How this works: a .kar file is an ordinary Standard MIDI File. This page reads the raw MIDI data directly in your browser tab — parsing tracks, tempo changes, and the lyric text events — and never uploads the file anywhere.
Two lyric conventions: modern files use a dedicated "Lyric" meta-event per syllable. Older "Soft Karaoke" files (the ones that gave .kar its name) instead store lyrics as generic text events, using a leading / to mark a new line and \ to mark a new line and a new page. This page reads both.
Troubleshooting
My file won't open at all
A .kar/.mid file starts with an "MThd" header chunk. If this page can't find that, the file isn't a Standard MIDI File, or it's corrupted — try re-downloading it.
It opened, but there are no lyrics
Not every .mid file has embedded lyrics — plenty are purely instrumental. This page reports how many lyric/text events it found; zero means the file itself doesn't contain any.
Can I hear the song play here?
No — this page only reads the lyric text and its timing, it doesn't synthesize audio. The preview highlights lines at the correct moments using a timer, silently. To hear the song, open the file in a MIDI player or karaoke player.