The Korean Karaoke: What To Expect In The Noraebang

A visit to Seoul is not complete without a Korean karaoke experience. Unlike the west where you find karaoke bars and you’ll be singing to a room of strangers, in Korea, karaoke, or noraebang is a much more intimate experience. Step into a private room with your friends, family, or go solo and sing all of your favorite songs. Korean karaoke has been a thing for decades and now it’s becoming a global trend. Find out why.

From here on forward, we’ll be using the Korean term for karaoke rooms, noraebang. Learn more:

• What is Korean karaoke called?
• What does noraebang mean?
• Other vocabulary for the noraebang in Korea
• How to find a noraebang
• Who goes to the Korean noraebang?
• How much does a noraebang cost?
• Are the songs at noraebangs only in Korean?
• Tips for the best noraebang experience

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What is Korean karaoke called?

While we often use the word karaoke in the west, that is a Japanese term for a singing room. Obviously, Korea has their own term for the pastime and it is “noraebang”.

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What does noraebang mean?

Noraebang (노래방) is the combination of two Korean words: norae (노래) which means “song” and bang (방) which means room. Together they are song rooms or singing rooms.

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What is a coin noraebang?

A trend for people that just want to destress with a good ballad perhaps, or along the lines of the no-staff shops, in a coin noraebang you don’t pay for the hour or per person. Instead, you choose a private room and use coins to pay per song. Unlike standard noraebangs where you go with friends and you can eat and drink inside, these are not for that but are for pure singing fun. 

Some of the coin noraebangs are for just 1 to 2 people and some can fit up to 4 people. They work pretty similarly to the standard noraebang with a book, the screen, the microphones and all of that jazz, there are just less amenities to pay for.

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Other vocabulary for the noraebang in Korea

If you need a bit of help from staff, it would be good to learn a few words just in case. Is the mic not working? Need help turning something on? At least you can point and say a word to get the message across.

• mic: 마이크 (maikeu)
• lyrics: 가사 (noraetmal)
• singer: 가수 (gasu)
• selection: 선택 (seontaek)
• music: 음악 (eumak)
• volume: 볼륨 (bollyum)
• to listen/hear: 듣다 (deudda)
• to sing: 노래하다 / 부르다 (noraehada / bureuda)

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How to find a noraebang

The easiest way to find a noraebang near you, is to get out Kakao Maps or Naver Maps and search “노래방” or “노래연습장”. This will bring up the options in the area that you’re staying in. 

Here are a couple popular noraebangs in Hongdae though if you want a jumpstart on finding an establishment. 

Su Noraebang (수노래연습장 홍대)

If you are traveling and are only going to have one Korean karake experience, go here. This is a favorite among locals and tourists. They have an extensive song collection that is updated regularly. This is also a fun spot to stand outside and watch as well because the front rooms have windows so you can watch the singers inside wearing costumes, singing and enjoying the atmosphere. It’s worth it.

• Address: 37 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (서울 마포구 와우산로21길 37)
• Hours: 24 hours a day every day
• Phone: 070-4405-9971

Awesome Coin Noraebang (어썸코인노래연습장)

If you just want a quick and easy experience. Blast a few ballads or Kpop songs to get in the mood, go here. It’s budget friendly and fun.

• Address: 4 Wausan-ro 21-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (서울 마포구 와우산로21길 4)
• Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 12:00pm ~ 12:00am; Friday & Saturday: 12:00pm ~ 1:00am
• Price: 1 song: W500; 2 songs: W1,000; 30 minutes: W4,000; 60 minutes: W7,000

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Who goes to the Korean noraebang?

It is not an understatement to say that everyone can and does go to the noraebang in Korea.

When the sun sets and the stars are out, signs for the noraebang light up in neighborhoods around the country. They are everywhere from hot spots like Hongdae where young college students hang out, and Gangnam where it’s glitz and glam, but they are also in residential areas like Eunpyeong-gu.

Young girls in heels and young boys in their blazers will head to the noraebang in the middle of the night. Businessmen in suits who have wrapped up work, but are still with bosses and coworkers will be there too. Do you know what it takes to go out Korean style? People young and old get out and about and on the streets in search of the fun to be had.

It doesn’t matter where you be; in Seoul, outside of Seoul, in Hongdae or otherwise, there’s always a noraebang nearby beckoning those that pass with loud songs and bright signs. A quiet neighborhood it may seem until you step in just the right place to hear the students inside the basement of the building you’re passing singing loudly.

Even the poshest of areas can’t get by without a noraebang in a basement. It’s a place for the young. It’s a place for the old. It’s a place for those that can only speak Korean as well as for those that can only speak English, Japanese, Spanish or Chinese.

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How much does a noraebang cost?

Noraebangs are an hourly endeavor with another charge per person. There are discounts for weekday odes and ballads though. Generally, expect to pay between W5,000 to W15,000 depending on where you are and how many people you have. Luxury noraebangs are a thing too though and can cost double the price, but you get more services and amenities.

There are also solo practice rooms that are about half of that price above if you want to practice before you belt it out with your friends.

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Are the songs at noraebangs only in Korean?

No! They are multilingual. It’s a place for those that only like 80s Madonna or 90s Madonna or 2000s Madonna. K-Pop, rap, ballads and oldies. Pages and pages of songs. Some songs you will know and some songs you will not. It’s a place that welcomes all and in you should go. You’ve come to the right place to make some noise with your friends, your coworkers, or even by yourself.

The noraebang is always ready to please. Some people enter with a list of their favorite songs and the numbers already made so that every minute inside is used to the fullest with song after song cued up. Some people enter unsure what awaits or if those in the group like to sing as much as they do. Should we go straight 90s? Will everyone know the tunes? Are you a soprano? Can you even sing? Can I sing? Will you laugh at me when I sing? Though these questions seem like good ones, they aren’t necessary.

It doesn’t matter here. Whether you’re a soprano or an alto, whether you can carry a tune or not, no one makes it out without singing at least one song. A bonus to the noraebong though, unlike karaoke bars back home, is that they’re private and only those that you’ve gone in with will be privy to your singing aptitude. There will be laughs, there will be tambourines, there will be mikes that echo.

There will be songs you thought you knew but in fact don’t and typos in lyrics. There will be moments when you can’t remember who sings one of your favorite songs. Do not let this things hold you back though, for a night out with a noraebong for a stop is sure to leave throats dry and scratchy and will bring smiles to the lips of those that attended the next day upon waking.

Remember when you sang…? If a month or a few has passed you by without a visit to a noraebang that sits nearby, grab some friends or go alone to belt out the songs you love.

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Tips for the best noraebang experience

• Don’t hog the mic. The best way to to make sure everyone is having fun is to pass the noraebang pad around so everyone can put one song in each and then pass it around again. It becomes a system of singing and choosing songs in tandem. Go with a few songs in mind and then just look them up in the book when you’re there to get the party started.
• Yes, there is a score, but don’t worry too much about that. It’s just for fun. I’ve gotten 100s and 60s and even lower than that. It’s just a goof. 
• If someone else chose a great song, don’t jump in and start singing unless you’re invited to do so. It’s just proper noraebang room etiquette. If you really like it, you’ll remember next time.

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This is my ode to one of my favorite activities in Korea. My ode to the noraebang

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