How to Judge a Karaoke Contest
The problem with judging karaoke is that "who was best" collapses into "who was loudest". Splitting the score into criteria fixes that in one move.
Four criteria that work
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Pitch | Hitting the notes |
| Timing | Staying with the track |
| Stage presence | Holding the room |
| Song choice | Suits the voice and the crowd |
The 1-to-10 scale
Score each criterion out of 10 and total for a mark out of 40, or average for a mark out of 10. Judges naturally cluster between 6 and 9, so tell them in advance that 5 is average and the full range is available — otherwise everyone finishes on 7.
Rules worth setting in advance
- One song per contestant, same length limit for everyone.
- Drop the highest and lowest judge score when you have five or more judges.
- Duets score as one entry, not two.
- Announce the criteria before the first song, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Three is the minimum for a usable average; five lets you drop the extremes. Always use an odd number to avoid deadlock on a direct comparison.
Audience voting rewards whoever brought the most friends. If you use it, cap it at a fixed share of the total — say 20% — so it colours the result without deciding it.