If you are missing the classic experience of hanging out on a Saturday night with friends, a cold drink, and music videos playing on the big screen with lyrics/closed captions, the landscape has shifted a bit, but you can definitely still get it.
The issue with traditional cable music channels (like the basic Music Choice audio feeds) is that they often only display a static image of the artist and some trivia text, rather than the actual music video or lyrics.
To get actual
music videos with synced lyrics or closed captions, here is exactly where you can find them:
1. Vevo TV Channels (Free Live Streaming)
Vevo has moved heavily into the FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) market. Instead of just searching individual videos on YouTube, you can stream dedicated, 24/7 linear Vevo video channels (like
Vevo 80s,
Vevo 90s,
Vevo Pop, etc.) that play continuous music videos.
- Where to find it: You can watch these live video channels for free through apps like Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Vizio WatchFree+, and Sling Freestream.
For Lyrics: Turn on the Closed Captions (CC) built into whatever streaming platform or smart TV app you are using to display the lyrics on screen.
2. The Music Choice Smart TV App (Paid or Free with Cable)
If you want the actual music videos from Music Choice rather than just the standard background trivia screen, you need to use the dedicated
Music Choice App. The app gives you access to full music videos and video channels that aren't always available on the basic linear cable audio channels.
- Where to find it: Available on Apple iOS, Android/Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TVs, and Vizio.
- How to access: If you already have a TV provider that includes Music Choice, you can log in with your cable credentials to use the app for free. Otherwise, they offer a standalone subscription for around $3.99/month.
3. XITE (The Ultimate TV Music Video App)
If you haven't tried
XITE, it is essentially the modern-day gold standard for music videos on a television. It operates like a personalized MTV or Music Choice, dedicated entirely to full-quality music videos.
- Where to find it: It has a fantastic smart TV app available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and most smart TVs.
- Why it's great: It allows you to choose from over 300 themed video playlists, search a massive catalog, and mix your own video channels by genre or era. You can use standard CC/subtitles for lyrics.
4. YouTube & YouTube Music (The Manual Karaoke Route)
Since YouTube Music wasn't quite what you expected, the trick for a party setting is actually using the standard
YouTube app on a Smart TV or Apple TV and utilizing search strings.
- Instead of just searching for an artist, search for "[Song Name] music video lyrics" or "[Song Name] karaoke".
- Alternatively, if you play an official music video on the standard YouTube TV app, hitting the "cc" button on the player controls will bring up the captions for singing along.
A quick tip on Geoblocking: If you are trying to access US-based services like the full Music Choice app or certain Vevo streams while abroad (or using regional accounts), you will likely need a reliable VPN set to a US server to bypass the region locks.
