QUP Karaoke

QUP Karaoke Engine is professional karaoke hosting software for KJs: singer rotation that regulars can't game, song requests from any phone by QR code, CD+G and video playback, a filler/DJ mode, and a licensed catalog. Windows and macOS. $10 lifetime license, 60-day free trial. qupkaraoke.com

It started in 2004 as AutoKDJ, a Winamp plugin that Robert Cortese (Toqer) and friends wrote to fix singer rotation at 7 Bamboo Karaoke Lounge in San Jose, the room they were streaming live to the internet as ToqerTV, which the New York Times wrote about that year. In 2008 the plugin became its own player, Q-UP (say it out loud: "queue up"), and it ran the show every night until Robert retired from hosting at the end of 2012. In 2026 he dug the source back out. This is that software, rebuilt for today's rooms.

Here: feature walkthroughs, setup tutorials, release notes, and clips from the archive. The full 7 Bamboo archive (1,500+ performances, 2003-2012) is on @toqerkaraoke.