What you need
- ✓A Windows laptop with a free video output (HDMI on most laptops; USB-C or DisplayPort on some)
- ✓A TV or monitor for the room, and a cable long enough to reach it with slack — HDMI cables are cheap, buy one longer than you think
- ✓If your laptop has only USB-C, a USB-C to HDMI adapter from a known brand (the no-name ones drop signal when the cable moves)
- ✓Your audio going to the mixer or speakers through your usual interface, not through the TV
Step by step in Windows
1. Connect the screen before you open the software
Plug in the TV or monitor and turn it on first. Windows detects the display on connection; software that is already running may not notice a display added afterwards.
2. Set Windows to Extend, not Duplicate
Press the Windows key and P together and choose Extend. Duplicate would show your host console — singer names, your search box, everything — on the room's screen. Extend makes the TV a second desktop you can put the singer screen on.
3. Arrange the displays
Open Settings, then System, then Display. Drag the two display boxes so the TV sits where it physically is (usually to the right). Leave your laptop as the main display so Windows notifications and dialogs stay with you, not on the TV.
4. Set the TV's resolution and scale
Click the TV's box in Display settings and set its resolution to the recommended value (1920 × 1080 for most TVs). Set Scale to 100%; a laptop at 150% scale will make a TV at 150% look like a giant phone.
5. Put the singer screen on the TV
Open your hosting software. In Karatrack+AI, the Singer Screen is a separate window: open it and place it on the second display, then make it full screen there. The host console stays on the laptop. Other hosting programs have a similar "second display" or "singer view" option.
6. Keep the audio where it belongs
When you plug in HDMI, Windows often switches the default sound output to the TV. Open Settings, System, Sound and set Output back to your mixer or audio interface. Then check the output device inside your hosting software as well, because some programs remember their own device.
7. Stop the screens from sleeping
Open Settings, System, Power & battery, then Screen and sleep, and set both screen-off and sleep to Never while plugged in. Also set what closing the lid does to Do nothing (search Windows for "lid") if you run with the laptop closed. A singer screen that goes black after 10 minutes of filler music is this setting, every time.
8. Test with a real song before doors open
Play one karaoke track all the way through: picture on the TV, sound from the mixer, host console on the laptop. Then unplug the HDMI and plug it back in to see that everything comes back. That 60-second test is the difference between a setup and a working setup.
Problems we have actually had, and the fix
The TV shows a black screen but Windows sees it
Usually the TV is on the wrong input, or the cable is seated loosely on one end. Change the TV's input to the HDMI port you used, then reseat both ends. If the TV shows "no signal" only when the cable moves, replace the cable or adapter.
The picture is cut off at the edges
The TV is overscanning. Look in the TV's picture settings for Screen Fit, Just Scan, 1:1 or Overscan Off. Game Mode on the TV also reduces lag between the console and the screen, which matters for lyric highlighting.
Sound is coming from the TV speakers
Step 6 above: Windows moved the output to HDMI. Set it back to your interface, and pin that device in the software so it does not happen on the next reboot.
The singer screen opened on the laptop again
Windows forgets window positions when a display disconnects. Reconnect the TV first, then reopen the singer screen. Keeping the same HDMI port and the same cable every night makes Windows remember the arrangement.
The laptop slows down with the second screen on
A dedicated graphics card is not required, but a very old laptop with integrated graphics can struggle with 1080p video on two displays. Lower the TV to 1280 × 720 in Display settings — the lyrics are still perfectly readable from across a bar.
Going further: a third screen for promotions
Some venues want a second TV that shows drink specials, upcoming events or a slideshow all night while the singer screen does its job. Karatrack+AI has a separate Promo Screen window for exactly that. It needs a third display output — on most laptops that means a USB-C dock or a USB display adapter — and the same Extend setup as above.
Second monitor setup: common questions
+Can I use a TV instead of a monitor for the singer screen?
Yes. Any TV with an HDMI input works. Turn on Game Mode or Just Scan in the TV's settings so the picture is not cropped and the lyrics stay in step with the audio.
+Do I need a long HDMI cable or a wireless display?
A cable. Wireless display (Miracast and similar) adds delay and drops out when the room fills with phones. HDMI cables up to about 15 metres (50 feet) work fine; longer runs need an active cable or an HDMI extender.
+Does the singer screen need a graphics card?
No. Any laptop that can play 1080p video can drive a second display for karaoke. Karatrack+AI only needs an NVIDIA graphics card for on-the-fly vocal removal, not for the singer screen.
+Can the singer screen show something between singers?
Yes. Karatrack+AI shows artwork, who is up next, a scrolling banner, a photo slideshow, custom images and a showtime countdown between performances. Other hosting programs usually offer a background image or a playlist of images.