How to build a crowd of karaoke regulars

Treat a first-timer like a guest at a party you're throwing.

• Say hello first. A host who spots a new table and walks over with the songbook has made a good start.
• Explain the sign-up in one sentence. For example: "Write your name and song on a slip and hand it to me. You'll be up in about half an hour."
• Get them up early. A newcomer who waits past midnight for one song may not come back. Slot first-timers in sooner than strict order would.
• Set up the applause. Saying "it's her first time here, make some noise" turns a nervous three minutes into the best part of someone's week.
• Say goodbye too. Try "We're here every Thursday. See you next week?" Most people say yes to a direct invitation.

If they're stuck on what to sing, help them pick something forgiving. Our guide to easy karaoke songs is a good place to send them.

Few things sour a room faster than a list that seems to favor the host's friends. Regulars stay where the rules are simple and the same for everyone.

• Give one song per turn, and let everyone sing once before anyone sings twice.
• Add new arrivals to the end of the current round instead of the end of the night.
• Tell people roughly where they are in the order when they ask.
• If tips move people up the list, say so openly.

When someone does try to hog the mic, the rotation is your polite answer. You can say "you're back up after everyone's had a turn."

The fastest way to make a regular is to remember them. Learn the name by the second visit and the song by the third. Asking "Maria, are we doing the usual tonight?" tells a person they belong here.

Keep notes if your memory needs help. Write down who sang what and what went over well. A host who says "you crushed that one last month, try this" is giving a singer something they won't get from a night where nobody knows them.

Run the night on the same day at the same start time every week, including the slow weeks. A regular who shows up to a dark stage once starts checking before they come. A person who has to check will sometimes decide to stay home.

If you must cancel or move, say so early and everywhere at once. That means the door, your socials, your listing and whatever you use to reach your crowd directly. Then say when you're back.

A week is a long time. Your regulars have jobs and other plans, and a quick reminder can be the difference between "oh no, that was last night" and a full room.

• Pick one home base. Choose one place where the schedule is always right. It is easier to keep one place current than five.
• Send less than you think. One reminder and one note about what's special this week is plenty. People mute anything that feels like advertising.
• Make it two-way. Ask who's coming, and take requests for the next theme. A crowd that helped plan the night has a reason to show up for it.
• Say thank you. A photo and a thanks the day after reminds everyone how much fun they had.

Group texts and chat threads get noisy as a crowd grows. Newcomers can't find the schedule under a week of jokes. Our guide to promoting a karaoke night has a simple posting rhythm, and the caption list will save you the writing.

Give your regulars a role in the night. Let a regular open the show. Ask a confident singer to duet with a nervous one. Celebrate birthdays, and let the room pick a theme now and then. There are more of these in our karaoke night ideas.

Look after the people who never sing as well. Every room has a few who come to watch and cheer, and they are regulars too. They often bring the singers with them.