KJams Lite Karaoke Software

kJams is a karaoke jukebox for Mac OS X! The project is currently in development, so new features will be added beyond what you see below.

In the Lite version, you can now rip (import), mix (make playlists) and play (from CD or from your hard drive), sort or search your library by name, artist or album, create custom playlists, show the graphics full screen on a second monitor or TV, change the pitch and tempo independently. Export the currently showing play list to an XML file (for integration with a web or database application), or copy the list to the clipboard (to paste into eg: Excel for printing song books). Export to your Video iPod too! The Pro version also allows individual singers to manage their favorites, history and their "tonight" que, and builds the Rotation smart playlist from the singers marked as "here", and lets you manage multiple Venues, each with it's own set of Singers.

Note: You must have a CD+G capable reader or writer for kJams to rip or burn.

Compare kJams to iStar

What does it do today?

• Rip new .cdg files: Just select the ones you want, and drag them into your library! Uses the LAME encoder.
• Use the freedb: Stick a disc in and it automatically queries the freedb for disc meta info. You can also edit the info and submit back to freedb!
• Keep a library: Browse your library, sort by any column! (see Screen Shots)
• Make Play Lists: Go File->New Playlist. Give it a name. Drag songs into it. Click it. Reorder the songs, delete them. Delete the playlist. (Remember, sort the playlist by index (the left most column) to manually re-order them)
• Import and Play existing MP3+G files. Zipped files or unzipped, no problem! Just "File->Add to Library...", select your files, folder, or drive, and hit okay! Respond to the format dialog to help interpret the names!
• Search or filter your library or playlists: Just press cmd-opt-F to search the current playlist, or press cmd-F to switch to and search your Library
• Play Graphics (optionally on a separate monitor): Just drag the graphics window onto a second monitor, and press cmd-0 to get to "Full Screen" mode. You can continue using the first monitor to manage the library window. Or just place and size it however you want!
• Change Pitch / Tempo independently: Adjust the music pitch to fall within your vocal range! Or change the tempo (speed) of the music.
• Pause after loading next song: Optionally automatically pause the playlist between songs
• Remote Control: Use your BlueTooth phone to control kJams (see Downloads page)
• Playlist Export: Export the currently displayed playlist to an XML file that you can then use with any application that supports XML, eg: a web application or SQL database. Alternately, just copy the playlist to the clipboard (in tab-delimited format), then you can paste that into eg: Excel or AppleWorks, to create custom song books for printing. Alternately, export the actual files that make up a song (zip or MP3+G) into a folder. (Advanced->Special->Copy all Playlist Files To...)
• Relocatable Libraries: Pull ripped audio out of iTunes for easy library consolidation and migration. See How.
• Switchable Albums & Song Ratings: Got several versions of a song? Pick any one, put it into a playlist. Later, when viewing that playlist, you can pick which version you want (ie: the album from whence it came), right in that playlist, even in the Rotation list. Also you can rate songs globally
• Preset Playlists: Find all duplicates, find all songs still in iTunes (then move them into kJams), find all songs that have only audio. Find all corrupted zip files. Got an idea? Let me know!
• Play CD+G discs directly (without manually ripping first)
• Export QuickTime (uncompressed) (so you can get it into your video iPod via iTunes)

What Features are in store for 1.0?

• fast ripping, with background encoding
• Cue next song *while* the current one is playing
• Sample-based Cue'ing of next song: Instead of pausing at the start of the song file, pause at the first non-silent sample (so un-pausing instantly plays music)
• Export karaoke directly to your Video iPod in one step

What Features are in store after 1.0?

• Allow you to sing along via microphone, mixed with the playing music.
• Ability to import and play any QuickTime format, including movies and KAR files
• When ripping, your choice of audio encoders using QuickTime Export (AAC, OGG, LAME, or anything else QuickTime supports)
• Sharing (browse to other computers on your LAN and play music from there)
• Lots more i haven't had time to write down