First hour with your karaoke
After UltraStar Deluxe is installed, prove the menu, one song folder, and one scored song before you chase themes or party mode.
By Reed Hollow editorial team Current release, published September 13, 2026
- Open UltraStar Deluxe Launch from the Start menu, Applications, Flatpak launcher, portable folder, or AppImage.
- Confirm the main menu Wait until the UltraStar Deluxe menu appears before you chase song folders or themes.
- Add one song folder Point SongDir1 in config.ini at a UltraStar-format songs folder you may use, or use the default songs path created on first run.
- Connect a microphone Plug in a USB mic and assign a player in Options so pitch input is live.
- Prove one scored song Sing a short track and confirm scoring moves with your pitch.
- Optional second folder Add another SongDir only after the first folder lists titles correctly.
- Leave party mode for later Keep multi-screen party layouts off until one ordinary set works.
- Bookmark the update door Save GitHub Releases for Windows and macOS assets, or note Flatpak update for Linux.
Eight first-hour checks
- Confirm the known download door on GitHub Releases or Flathub.
- Prove one scored song after install.
- Document song folder paths for reimages.
Windows installer users should keep SmartScreen history in mind: if the OS blocked the first run, unblock the file from Releases rather than downloading a twin from a review site. Portable zip users should confirm they extracted the build they meant. Flatpak users can run a second flatpak update later without touching Windows assets. macOS users should match ARM versus x86 dmgs to the Mac in front of them.
When the song list appears, try a title you know exists in the folder. UltraStar Deluxe is built for local UltraStar-format songs, but your data still has to include the audio and note files. If nothing appears, the SongDir path is wrong more often than the program is broken. Flatpak users who store songs outside the sandbox need the filesystem override documented in the upstream README.
Back up song folders beside the install note you wrote for this computer. Reimages destroy config you can rebuild, but they also destroy carefully collected karaoke media. Keep licences for those songs with the backup.
Only after this hour should you chase ProjectM visuals, multi-screen party layouts, or joypad support. Those are power-user doors. A calm first hour is a working karaoke window, one folder, and one honest scored song.
Guides: first run, song folders, troubleshooting, for this computer.
Print a one-page card that lists your install style, song folder path, and Releases bookmark. A karaoke habit sticks when those three facts stay visible during the first week.
Operational checklist
- Install style
- Song folder path
- Update door
Keep a short runbook beside the machine that needs this karaoke. Note the install style, the song folder path, and the update door. Those three lines prevent most support chats after a reimage. Prefer GitHub Releases asset names on Windows and macOS, and Flatpak or AppImage ids on Linux, so nobody improvises a mirror download under deadline pressure.
When you train a new teammate, walk them through one scored song with a known title, then show config.ini SongDir lines. Watching a set list appear once teaches patience better than a slide. Leave subscription karaoke apps available until local folders cover the night. Copyrighted audio still needs a licence even when the program is free under GPL-2.0.
Revisit the research date monthly during operate. If UltraStar Deluxe publishes a newer tag, confirm Windows installer, portable zip, macOS dmgs, and AppImage names still match the patterns in site.config before you change classroom images. If Flathub changes the package id, re-run verify-packages and update this page the same day.
Licence discipline remains part of operations. GPL-2.0 covers UltraStar Deluxe the program. Song licences cover the audio and lyrics. Store both with backups. Refuse unmarked archives from chat threads even when someone swears they are “the good karaoke.” Exact sources beat folklore.
If something fails, re-download once from the known door, verify the filename, and stop. Stacking three installers from three portals is how adware enters a party PC. Troubleshooting guides on this site cover SmartScreen, empty song lists, and Flatpak filesystem access without sending you to random forums first.
Extra proof pass
After the eight checks, sing a second short track with a different microphone if you have one. That second proof catches input assignment mistakes that a single song can hide on a busy karaoke night.
Closing note
A careful karaoke install is boring on purpose: one known door, one folder proof, one update habit. That boring path beats a flashy mirror every time you reimage a living-room PC or a club laptop.
Why local karaoke still matters
A living-room PC with UltraStar Deluxe keeps pitch scoring on hardware you control. Subscription karaoke apps are convenient on phones, yet they need accounts, catalogs, and network continuity. When the room already has a TV, USB microphones, and a folder of songs you may use, the desktop path is simpler than juggling seats.
Reed Hollow documents the install door so searchers who typed karaoke find GitHub Releases or Flathub instead of Softonic-style wrappers. That is the editorial job: exact filenames, honest limits, and one update habit.
What UltraStar Deluxe is for
UltraStar Deluxe is a GPL-2.0 karaoke game. Up to six players can sing with microphones while the engine scores pitch and rhythm. Themes and party mode exist, but they are optional after a first successful night. The program does not ship a commercial catalog inside the installer, dmg, AppImage, or Flatpak. You bring song folders you may use.
Prep before guests arrive
Test one short track the day before. Confirm the microphone appears in the OS sound panel and inside UltraStar Deluxe Options. Confirm SongDir lists the titles you expect. Confirm the TV shows lyrics at a readable size. Keep a paper note with the Releases URL, Flatpak id if needed, and the song folder path.
Update and backup habits
Return to the same GitHub Releases page for the next Windows installer, portable zip, macOS dmg, or AppImage. Flatpak users run the normal update flow. Back up song folders and config before major OS upgrades. Skip third-party karaoke updaters from search ads.
Where to go next
Home install panel: home. First hour: installed. Guides hub: guides. Safety: is karaoke safe. Comparison: vs paid karaoke apps. About Reed Hollow: about.