SongHub on Android TV: Turn Your TV Into a Karaoke Machine

The phone is fine for one person, but karaoke is a group activity — and that's where the TV setup shines. SongHub runs on Android TV and Google TV boxes, putting the lyrics on the big screen while the family crowds around with the mic. Here's how to set it up.

What you need

An Android TV, Google TV device, or TV box (Mi Box, Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield, and similar all work), a way to get files onto it (USB drive is easiest), and speakers — TV speakers work, but a Bluetooth speaker or your existing videoke speaker setup sounds far better. A wireless mouse or the TV remote handles navigation; some people plug in a cheap air mouse for easier song searching.

Step 1: Install the APK on your TV

TVs don't have a browser download flow like phones, so the easiest path is: download the official APK on your phone (from the GitHub releases page, as always), copy it to a USB drive, plug the drive into the TV, and open it with a file manager app on the TV. Allow installs from that source once, and install. Alternatively, use an app like "Send Files to TV" to push the APK over WiFi.

Step 2: Set up the SongHub folder

Same as on the phone: create the SongHub folder in the TV's storage, add your soundfont (.sf2) first, then your song files (.mid / .kar). USB transfer is the practical way to move a big song library — copying tens of thousands of tiny MIDI files over the network is slow. The full file-prep walkthrough is in the songs and soundfonts guide.

Step 3: Audio and display tips

• Sound: connect the TV's audio output to real speakers. Even a decent Bluetooth speaker beats TV speakers for music; if you have videoke speakers with a mic input, that's the full experience.
• Lyrics readability: in the app's display settings, bump up the lyric text size — what looks fine on a phone is small from the couch.
• Performance: if lyrics ever lag, it's usually a weak soundfont render on a low-end box — try a lighter .sf2 file.

Microphones

SongHub plays the music; the mic is your hardware's job. Most people use a wired or wireless mic plugged into their speaker or a simple mixer, with the TV audio routed through the same speakers. Bluetooth mics paired to the TV can work but often add noticeable delay — a wired mic into the speaker is the reliable party setup.

Why this beats a videoke machine

A dedicated machine costs thousands of pesos and its song list is frozen in time. The TV setup costs nothing beyond hardware you already own, holds as many songs as your storage fits, and you update the list by copying files. New OPM releases? Add the MIDI file and it's in the songbook tonight. That's the whole appeal — and it's why so many families have quietly retired their old machines. New to the app entirely? Start with what SongHub is first.