11 Ways to Make Your Caroling Sound Better

Caroling may be a forgotten part of getting into the holiday spirit, but with a whole host of modern innovations set to bring this sweet tradition into the 21st century, we’re confident you’ll want to set aside an evening to serenade your neighbors.

1. Add Backing Music

If going a cappella feels too daunting, there are a number of karaoke-style apps out there specific to holiday songs. Not only will they provide a piano track to back your vocals, these apps will make sure you don’t slip up on the lyrics to your favorite festive tune. This Christmas Carol Songbook app comes with the music and lyrics to 40 different songs.

2. Keep Your Pipes Warmed Up

You’ll sound better if you’re not parched and freezing. Before you head out, heat up a batch of mulled cider for the night ahead and pour it into a thermos that won’t let it cool off, even if you’re committed to spreading cheer late into the night.

3. Enlist a Little Artificial Help

Just because you can’t sing particularly well doesn’t mean you can’t be a star. In fact, you can be a whole musical group, complete with backup singers, all on your own with devices like Singtrix that allow you to enhance, correct, and add effects to your voice while singing along to any music in your phone or tablet library. It’s not the most portable, but it’s a great excuse to have friends over for a caroling party.

4. Keep Track of Time

When you’ve got a whole group of carolers in tow, it’s important to keep everyone on the same tempo. It’s hard to improve on the classic metronome, but since toting one with you is a chore, a metronome app is the perfect stand-in.

5. Keep Your Fingers Warm and Functional

All these great accompaniment apps will do you no good if your fingers are too cold to leave your pockets. Touch-screen compatible gloves are becoming standard on the market, but these Etip Gloves from Northface offer a range of sizes for superior fit and silicon palms to keep your phone in hand.

6. Make Sure You Warm Up

If you’re aiming to wow your neighbors with your surprisingly soulful singing voice, you’ll need proper preparation. Practice like the pros with this Singing Vocal Warmups app that lets you choose the range, scale pattern, and tempo so you can tune your individual tone.

7. Have the Warmest Ears on the Block

It’s always easier to sing along than it is to strike out on your own; that’s why you sound so good rocking out to the radio in your car. Give yourself the same effect without compromising the integrity of your fellow carolers with KitSound Audio Earmuffs that not only keep your ears warm but also house headphones.

8. Stay in Tune

All of the tricks and tech in the world won’t make your carols lovely if you can’t stay in tune. Pitch Pipe+ has features for tuning guitars and accompanying a cappella groups, and it also has a virtual version of that old standby, the chromatic pitch pipe.

9. Host a Virtual Caroling Party

Smule’s karaoke app lets you sing karaoke with artists all around the world, and during the holiday season you can use it to get a virtual caroling group together. Better yet, it comes with voice-enhancing technology to fool your faraway relatives about your singing prowess.

10. Send Along a Holiday Recording

If your album isn’t dropping until the New Year, Smule also has an interface that lets you build a holiday Sing!-A-gram so you can send loved ones a prerecorded version of your favorite carol. Add a message and pick a festive design for an innovative holiday card that will stand out from the pack.

11. Use the Right Mic

If you decide to go the virtual route, ensure you’re still getting top-quality sound by using a smartphone-compatible microphone to capture your song. Sound like you’re really there and feel like a rock star during recording.

With Intel® RealSense™ snapshot, photos of your caroling will look as good as you remember your voice sounding, and you’ll even be able to refocus your shots after a night of wassailing. Learn more here: intel.com