Build up your confidence.

Go for the unexpected. Sometimes it’s fun to play against stereotypes, whether it’s a shy singer tackling Sisqo’s “Thong Song” or someone very gruff belting out Swift’s “Shake It Off.”

Avoid long songs. They can be repetitive. Hinde said to look up a song’s length — no more than five minutes — before you choose it: “No one wants to listen to you stumble through six minutes of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ and a lot of karaoke spots won’t even allow you to sign up for ‘American Pie.’”

Sing what you like. “People feel that energy, people feel your happiness when you’re singing something you love,” Park said.

Practicing karaoke doesn’t require taking lessons or doing vocal exercises. Sing your song in the car and in the shower. Or do what Jones did: Perform the same song until you’re comfortable.

Relax. “Movement helps with singing,” Cabrera said. Sway a little and don’t be too stiff. Also, if it makes you nervous to think of people watching you, just don’t make eye contact.

Ask the crowd for help. “I’d sing Bryan Adams’ ‘Everything I Do (I Do It for You),’ but then there’s a bridge where he goes really high, and I knew I could sing the song well, up until that point,” Jones said. “So even before I would get to that part, I’d just be like, ‘All right, guys, this is all gonna come crashing down. I need your help.’ And then, I’d point the mic at the crowd, and they’d all sing it for me.”

Have fun. Cabrera wants singers to remember that karaoke is about community. “Yeah, there are really good singers at karaoke,” she said. “But everyone’s there to support you. Everyone’s there to cheer you on.”