K-pop is short for Korean popular music, a term first used by South Korean journalists in the early 1990s to label the country’s evolving pop scene.

The genre blends Western-influenced pop, hip-hop, dance, and R&B with Korean language lyrics and visuals, making it distinctively South Korean yet internationally appealing.

Modern K-pop is widely considered to have begun on April 11, 1992, when Seo Taiji & Boys performed Nan Arayo (I Know) on South Korea’s MBC network, introducing a fusion of rap-dance, rock and techno into Korean pop.

While popular music in Korea (“gayo”) has earlier roots, this moment is seen by many scholars as the watershed for K-pop’s modern form.

K-pop’s global breakthrough came after PSY’s Gangnam Style (2012) went viral, exposing the genre to worldwide attention.

This explosion was fuelled by the broader cultural movement known as Hallyu or “Korean Wave,” which from the late 1990s grew from regional impact into global fandom via online platforms and social media.

K-pop’s success rests on a combination of factors:

Highly-produced music videos and choreographed performances that appeal visually and emotionally.

Fan-driven digital engagement through social media, online content and interactive experiences.

An industrial infrastructure in South Korea that trains idol performers comprehensively in music, language and media presence.

Strategic global marketing and export strategies, with government support for cultural industries and worldwide digital distribution.

As of 2025, major names such as BTS, BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN, NewJeans and Stray Kids dominate global streaming charts and stadium tours. Their sustained international success reflects the maturity of the K-pop model in a global context.

British artists have increasingly appeared in K-pop collaborations and songwriting. For example, Dua Lipa featured with BLACKPINK on Kiss and Make Up, and Coldplay teamed with BTS on My Universe. These cross-market collaborations illustrate the genre’s global fusion of Western pop influences and Korean performance styles.

Yes. Our Kids K-pop Package focuses on clean, family-friendly versions of popular tracks. Lyrics are displayed on screen (no videos), and an explicit-content filter can be enabled where available. You can also add one of our professional comperes to host the karaoke and help manage song selections during your event for an additional cost.

Yes. Many PTA and HSA groups hire our K-pop karaoke systems for school fetes, Christmas fairs and fundraising events to help raise money for their schools. We provide safe, easy-to-use setups with age-appropriate playlists that can include both K-pop hits and festive favourites. Each hire includes clear setup guidance and support before the event, with systems designed for simple plug-and-play use, perfect for marquees, playgrounds or school halls.

Optional extras are also available if you prefer a complete service: we can deliver and install the equipment, handle all technical setup, and even provide a professional compère to run the karaoke or announcements throughout the day. When no one is singing, organisers can log in to their own Spotify or YouTube account and play background music through the same system.

Yes. We regularly provide systems for school cultural days and events celebrating Korean music and language. Each system includes a wide range of popular K-pop songs suitable for pupils to sing, and there are built-in filters that let you search specifically for Korean-language tracks or K-pop genre songs. Schools can add a compère to their booking for an additional cost if they would like help coordinating performances and timing on the day.

Yes. Our systems can be used for events inspired by K-pop Demon Hunters or similar K-pop animation themes. The karaoke catalogue includes a small number of officially licensed tracks, such as Golden, Soda Pop, Takedown, and Your Idol, that are musically similar in tone and style to the songs featured in that genre. These are independent karaoke tracks created in a similar style for general entertainment use and are not reproductions, covers, or recordings from the original Netflix production or soundtrack.
Please note that while the songs capture the same upbeat K-pop feel, they are not identical to the ones heard in the film.

London Karaoke Hire is an independent supplier and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Netflix, Sony Pictures Animation, or any associated rights-holders. All names are used descriptively for reference purposes only.

Yes. We can deliver to virtually any location in and around London. Our team has handled deliveries everywhere from private homes, schools and halls to the Houses of Parliament, planes at Stansted, the Queen Vic from EastEnders at Elstree Studios, narrowboats on the Thames and even the London Eye.

Delivery and setup are separate services. Standard hires are normally dry hire, where you collect and return the equipment yourself. When you choose our delivery option, the system is transported to your pre-agreed location and dropped off ready for you to set up.

Setup can also be booked as an additional service if you would like our team to install and test the system for you. All testing takes place in-house before dispatch, not on site, unless a setup service has been booked.

Transport fees are based on distance, travel time and delivery or collection slot, with an additional charge for late-night or out-of-hours times.

We cover all 32 boroughs and the City of London, North, South, East and West, including Camden, Hackney, Islington, Richmond, Croydon, Ealing and beyond.

