What is CreativeKaraoke?
  • CreativeKaraoke is very easy.
  • CreativeKaraoke wants people to come up with catchy melodies for creativity research.
  • CreativeKaraoke needs your help, because we think that everybody is able to write a hit!
  • CreativeKaraoke is no commercial project. We don't want (or need) your money and you keep the full rights to your material.
How do I take part?
  • All you need is:

    A computer


    A computer with a soundcard running Windows XP/Vista/7, MacOS X/9 or a Linux OS


    a microphone


    A headset or a microphone and speakers (usually already built into many modern laptops)


    and software


    The free music recording software "Audacity" (Windows Tutorial or Mac Tutorial) or a commercial music production suite
  • If you have a computer and a microphone but you don't have experience with music recording software, we have an easy nine step tutorial for you: Click here if your computer is a Windows PC or here if you have an Apple Macintosh computer.
  • If you still experience problems while trying to participate in this experiment using Audacity, check our Audacity Troubleshooting Area.
  • If you have experience in music recording, just download our backing track.
  • Use your music recording software to open the backing track
  • Start playback. You will hear the backing track counting in for four beats and then a band playing a four-bar chord sequence twice.
  • Listen to the backing track and try to come up with your own catchy melody.
  • When you feel you have your final tune, record it over the backing track.
  • After you finished recording your melody, Export as Ogg Vorbis... using the FILE->EXPORT menu.
  • Upload your new .ogg-file onto this page and fill in the short questionnaire.
  • And that's it! Congratulations!
Is there anything else I need to know?
  • Whether you come up with sophisticated lyrics or just lalala's doesn't matter. A really catchy, chart-breaking melody is what we want from you! But anything that comes to your mind is good for us.
  • Don't worry: whatever you come up with, you will keep the full rights!
  • Be creative together with your family, friends and colleagues or tell them about us and send them a link!
  • But it is important for our analysis that there is only one person singing at the same time. If you want to participate together with somebody else, you could make a competition out of it and let everybody record their own version.
What do I get?
  • You'll take part in a real music-psychology experiment and help science!
  • You might discover a hidden talent!
  • You'll have a lot of fun! That's a promise!
 
Thank you for being involved in CreativeKaraoke!
 
Here are the important links again:
Download the backing track (7.7 MB, .zip-file)
Download the free software sequencer Audacity from SourceForge
Submit your track and fill in a short questionnaire
 
This experiment was designed by Klaus Frieler and Frank Riedemann.
Website empowered by the University of Hamburg in cooperation with the
Music, Mind, and Brain Programme at Goldsmiths College, London