For those who are too shy to sing down their local pub or in front of strangers, a streaming service will soon be available for house parties, allowing everyone in the UK access to Sunfly’s vast karaoke library through their tablets, smartphones and TVs.
Dan Maidstone is Sunfly’s Head of Development and I began by asking him for a bit of background information about this exciting advance in home entertainment. “Sunfly is now the most famous karaoke brand in the world,” he explains, “and the streaming service brings it to a whole new audience – at home and on demand.
“For just £4.99 a month you get access to over 15,000 tracks. We have introduced some key features, such as being able to customise the font colour and size and the background. You can also save playlists of your favourite tracks or sing the most popular with our curated playlists.”
“The founder, John West, was a DJ working around the club circuit in the UK and Europe in the 1970s and ’80s,” he continues. “He discovered a karaoke machine and, realising its potential, started Sunfly Karaoke 25 years ago this week, in May 1991.
“When I joined, the company was just taking off and since then we have continually risen further than any of us thought possible. Our brand is so recognised now that some people have even got tattoos of our logo Sunny the Bug!”
Something of a global phenomenon in the 1990s, why is karaoke still so popular 20 years later? “Its popularity stems from the fact it’s fun and also great entertainment… Everyone loves singing along to songs in the car or shower, and karaoke is a step on from this.
“The advent of TV talent shows has also helped, along with technology that enables people to enjoy it on their tablets, computers and even smartphones. My favourite song to perform is that old classic ‘Wichita Lineman’ by Glen Campbell.”
Asked what the future holds for Sunfly, Dan muses, “We are always looking for new projects and interesting ideas. Currently we are building a new karaoke phone app which will be launching shortly.
“We have also branched out into working with original music and are developing a new platform called ‘Suena Box,’ so production companies can find pre-cleared music for use in film, TV or advertising.”
As highlighted at the start, the constantly expanding organisation is a quarter of a century old this year. How will Mr. Maidstone and his colleagues be commemorating their landmark anniversary?
“We will be celebrating with a party in the autumn but specific details are still to be confirmed,” comes the reply. “The aim is to thank all the people who have helped us become so popular over the last 25 years.”
Try the new service for free for seven days and then for only £4.99 a month by visiting www.sunflystreaming.com.
For more information, go here.
