Karakara — Modern MIDI & Karaoke Player for macOS and Windows

Karakara
v1.1.479

KARAOKE MIDI PLAYER · CROSS-PLATFORM

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[ DOWNLOAD ]
macOS · Windows
// ABOUT

What is Karakara?

Built for MIDI lovers.

Karakara is a modern MIDI and karaoke player inspired by the golden age of classic karaoke software — reimagined for today. Sing along with perfectly synchronized lyrics, take full control of each instrument, and explore your music without limits.

  • Practicing songs at custom tempo and key
  • Running karaoke lyrics on a separate fullscreen display
  • Browsing large local MIDI collections at speed
  • Recreating the classic multi-window workflow — with a modern stack
// THEMES

Themes included.

From deep violet to Matrix green to retro VB grey — pick your aesthetic. Or build your own.
Themes are plain .json files. Drop yours in the Themes folder and it appears instantly in the app. Same goes for languages: add a .json translation file and Karakara speaks your language. The community is welcome.

Karakara Retro VB theme — vanBasco-inspired Windows 98 look

// EXPLORE THE WINDOWS

Karakara MIDI player window — transport controls, seek bar and LCD display Player
Karakara 16-channel MIDI mixer with mute, solo and live activity meters MIDI Mixer
Karakara 88-key virtual piano with live note highlighting and MIDI input Piano
Karakara control panel — tempo, key transpose and master volume Control
Karakara MIDI library with full-text search, favorites and playlists Library
Karakara settings — SoundFont selection, themes and playback options Settings

[ CLICK TO FOCUS · DOUBLE-CLICK OR ⤢ ZOOM TO ENLARGE · ESC TO CLOSE ]

// FEATURES

Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.

NEW

MP3 & MP4 — change key and tempo of any song

Not just MIDI anymore: open your MP3s and music videos and sing them in your own key. Pitch and tempo are completely independent — lower a song by two semitones without slowing it down, or slow it down for practice without changing the key.

  • Pitch shifting in semitones, with high-quality polyphonic processing
  • Time stretching without changing the key — and per-track presets
  • Videos on the karaoke window and on the audience screen
MP3MP4WEBMWAVFLACOGGOPUSMIDKAR

Multi-window layout

Detach any panel — Player, Karaoke, Playlist, Piano, Mixer, Library, Control — and arrange them freely across your displays.

Karaoke sync

Real-time lyrics from .kar files and karaoke MP3s, plus MP4 and WebM videos. Open a separate audience screen on a second monitor or projector, with its own style and text sized to the screen; MASTER and AUDIENCE badges keep the two apart.

16-channel MIDI mixer

See all 16 MIDI channels simultaneously with real-time activity meters. Mute, solo, and rebalance any instrument on the fly.

Virtual piano

88 keys, lit in real time as notes play. Playable via mouse or computer keyboard — and if you plug in an external MIDI keyboard, it just works. Full Web MIDI API support, zero configuration.

Fast local library

SQLite-backed catalog for large MIDI, audio and video collections. Full-text search, favorites, saved playlists, multi-source support and per-folder rescan.

Per-track tempo & key presets

Found the perfect key and speed for a song? Save them as a preset for that track and recall them instantly next time — on MIDI files just like on MP3 and MP4.

SoundFont synthesis

Bundled with GeneralUser GS. Drop any .sf2 or .sf3 file into your SoundFonts folder and select it from Settings — instantly.

Live mode

Play any MIDI channel in real time via keyboard or controller while the track plays — turning Karakara into a live instrument.

Custom themes

Multiple themes included. Build your own skin with a JSON file — ~30 CSS variables define every color and glow in the app.

MIDI IN/OUT routing

Route MIDI input and output freely. Send playback to external gear or drive Karakara live from any controller — pick your IN/OUT ports in Settings.

Audio, video & lyric export

Render any track to WAV or MP3 with ID3 tags, burn a karaoke video (MP4 or WebM) with synced on-screen lyrics, or save the lyrics alone as .lrc or .txt — all from one Export window.

Chord recognition

Lock the piano to a track and an LCD-style overlay names the chords as they play (C, Am, G7, C/E…) — in time with the music and spelled to the song's key and transposition.

// DOWNLOAD

Get Karakara.

LATEST VERSION v1.1.479

For macOS — get it directly from the App Store with automatic updates and sandbox security.

Download on the Mac App Store

For Windows — available on the Microsoft Store with one-click install and automatic updates.

