U.K. Company Unveils the SongPod Karaoke Booth

Posted March 2, 2009   
There is good news for the painfully shy and the karaoke addict alike. A U.K. based company has developed a portable, private, karaoke box. The idea is really a take on the popular Korean practice of norehbang, in which friends get together in rented private karaoke rooms as opposed to sharing their performances with an entire bar full of strangers. The “Song Pod” as it is called, is a plush, hi-tech room with space for up to eight. It can make karaoke a truly private experience for the exceptionally shy who still want to belt out a tune every now and then.

Described as a “stylistically simple smooth skinned box,” the Pod is soundproof, equipped with touchscreen LCD’s, 2000 songs, wireless microphones, can be placed indoors or out, and can be moved with a standard forklift. It is the brainchild of television producer and self-described “karaoke diva,” Debbie Stephens of www.songpods.co.uk.   Stephen’s company is marketing the Song Pod as a “permanent indoor fixture for anywhere people congregate,” such as airport lounges, shopping malls, and amusement parks.

The architect firm that built the SongPod prototype tells KaraokeTraveler that they are currently developing a design for a self-assembled Pod that would be convenient for export to the United States. A number of additional features are also being considered, such as; video recording capability, and biometric access and payment features.

The SongPod prototype was set up for a trial run at a popular shopping mall in Bluewater, Kent in the U.K. and Stephens described the trial a great success noting that the pod attracted adults, teenagers and a significant group of what she calls “boy band /girl band types” that could not peel themselves away from the pod. In general, she says the public was very appreciative because many of them noted that they like to sing, but not in public. There is good reason to believe that these “closet” karaoke hobbyists makeup  a significant portion of the population both in the U.S. and in the U.K. given the growing sales of popular game console karaoke games such as Singstar and Karaoke Revolution; both games are played in the comfort of the player’s living room. Private karaoke rooms, while popular in Korea, are mostly concentrated in Los Angeles and New York and therefore are not widely available to most of the U.S. population, thus, a portable karaoke box could be a cheaper alternative to the large investment that would be required to establish and maintain private karaoke rooms. The standard version of the Pod will retail at around $36,000 and Stephens hopes that the “flatpack” version will retail near  $21,000. The SongPod will also be available for lease as well.

The Drop N’ Go Factor

Stephens envisions the SongPod as providing a “new way” to karaoke especially for that segment of the population that is too shy to sing in public. But there is also a good portion of the singing public that is not shy per se, but who do not enjoy the bar scene. These are your folks who sing on the church choir, or who are too busy with kids and life to hangout at bars on weekends and wait their turn at the mic. Many of these people don’t drink often and do not feel comfortable at local watering holes. To these people, having a Songpod at the local mall or at a festival, gives them an opportunity to enjoy karaoke with friends and family. Stephens explains that this is just what she is aiming for with the Songpod; “ I love the intimacy of singing with friends in the pod without having to be out in a busy bar/club. The ‘drop and go’ factor I think is what makes it fun and flexible.”