How Do You Start Your First Song at a Korean Noraebang?

A hand entering a song number on a remote control inside a Korean noraebang, with a song list on the screen and a microphone on the table.

As you look for a place to sing, you may see signs for both noraebang and coin noraebang.

Both offer a small private room where you can sing, but the first steps are different. At a regular noraebang, you usually begin at the front desk. At a coin noraebang, you may start at a payment machine.

Inside the room, you will find either a remote control covered in buttons or a touchscreen. You may already know which song you want to sing but still pause in front of the controls because you do not know how to search for the title or how "Start" differs from "Reserve."

The first obstacle is not the microphone. It is figuring out how to enter the room and use the controls once you are inside.

This guide follows the process from choosing which type of noraebang to enter to finding an English-language song and getting the music started.

Regular Noraebangs and Coin Noraebangs Differ from the Moment You Enter

Both regular noraebangs and coin noraebangs have private rooms for you and your group. You do not stand on a stage and sing in front of other customers.

At a regular noraebang, you go to the front desk and tell the staff how many people are in your group and how long you want to use the room. After a staff member shows you to your room, you choose your songs inside.

A coin noraebang usually has a row of small rooms or booths. At some locations, you choose your session and pay at a kiosk near the entrance. At others, you pay inside the room.

Both types may have the word "noraebang" on the sign, but your first step depends on whether you begin at the front desk or at a machine.

At a Coin Noraebang, First Check Whether You Pay by Song or by Time

The name "coin noraebang" may make you picture inserting coins and paying for one song at a time.

But some places let you choose a set number of songs, while others charge by time. Some offer both options.

If there is a kiosk, choose either the number of songs or the amount of time shown on the screen, then pay. At places where you pay inside the room, you make the same choice on the machine there.

Payment methods also vary by location. Some accept cards or mobile payments, while others require cash or coins.

The name "coin noraebang" alone does not tell you whether you will pay by song or by time, or which payment methods are accepted. The song count, time options, and payment icons on the screen show how that particular location works.

The Remote Comes Before the Microphone

Inside the room, there is a microphone and a screen, but picking up the mic does not start a song. You first need to find and select a song using the remote control or touchscreen.

If you know the song number, entering it is the simplest way. If not, you can search by title or artist.

You can also search for English-language songs. Some machines let you use the English spelling, while others may require you to type the title or artist in Hangul based on how it sounds.

That can be difficult if you do not know Korean, so the more reliable option is to look up the song number on your phone.

When you do, first check whether the machine uses the TJ or KY system, since the same song has a different number on each. Then search that company's song list by title or artist, find the correct number, and enter it directly.

Once you find the song, you need to choose between "Start" and "Reserve." "Start" plays the song immediately. If someone else is singing, press "Reserve" to add your song to the queue. If you reserve the wrong song, you can remove it from the list.

After You Choose Your First Song, the Next One Is Easier

At first, the remote control may have so many buttons that it is hard to know where to begin.

After you find your first song and press "Start" or "Reserve," you know how to search for the next one, which button plays it immediately, which one adds it to the queue, and how to remove it if you chose the wrong one.

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