How to Install the SongHub APK on Android — Step by Step

SongHub isn't on the Play Store, so you install it by downloading the APK and opening it — a process called sideloading. It takes about five minutes and it's completely normal for independent Android apps. Here's every step, plus fixes for the errors people actually hit. First, get the file: the latest build is v4.16.67 (~35.6 MB), and our download page has the verified copy on a mirror that actually completes — GitHub downloads have been failing for a lot of users. The homepage has the quick facts if you want the overview first.

Before you start

You need an Android phone or tablet running Android 6.0 or newer, about 100 MB of free space (the APK is ~35.6 MB and it needs room to breathe), and a browser that can download files — Chrome works fine. That's it. No account, no payment, no root.

Step 1: Download the APK

Open our download page and tap the download button. The file is songhub-karaoke-v4.16.67.apk, about 35.6 MB. Wait for it to finish completely — this is where most problems start, so check the size when it's done. If it's wildly smaller than 35.6 MB, the transfer broke: delete it and retry. Your browser will probably warn you that "this type of file can harm your device." That's the standard warning for every APK downloaded outside the Play Store, not a judgment on this file. Tap OK / Download anyway.

Step 2: Open the file

Pull down your notification shade or open your Downloads folder and tap the APK. Android will show an install screen with the app name and the permissions it wants. If this is your first sideload, Android will stop you with a prompt: "Install unknown apps" — it wants you to allow your browser to install apps. Tap Settings on that prompt, flip the toggle for your browser, go back, and tap Install. You only do this once; your browser stays allowed afterward.

Step 3: Grant storage permission

Open SongHub. The first thing it'll ask for is storage access — allow it. The app needs this for your song library, the songfiles, recordings, and the videos folder. This is the one permission that matters. If it asks for anything unrelated (contacts, SMS, location), deny it — the real SongHub has no business with those.

Step 4: Set up your songs

Out of the box, SongHub works with the prebuilt songfile sets (42,000-song new set or 48,000-song old set) that you can pull in from the app's settings. Your own files go in the SongHub folders on your storage: MIDI collections as .ZIP files in SongHub > songs (they get scanned automatically, no extraction), videos in SongHub > videos for MTV karaoke mode. Take the backup/restore option in Settings seriously once you're set up — it saves your whole configuration.

Troubleshooting: the errors people actually get

"App not installed"

The developer's own fix for this one: you have an old or modified SongHub on the phone. Uninstall every trace of it — including any "mod" or "premium" version someone gave you — then install the official build fresh. Modified APKs signed with different keys can never update to the official build; they have to go first.

Download stalls or never starts

This is the GitHub problem the whole hub exists to solve. If the releases page download dies, use our archive mirror — same official v4.16.67 file, hosted on the Internet Archive, verified byte for byte. If even that stalls, switch networks (Wi-Fi to mobile data or vice versa) and retry.

"Install blocked" / unknown sources confusion

Newer Android versions moved the toggle per-app instead of one global switch. If you can't find it: Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps, then enable it for the browser you downloaded with.

Activation questions

Since the October builds, SongHub needs activation — the developer added it because people were selling the app. Activation is free through the official process. On Android/Google TV, the easy path is the .lic file: get it, put it on USB or internal storage, tap Enter Karaoke, hit the .LIC button, and select the file. If you're stuck on a Cloudflare captcha during activation, the developer's troubleshooting notes point to the songhub-activation page: enter your HWID there, generate the file, and send it to your TV.

Melody sounds wrong on some songs

Go to Settings and change the Default Melody Channel to Channel 1 or Channel 4. That's the developer's documented fix.

Remote control from another device doesn't connect

Both devices must be on the same network/router — same Wi-Fi, or a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Remote Server Host runs on port 48081 by default. On very new Android versions, check for system restrictions on the remote server feature.

Updating later

When a new version ships, you don't need to uninstall first — install the new APK over the old one and your library, settings, and SongHub folder contents carry over. The one exception the developer names: if you're coming from 3.xx.xx or older, or from any modified build, do a clean uninstall-then-install. And keep an eye on the version history so you know what's actually new before you update.