Karaoke for this computer
Choose the right karaoke install for this computer: Windows installer or portable zip, macOS ARM or Intel dmg, Linux Flatpak or AppImage for UltraStar Deluxe.
By Reed Hollow editorial team Current release, published September 13, 2026
Pick the UltraStar Deluxe path that matches the machine in front of you, then prove one scored song before you add more folders. Install panel: home. Longer OS guides live under guides.
Windows PC
Prefer UltraStarDeluxe-windows-installer-*.exe from GitHub Releases. Use the portable zip when you cannot run installers. No winget id was verified here. Guide: Windows install.
Apple Silicon Mac
Take UltraStarDeluxe-mac-ARM-*.dmg, open it, drag the app into Applications. Default songs folder: $HOME/Music/UltraStar Deluxe. Guide: macOS install.
Intel Mac
Take UltraStarDeluxe-mac-x86-*.dmg on the same tag. Mixing ARM and Intel dmgs is a common karaoke setup mistake.
Linux desktop
Prefer flatpak install flathub eu.usdx.UltraStarDeluxe. Alternate: AppImage from Releases, or AUR ultrastardx-git on Arch. Guide: Linux install.
Locked-down lab machines
If policy blocks unknown setups, stop. Do not force a Softonic-style karaoke wrapper. Use a machine you control, or ask IT to allow the GitHub Releases publisher.
After install: first hour, song folders, download safe.
Operational checklist
- OS and architecture
- Asset or package id
- Song folder path
Write those three facts on the machine. Karaoke nights fail more often from wrong architecture dmgs and missing SongDir paths than from obscure bugs. Flatpak users who need external folders should apply the filesystem override from the upstream README before blaming empty set lists.
Shared club laptops should pick one install style forever. Mixing installer and portable zip on the same Windows image creates PATH confusion. Document the choice so the next host does not download a second copy.
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.
Microphone and room notes
USB microphones are enough for most karaoke nights. Start with one reliable mic before buying a mixer. Place the TV at eye level for singers who need lyrics, and keep ambient noise low enough that pitch detection stays stable. Wireless mics work when the OS sees them as ordinary audio devices.
If scoring looks dead, check the OS input meter first. UltraStar Deluxe cannot score a device the operating system never enabled. Re-assign players in Options after you swap hardware mid-night.
Song format expectations
UltraStar-format songs typically pair audio or video with a text notes file. Broken timing usually means a bad notes file, not a broken UltraStar Deluxe build. Fix songs with community editors only after one known-good track scores correctly. Do not mass-import unmarked archives from chat threads.
Keep originals of every song folder you trust. Reimages and accidental deletes are common on shared karaoke laptops. Store licence notes beside the backup.
Teaching a new host
Walk a new host through the Releases URL, the exact Windows or macOS filename, or the Flatpak id. Then watch them add SongDir and sing one track. That ten-minute drill beats a long slide deck. Point them at download safe and first hour when they need a refresher.
Remind them that Reed Hollow is an independent guide publisher. Upstream UltraStar Deluxe remains at usdx.eu and GitHub. Bug reports for the game belong upstream.