StarMaker: Sing Karaoke Songs

My Experience with StarMaker: Sing Karaoke Songs

I’ve been using StarMaker for about two weeks now, and it’s become my go-to for killing time on my commute or just goofing off at home. My OnePlus 11 handles the app fine, no lag or crashes so far. I’ve been singing mostly pop songs from the 2000s and some Bollywood tracks, because that’s what my friend Priya sings when we hang out. She’s the one who told me to try it, and I’m glad I did. The first song I did was “Toxic” by Britney Spears, and I wasn’t expecting much for a free app. But the way it layers your voice over the instrumental is actually decent. I’m not a singer by any stretch, but the app makes you feel like you’re not totally embarrassing yourself. The real test came last Saturday, when I recorded a duet version of “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran with Priya virtually. She’s in a different city, but the app synced our parts almost perfectly. It wasn’t studio quality, but for free, who cares? I’ve used it every day since then, mostly late at night when I can’t sleep. The app has a social feed too, where people post their recordings. Some of them are actually good, but most are people like me just having fun. I haven’t spent a single rupee on it, and I still feel like I’ve gotten plenty of entertainment. The free song selection is generous, but you do run into locked songs that make you want to pay. So far, I haven’t caved, but I can see myself maybe spending if I keep using it for another month.

Features Worth Noting

The first thing I noticed is how many free songs are available. I expected maybe 20-30 tracks, but there are hundreds you can sing without paying anything. You can also record videos of yourself singing, not just audio. I tried the video feature once, but I looked ridiculous so I stick to audio only. There’s a pitch correction tool that’s pretty forgiving, which helps when I go flat. You can choose different backing tracks, and some even have harmony parts built in. Cool for duets. The app also lets you join live rooms where you sing in real time with strangers. I did that twice. First time was fun, second time some guy was screaming into his mic and I left. But the feature itself works well. Another thing I like is you can filter songs by genre, language, or difficulty. Most of the free stuff is in English and Hindi, which works for me. The search function is fast and accurate. You can also create playlists of songs you want to practice. I have one called “Weekend Vibes” with ten songs I’m trying to get better at. The app also shows your singing score after each take, which is nice for tracking improvement. It’s not super accurate, but gives you a rough idea. There’s a karaoke mode that shows lyrics in time with the music, and you can adjust the tempo if you want. I haven’t used it much, but it’s there. The whole interface is fairly simple, no confusing menus. A beginner can figure it out in a minute.

What Needs Work

Okay, I’m not trying to trash the app, but some things annoy me. First, the ads. There are a lot of them. After every third or fourth song, you get a 15-30 second ad. If you’re in a flow, it breaks the mood. I get that it’s free, but it’s still frustrating. Second, some songs are listed as free, but when you click them, they turn out to be “premium only” without clear labeling. Happened to me twice already. I’d rather they just show the cost upfront. Third, the social feed can be overwhelming. There’s no good way to filter out low-quality posts or spammy challenges. I’ve seen the same weird challenge pop up ten times. Fourth, the app doesn’t always sync properly with Bluetooth headphones. I use cheap wireless earbuds from Amazon, and the delay is noticeable. I had to switch to wired earphones for better timing. That’s a hassle. Fifth, the voice effects sometimes add reverb that sounds unnatural, especially on softer songs. I wish you could turn them off completely. Sixth, the app crashes if you leave it idle for more than 10 minutes on my phone. I’ve lost a few recordings that way. Not a dealbreaker, but annoying. Finally, the “pro” version features are pretty aggressively pushed. Every time you open the app, there’s a banner or pop-up offering a trial. I get it’s a business, but dial it back a little.

Pricing

The app is free to download and use, which is great for a tight budget like mine. The free version gives you access to a solid library of songs, but there’s a paid subscription called StarMaker Pro. It costs around $9.99 per month or $49.99 per year, depending on your region. Pro removes ads, gives you unlimited access to all songs, and unlocks special voice effects and HD recording. There’s also a three-day free trial, which I haven’t used yet. I’m still testing everything free first. Honestly, for casual use, you don’t need Pro. I’ve been singing for two weeks without paying a penny. But if you’re serious about karaoke or want to remove ads, the yearly plan is cheaper per month. There are also in-app purchases for individual songs if you don’t want a subscription. That’s like $1.99 per song, which is steep for a single track. I’d never do that. I’d rather just skip the song. Some users complain that songs you unlock individually don’t transfer if you delete the app. That’s shady. So I stick to the free stuff. No hidden costs so far, but I keep an eye on my bank statement because I don’t trust free apps.

Developer Notes

The developer is Skyline Interactive Inc. I looked them up because I was curious. They have a few other apps in the music and entertainment space. The app gets updated regularly, about once a month from what I’ve seen in the version history. That’s good. Means they’re fixing bugs and adding songs. But the update notes are vague, usually just “bug fixes and performance improvements.” Not very transparent. I wish they’d tell us what specifically changed. The app has a rating of 4.3 on the store, which seems fair. Some recent reviews mention the app became slower after the last update. I haven’t noticed that on my OnePlus 11, but it’s worth noting. The developer responds to some reviews, mostly positive ones. I haven’t seen them address serious complaints like the ad frequency or Bluetooth sync issues. That’s not a good look. I haven’t contacted support, so I can’t judge their response time. But the app store reviews suggest it takes a couple days to get a reply. For a free app, that’s acceptable. The developer also runs seasonal events and song contests, which is a nice touch to keep users engaged. I participated in one last week called “Summer Mix,” but I didn’t win anything. It was still fun.

Security & Privacy

Let’s be real, I didn’t read the privacy policy front to back. Who does? But here’s what I noticed. The app asks for microphone access, which makes sense for recording. It also asks for camera access if you want to make video recordings. You can deny camera and still use audio only, which I did. It asks for storage access to save recordings locally. Again, optional. The app also requires an account to save your progress and share recordings. You can sign up with email, Google, or Facebook. I used a throwaway email because I don’t trust giving my real data to free apps. The app collects usage data, like what songs you sing and how long you use it. That’s typical for ad-supported apps. They probably sell this data or use it for targeting. I don’t love it, but I accept it since the app is free. The app also asks for location access, but I denied that and it worked fine. I’m guessing they use location for suggesting local songs or events. No idea. I’ve gotten zero spam emails or weird notifications since installing, which is a good sign. One thing I did notice is the app can access your contacts if you allow it. I denied that immediately. No reason for a karaoke app to know my phonebook. So overall, it feels as safe as any free app. Just be careful with permissions. Don’t grant anything you don’t need. Also, make sure to log out if you use it on a friend’s phone. My buddy forgot, and his profile got messed up with my recordings.