ABSTRACT
Karaoke (KTV) In 1991, in the city of Guangzhou, the karaoke machine (KTV) made its debut in China; it quickly became one of the most popular Chinese pastimes and soon nearly every city or county had KTVs. KTV has become one of the three biggest social activities in China, along with going out to dinner and playing sports. In the following table (Chart 33.1), we present the estimated number of KTVs in major Chinese cities as of March 2013 according to dianping.com.1 (Note that the list is not comprehensive but is provided to give readers a sense of KTV’s popularity.)
In China, KTV customers are charged based on the number of singing hours, with extra fees for food and drinks. At a mid-level KTV establishment in Shanghai in July 2013, the cost for a private room for four people was RMB 58 per hour between 6 pm and 8 pm, Monday through Thursday. Since demand is highest between 8 pm and midnight, the cost for a small box increased to RMB 138 per hour. Sound and light effects can be adjusted on the box, and many choices of food and drinks are offered.
