Free online KAR to OGG converter

What the KAR format is

KAR is a karaoke file format based on MIDI. It stores musical note events, instrument assignments, tempo, and usually timed lyrics; it does not contain recorded singing or instrumental audio. Karaoke players such as vanBasco's Karaoke Player and KaraFun can display the lyrics while a MIDI synthesizer produces the accompaniment. KAR files are also created by karaoke authoring tools and MIDI sequencers that support karaoke lyric metadata.

What the OGG format is

OGG is a multimedia container commonly used with the lossy Vorbis audio codec. An OGG/Vorbis file contains rendered sound rather than MIDI instructions, so it can play on software that lacks KAR or MIDI support. Vorbis normally provides smaller files than uncompressed WAV at comparable listening quality; it is suitable for playback, sharing, and archiving a synthesized accompaniment, but it cannot preserve editable notes or independently display KAR lyric timing.

How to convert KAR to OGG

Using TiMidity++ and FFmpeg

1. Install TiMidity++ and provide it with a General MIDI soundfont or patch set. The selected instruments determine the sound of the rendered file.
2. Render the KAR performance to WAV:

timidity song.kar -Ow -o song.wav

If TiMidity++ rejects the .kar extension, make a copy named song.mid and run the same command on that copy; KAR is MIDI-based and the extension is sometimes the only compatibility issue.

3. Encode the rendered WAV as OGG/Vorbis with FFmpeg:

ffmpeg -i song.wav -c:a libvorbis -q:a 5 song.ogg

The -q:a 5 setting provides a medium-high Vorbis quality. Use a lower value for a smaller file or a higher value for less compression.

Using a graphical converter

A desktop application that supports both MIDI/KAR playback and OGG export can perform the same two stages through Open, selecting a MIDI soundfont or synthesizer, then Export or Render audio to OGG. Confirm that the program renders the file instead of merely changing its extension. You can also use the free converter on 101convert.com without installing software.

Quality and compatibility limitations

The result depends on the synthesizer and soundfont: different soundfonts can produce noticeably different instruments, drum kits, tempos, and effects. KAR lyrics are generally not included as visible or audible content in the OGG; they remain useful only in the original karaoke player unless the software burns them into a separate video or displays them during playback. Because rendering creates audio, the OGG cannot be converted back into the original notes, controller events, or lyric timing with full accuracy.

For further editing, keep the original KAR file and use WAV instead of OGG as the intermediate master. OGG/Vorbis is lossy, so repeated conversions reduce quality; render once from KAR and encode directly to the required bitrate or quality setting.