Get it from Microsoft Store

Or get the installer directly and support the project on Ko-fi:

Support me on Ko-fi
// TIPS & TRICKS

Go deeper.

Finding great SoundFonts

Karakara ships with GeneralUser GS — a high-quality GM soundfont covering the full 128-instrument General MIDI spec. But the world of SoundFonts goes much deeper.

  • Search archive.org for "sf2 soundfont collection"
  • Search archive.org for "General MIDI soundfont" for GM-compatible packs

Keyboard shortcuts

Karakara is built for speed. Every window has a shortcut, and the piano is fully playable from your keyboard:

SpacePlay / Pause
⌘/Ctrl 1Karaoke window
⌘/Ctrl 2Playlist
⌘/Ctrl 3Piano
⌘/Ctrl 4MIDI Mixer
⌘/Ctrl 5Control pad
⌘/Ctrl 6Library
Z X C V B NPiano keys (octave 3–4)

Build your own theme

Karakara’s theming engine is pure JSON. Create a file like mytheme.json, drop it in the Themes folder, and import it from Settings → Appearance.

The theme defines ~30 CSS variables — colors, fonts, glow effects, LED colors, piano key colors. The built-in themes are the best starting points to fork.

The MIDI rabbit hole

MIDI — the Musical Instrument Digital Interface — has been around since 1983. It doesn’t transmit audio: it transmits instructions. Which note, how hard, for how long. A 3-minute orchestral arrangement fits in a 50 KB file.

  • The .kar format extends MIDI with timestamped karaoke lyrics — invented by Tune 1000 Corp in 1993
// FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Can’t find an answer? Use the contact form below.

How much does Karakara cost?

On Windows, Karakara is available on the Microsoft Store. On the Mac App Store it's a one-time €8,99 — no subscriptions, no ads. Same app, two stores. Buying on Mac supports the project at 100%.

Which operating systems are supported?

Karakara runs on Windows (10 / 11) and macOS (12 Monterey or later).

What file formats does it play?

Standard .mid / .midi files, .kar karaoke MIDI files (which embed synchronized lyrics) and .rmi RIFF MIDI files. Since version 1.1.466 it also plays audio (.mp3, .wav, .flac, .ogg, .opus) and video (.mp4 with H.264/AAC, .webm), with tempo and key still adjustable independently. SoundFont files (.sf2, .sf3) are used for MIDI audio rendering — you can swap them freely in Settings.

Do I need an internet connection to use it?

No. Karakara is fully offline. Playback, the library, lyrics display — everything works without a network. The only exception is checking for updates, which is optional and never automatic.

What are SoundFonts and where do I get them?

SoundFonts are sample banks that define how MIDI instruments sound. Karakara ships with GeneralUser GS and MuseScore General built in, so you’re ready out of the box. You can also add your own: drop any .sf2 or .sf3 file into the SoundFonts folder and select it from Settings.

Can I use it for live performances?

Absolutely. The karaoke display is designed for full-screen use, the Piano window responds to live MIDI input, and the MIDI Mixer lets you control individual tracks in real time. Several users run it as a backing-track player on stage.

Is there a mobile version?

Not currently. Karakara is a desktop application built with Electron. A mobile app is not planned in the near future — the UI is intentionally designed around keyboard, mouse, and MIDI controller interaction.

What languages is Karakara available in?

Karakara ships with three built-in languages: English, Italian, and Japanese. All UI strings are stored in simple .json translation files, so anyone can create their own language pack or customize an existing one — no coding required.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Use the contact form below, or open an issue directly on the project’s page. In the app, Help → Export Diagnostics… saves a plain-text report you can attach — nothing is sent automatically. Bug reports with a reproducible file attached are the most helpful — they get fixed first.

Can I change the key and tempo of an MP3 or MP4?

Yes. Since version 1.1.466, MP3, MP4 and the other supported audio and video files use the same tempo and key controls as MIDI files, and the two are independent: transpose a song into the singer’s range without changing its speed, or slow it down to practice without changing its pitch. Pitch shifting uses high-quality polyphonic processing (Signalsmith Stretch), and per-track presets remember your settings.

Can I play music videos on the karaoke screen?

Yes. .mp4 (H.264/AAC) and .webm videos play in the karaoke window and on the separate audience screen, while the sound stays under the player’s control — so key and tempo changes apply to the video too. Exporting to audio or video is still available for MIDI files only.

// CONTACT

Get in touch.

Report a bug, request a feature, or just say hello.

// TYPE