Mini karaokes hit China's starry-eyed spot

Customers sing at a mini karaoke booth in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, Feb 27, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Another reason behind the mini KTV fervor is the joy of sharing.

"Most mini KTVs allow you to record yourself and upload, so I can share the recording on WeChat and get a lot of 'likes' from friends," said Guo Hanyu of Shenyang, Liaoning Province.

Liu Wei, a professor with Jilin University, said that the mini KTVs put the user in control, which makes the process "a lot more fun and personal."

The interest has drawn a lot of investors. Prices of mini KTV booths range from about 10,000 yuan to 30,000 yuan.

If a machine runs 12 hours per day at 60 yuan an hour, cost is recouped in about a month. However, the reality is more complicated.

Besides cost, operators also have to pay fees to owners of the venues such as shopping malls and cinemas, but so far, at least 20,000 mini KTVs are in operation.

"In rush hour, customers have to wait in line," said a member of staff with Changchun Ouya New Life shopping mall in Changchun. "The machines are mostly used by young people and they are cleaned every day."

The government has caught wind of the machines. In a circular issued by the Ministry of Culture, authorities asked local departments of cultural management to strengthen supervision on the mini KTVs to avoid juvenile addiction.

"Demand drives development," said Liu Wei. "We should give new things enough space to develop, and allow it to evolve with the market."