Yes. You can connect your own Spotify or YouTube account to play music between singers or during breaks, giving you control over the background sound without needing extra equipment. It’s a simple way to keep the atmosphere going while guests get ready for their next song.

Yes. All of our systems rely on a stable Wi-Fi and internet connection with at least 10 Mbps dedicated to the karaoke unit. Wi-Fi signal strength and internet speed are not the same; even if the Wi-Fi shows full bars, the actual internet connection may still be too slow for smooth streaming.

We recommend checking your speed in advance using a free app such as Ookla Speedtest or Fast.com. Once the system is set up, you can also run the built-in Wi-Fi speed test on the touchscreen device to confirm the available bandwidth.

Public or shared Wi-Fi networks and mobile hotspots are not recommended, as they usually cause buffering or dropouts due to limited bandwidth.

Yes. All karaoke tracks we supply come from commercially licensed catalogues suitable for public performance in the UK. This ensures artists and rights-holders are compensated correctly.

Yes. We offer dedicated silent karaoke packages that use wireless headphones instead of speakers. This makes them ideal for locations with noise restrictions, shared spaces, or late-night parties where you need to keep sound levels low.

Each guest listens through their own headset, and we can run multiple audio channels at the same time for example, one with K-pop karaoke tracks and another with background music.

The hire cost depends on the number of headphones required, so please confirm your guest numbers when booking.

Yes. We can provide as much or as little support as needed, from a single compère to host the karaoke, through to technicians, engineers and full project management for complex productions. Our team has decades of experience across the AV industry, covering staging, lighting, sound and video.

We’ve supported everything from festival video walls and hotel installations distributing video to multiple screens, to major British film shoots where our engineers operated karaoke equipment from just out of camera view on set.

Whether you need someone to run the karaoke smoothly at a private party or a full crew for an integrated production, we can supply the right people for the job. All staff work with professional-grade systems and we partner with leading brands including Shure, Bose, Chauvet, QSC, Martin Audio and Avolites.

Yes. All of our equipment is PAT tested and regularly serviced to ensure it meets current electrical safety standards. The system was specifically built and designed to be robust and adaptable for different environments, from family homes and flats to pubs, halls and studios.

We offer both desktop and stand versions of our karaoke systems, they operate in exactly the same way and provide identical access to the full song database. The speakers don’t have to be placed on poles if you prefer a lower setup, and the TV screens are built into protective flight cases so they can sit safely on a table or stand.

Everything is compact enough to fit comfortably in a living room but, because we use premium-grade components, the sound quality is professional-level and more powerful than typical consumer systems.

Setup time depends on the package. A basic system typically takes around 30–45 minutes, while larger or more complex setups can take longer.

We always recommend setting up well in advance of the event and, where possible, during office hours so our team can provide telephone support if needed.

If you would like our team to handle the setup, this must be booked in advance as additional logistics are planned around each delivery, it can’t be added on the day because it would affect other client schedules.

Please note that a stable Wi-Fi connection and adequate internet speed are required for the karaoke system to operate correctly.

Complex installations involving video or audio distribution, large screens or video walls can take several hours or up to a full day depending on venue access, location, and on-site health and safety requirements.

Yes. We hold full public liability insurance that covers our team when they are working on site at events we operate. This insurance applies only when our staff are present and managing the equipment. For dry hires, responsibility for the equipment rests with the hirer once it leaves our premises.

We strongly recommend completing your setup as early as possible and ideally during office hours so our team can provide direct technical support if needed. During opening hours, please call our main number on 020 3333 4444. Outside office hours, you can call our dedicated technical line on 020 3333 3344, which operates as an answerphone service. Leave your name, contact number and a brief description of the issue, and we’ll return your call as soon as possible.

You can cancel within 14 days of booking (admin fee applies unless you signed a start-sooner waiver). After that: fees already paid are non-refundable; within 14 days of the hire start the full hire charge applies. See our Terms & Conditions for the full policy.

London Karaoke Hire is the only company in the UK supplying premium touchscreen karaoke systems built entirely in-house. We designed and developed our systems from the ground up, commissioning the metalwork, graphics and electronics to create a robust, professional unit that no third-party supplier can match.

Thousands of hours and significant investment went into research and development to ensure reliability, usability and sound quality. Every system uses professional-grade components from leading audio brands, and the same engineering knowledge we’ve applied when working with major artists and production companies.

Since 2007, we’ve supplied thousands of karaoke hires across London with fully licensed music, experienced engineers and a genuine passion for the culture we support. We’re not a “disco-add-on” operation, we specialise solely in karaoke hire and have redefined what a premium karaoke system should be.