kJams Lite

CD+G is the name of a special CD format that, compared to a regular audio CD, it contains bitmapped graphics that, in the context of karaoke, is usually the karaoke lyrics, but may also contain static pictures or other graphics. These discs can be played using any regular media player, but the graphics (lyrics) will only be displayed when using specialized software. kJams Lite or Pro are two such programs. kJams is a karaoke jukebox, music store and streaming service, and player / organizer that resembles iTunes, allowing the user not only to play CD+G discs, but also to buy online karaoke songs and organize them.

Just like iTunes, kJams Lite is a Windows and Mac application. Regarding the Windows version, it can run on XP/2000/Vista and Windows 7 and 8. It even has a iTunes-like interface. Thus, users of the iTunes application will certainly be familiar with the interface of kJams. You need a recent computer in order to run kJams in the best way possible. A dual-core or quad-core computer with at least 6 GB of RAM will do.

When run for the first time, the program will ask to automatically download online catalog indexes from a few music stores. This may take a while in case your Internet connection is not that fast. After completing the download and parsing processes, kJams Lite will create a new "Folder" playlist called "Music Stores" which you can open, revealing the list of possible music stores. There are three stores currently, but more will be added in the future. Each store contains their catalog from which you can stream or purchase individual songs. Clicking on the Buy button will automatically purchase, download, install, and optionally even play, the selected song.

Clicking on the "Stream" button will stream the song immediately. It may take several seconds for the stream to be cached, so kJams has a feature that will pre-cache the next song ahead of time, when a list of songs are played in a row, from a playlist.

Besides working with CD+G discs, kJams Lite also supports song files that were ripped from CD+G discs. These files can be easily organized into playlists, so you can make lists of your favorite songs, or create a mix-list for a special occasion. While the karaoke song is played, a video window will be displayed on the interface. The window can be freely moved on the desktop.

Since there is no track or artist information stored on the CD, this info can be obtained from one of several CDDB servers supported by the app. The songs from a CD+G disc can be ripped and encoded to any format supported by QuickTime, as well as to MP3 (free plugin available separately).