You're in the room, the microphones are on the table, and nobody knows how to find the song they want.
The search screen is all in Korean, and the remote has more buttons than you expected.
The exchange
BTS 노래 부르고 싶은데 어떻게 찾아? bi-ti-es no-rae bu-reu-go sip-eun-de eo-tteo-ke cha-ja? "I want to sing a BTS song, how do I search for it?"
여기 검색창에 가수 이름 한국어로 치면 돼. 방탄소년단으로 yeo-gi geom-saek-chang-e ga-su i-reum han-gug-eo-ro chi-myeon dwae. bang-tan-so-nyeon-dan-eu-ro "Type the artist name in Korean in the search bar. 방탄소년단."
This is the part most people don't know. The search runs on Korean input, not English. BTS won't find anything — 방탄소년단 will.
어, Dynamite 있다! 나 이거 부를래, 너무 좋아 eo, Dynamite it-da! na i-geo bu-reul-lae, neo-mu jo-a "Oh, Dynamite is here! I want to sing this, I love this song."
나도 나도! 빨리 눌러! na-do na-do! ppal-li nul-leo! "Me too, me too! Hurry and press it!"
Korean names for popular artists
This is the most useful thing to know before you go. Save these on your phone.
| Artist | Korean name | How to search |
|---|---|---|
| BTS | 방탄소년단 | 방탄소년단 |
| BLACKPINK | 블랙핑크 | 블랙핑크 |
| IVE | 아이브 | 아이브 |
| Stray Kids | 스트레이 키즈 | 스트레이키즈 |
| NewJeans | 뉴진스 | 뉴진스 |
| SEVENTEEN | 세븐틴 | 세븐틴 |
Songs with English titles like Dynamite or Butter are usually listed in English in the system, so you can search the song title directly once you've found the artist.
Words to know
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 검색창 | geom-saek-chang | Search bar |
| 가수 | ga-su | Singer, artist |
| 예약 | ye-yak | Queue, reservation |
| 번호 | beon-ho | Number |
| 추가시간 | chu-ga-si-gan | Extra time |
| 탬버린 | taem-beo-rin | Tambourine |
How norebang works
Korean karaoke is private. You rent a room by the hour, not a spot at a bar. Groups of 2 to 10 people, your own screen and sound system, no audience.
예약 (ye-yak) is the word for queuing a song. When you find the one you want, press it and it gets added to the list. Songs play in order, and anyone can add to the queue.
Most systems let you search by:
- Artist name (가수명) — type in Korean
- Song title (곡명) — English titles usually work in English
- Song number (번호) — faster if you know it, looked up on your phone beforehand
Asking for more time
Rooms are booked in 30 or 60-minute blocks. When time is almost up, a staff member will knock or an alert appears on screen.
추가시간 되나요? — "Can we get extra time?" chu-ga-si-gan doe-na-yo?
Usually yes. They'll tell you the cost and add it on.
The tambourine
Every norebang room has one. Pick it up. There's no wrong way to use it, and it makes everything better.
If you're not singing, you're on tambourine duty.
Useful phrases
이 노래 취소할 수 있어요? — "Can I cancel this song?" 소리 좀 줄여주세요 — "Could you turn it down a bit?" 마이크 볼륨 올려주세요 — "Please turn up the mic volume" 음료 주문할 수 있어요? — "Can we order drinks?"
Most norebangs sell snacks and drinks. Some let you bring your own. Ask at the front desk when you check in.
What to actually do
- Look up the Korean names of your favorite artists before you go
- At the search screen, tap 가수명 and type in Korean
- Find your song, press it, and it joins the queue
- When time is running low, ask 추가시간 되나요?
- Pick up the tambourine
One person who knows how to search makes the whole room run smoothly. After the first song, everyone figures out the rest.
Norebang is one of the best things to do in Korea, and it's easier than it looks once you know where to type. K-PATTO teaches 300+ phrases like these through a webtoon story set in Seoul, with native audio on every line. The first ten episodes are free.