Onward and Upward: A karaoke kick-start for those New Year’s resolutions!

A new year has dawned and it’s time to put into action what we just recently put on to paper! In other words, it’s time to get off our collective backsides and make good on those New Year’s resolutions we promised ourselves we’d stick to this year.

Whatever your goals may be — physical, spiritual, financial — we all need a little push sometimes. I mean let’s face it, wishing is easy. It’s the “doing” part that’s often difficult. So with that in mind, we want to help give you that little extra “oomph” in your step. That “chutzpah” to start turning your dreams into reality. Here are a few inspirational songs to get you motivated and out the door!

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: The only mountains standing in our way are the ones we put there ourselves. So lace up those hiking boots and get over it!

Thubthumping (I Get Knocked Down) – Chumbawamba: In life it doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up!

Born To Fly – Sara Evans: We weren’t put here on this planet to just shuffle along until we take our final breath, but to stand out and live our dreams. The sky is the limit because we were born to fly!

Good Life – OneRepublic: Sometimes we face things that can bring us down and make us wonder why we’re doing what we’re doing. When that happens, just remember that life is good and by sticking to our guns and pushing forward we make our lives even better!

Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J: Often the best defense is a good offense. When life makes you want to throw in the towel, that’s the time to come out of the corner swinging harder than ever!

Get up, get going, and keep pushing forward! A new day has dawned, my friends. Don’t let the sun set on your dreams. Create your reality!

Karaoke Christmas Bundle Spotlight: White Christmas

Last week, Karaoke Cloud released a bundle of 15 of the world’s best-loved Christmas songs at a special price for our loyal followers and friends. Since then we’ve been spending some time looking into the origins of each of these classics and today we come to one of my personal favorites, “White Christmas.”

Written, ironically, by the great Jewish composer Irving Berlin in 1940, White Christmas is considered to be the top selling single of all-time with over 50 million copies sold world-wide. Adding to the irony of the song’s origins, the two locations at which it is thought Berlin wrote the song are about as far removed from its subject matter as it gets; warm and sunny La Quinta, California and the desert-state of Arizona.

White Christmas was first performed publicly by Bing Crosby on his radio show The Kraft Music Hall on Christmas Day, 1941. He later recorded the song with Decca Records in May of 1942 as one of six songs for the film Holiday Inn. Though the song was originally overshadowed by other tracks on the album, White Christmas ended up spending 11 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts that year alone and regained the #1 spot during the 1945 and 1946 holiday seasons. Today, White Christmas is still the only single to have ever claimed the top spot three separate times on the US charts. The wild success of the single led to Crosby filming the musical “White Christmas” in 1954 and the rest, as they say, is history.

White Christmas, both the song and the movie, will forever be embedded in American pop-culture. Try your chops at this beloved classic and many others for free with our new Sing-N-Share app for all Apple and Android devices. And wherever you are, “…may all your Christmases be white.”

Karaoke Thankfulness: Family Ties

It’s that time of year when we count our blessings and really think about those closest to us. Those that support us, lift us up, and stand beside us when times are hard. And, yes, these are also the same people who often annoy and embarrass us. It’s all part of the fun that is the family.

These chilly autumn nights are the perfect time to gather the family together indoors and spend some much needed time just goofing off and singing until your heart’s content. Remember, it’s all about being thankful for the loved ones in your life. It’s not a karaoke competition at your local bar so don’t worry about your talent level (or lack thereof), forget about looking a little silly, and put your heart into it!

Now, at the risk of drawing the ire of those readers who hate going to the mall in the middle of November and seeing Christmas decorations everywhere, you have to admit that nothing says family like traditional Christmas songs. There’s also no better way to get the kids involved, so have at it!

There is nothing more important than family, and yes, that includes Uncle Bob who nobody ever wants to talk about for some reason. With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday be sure to let your loved ones know how much you care. After all, we all need a little love…

Enjoy these and thousands of other hit songs with Karaoke Cloud and Karaoke On VEVO, and be sure to check out the Sing-N-Share app due for release on iOS and Android mobile devices in the coming weeks.

Sing-N-Share: Putting the “#” in #merrychristmas

There is no medium more powerful than music when it comes to expressing our feelings to our friends and family. Social media has made it possible to do this pretty much anywhere and at anytime. Now Sing-N-Share is adding a personal touch by allowing users to not only share meaningful songs on their favorite social media site, but to record those songs in their own voice.

Think about it. Your job has forced you to move hundreds of miles from home and you can’t get the time off to visit for the holidays. Your husband or wife is in the military and deployed overseas through the first of the year. Are your loved ones more likely to appreciate an uploaded YouTube video of your favorite Christmas tune or the same song sung by you, personalized just for them, and posted to their Facebook wall for everyone to see? Sing-N-Share makes it easy to show those closest to you that you’re thinking about them regardless of where they are.

Since the Sing-N-Share app is 100% cost free to consumers, thanks to the fact that it is totally ad-supported by LiveRail, it also makes for a very cost-effective way to share your holiday greetings with friends and family all around the world. In an article posted on Investopedia.com, author Amanda Haury stated that according to the American Research Group “In 2011, the average American spent $646 on holiday gifts. In 2012, it is expected that the average American will be spending $854 in gifts for friends and loved ones.” Keep in mind that this was just the cost for gifts and did not include decorations, travel expenses, holiday cards, or food. It is unclear how much Americans will be spending in 2013, but if the trend continues it will be even more than last year. Sing-N-Share just might help cut the corners on that hefty budget so you don’t have a “Blue Christmas.”

The Sing-N-Share app will be available soon for both iOS and Android based mobile devices. In the mean time, be sure to check out Karaoke Cloud and KaraokeOnVEVO for more of your favorite Christmas carols and contemporary Christmas songs.