Karaoke Anywhere gives you access to a library of officially licensed karaoke songs. If you've ever done karaoke at a bar, the presentation is pretty similar: you hear a cover of the popular song you remember along with a screen of lyrics that slowly change colour to keep you on track of the tempo.
If reading lyrics off an iPad (or iPhone) doesn't sound like fun, the app features TV and video output capabilities. It can also record the songs if you want to embarrass the participants later!
Built-in effects can help you tweak the vocals a bit - handy when things get a bit sloppy late into the evening. Karaoke Anywhere is a free download that includes 200 well-known tracks - everything from Aerosmith to Wilson Pickett. If you want more - and you will - you can either subscribe to its unlimited streaming service (£6.99 per year) or you can pay per track.
3. djay
A sophisticated music player that helps you spin the perfect party mix
Price: £2.99 / $4.99 USD
Works with: iPad
Nothing sets the mood and tempo of a party like a music mix, and nothing brings down the vibe faster than hearing… nothing. That's where algoriddim's djay comes into play.
This is a one-stop shop to making music on your iPad, using an interface that looks just like a twin-turntable DJ deck. (A separate version has just been launched for the iPhone too (69p), but it's obviously easier to scratch away on the iPad's larger screen.
You load music from your iPad's music library and then crossfade, mix, scratch and add effects as you want. Automatic beat-matching will adjust each track for a smooth flow, and you can manage levels and a wide variety of effects like echo, flange, phaser, bit crusher and gate, to give your mix that club feel. You can also loop and adjust equalisation.
Live mixing is only part of what djay can do, though: if you'd rather talk with your guests at the party and hang out instead of spin discs, you can record a mix ahead of time and then play it back for your guests once they are there. Hey, if you've gone to all the trouble of organising the party, you should get to enjoy the beats, too!
4. Mixologist
Like having a bartender in your pocket, but you don't have to tip
Price: 69p / 99¢
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch
Unless you're a professional bartender, you might only know how to make a handful of cocktails. Digital Outcrop's Mixologist (also available in more limited free form as 'Mixology') fixes that by providing a searchable list of hundreds of cocktail and party beverage recipes ranging from Shirley Temples to Long Island Iced Tea jelly shots.
But cocktail recipes and a good search tool are only two of many items on Mixologist's impressive résumé. The app also lets you narrow your search depending on what you have in your liquor cabinet (whiskies are differentiated, so you can find recipes for scotch drinks separately from bourbon, as are flavoured and unflavoured vodkas) and what kind of mixers you have on hand (cordials, juices, mixes, sodas and other items are all included).
For the well-stocked boozehound, a 'random' feature lets you come up with a unique concoction you might have never tried (and might never try again, if it isn't nice…).
5. WeddingHappy
Get ready for the big day with organisational tools and social networking
Price: Free
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch
WeddingHappy is like having a hyper-organised wedding planner in your pocket. Give it the planned date for your nuptials and the app will do the rest, building a customised to-do list with suggested due dates that you can change to your liking.
