in the Chinese karaoke market, which is currently valued (according to one report) at an estimated ¥3.18 billion, or $470 million US. That’s a LOT of karaoke. With numbers like these, the karaoke trend is definitely here to stay.
Where to find KTV near you?
Depending on where you find yourself in the world (either inside or outside Mainland China), if you’re looking to sing - solo, or with friends - you likely aren’t that far from a venue. In fact, throughout many major metropolitan Chinese cities, there are an estimated 100,000 karaoke bars. For true, die-hard fans of the craft, narrow down your search with Singa’s handy search tool or download the Singa app and sing karaoke wherever you are.
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