RYAN Li, a 38-year-old supply chain manager and karaoke enthusiast, planned to celebrate his coming birthday in June at Party World (Cash Box) in Fuxing Park, a nostalgic venue where he had been going for 10 years.

But just before he was to make the reservation, the KTV, one of the first high-end in the city, was shut down, reflecting a changing landscape in the city’s entertainment business.

Karaoke is no longer the one and only entertainment. Additionally, the business has been heavily affected by an increasingly serious anti-corruption campaign that has cracked down on officials at state-owned companies who freely spend company money on entertainment.

A luxurious KTV club at Xintiandi started new promotions in April, partially in response to declining business after the campaign expanded.

But other changes are also pushing an ever-evolving industry.

“KTV business is very different today,” the manager of Fame KTV tells Shanghai Daily.

“It is no longer just about singing with friends in a private room. It is becoming a multifunctional private room for parties that are equipped with KTV facilities. You always have to catch up with the trend now since there are so many competitors,” says the manager, who asks that his name not be used.

“I’m not surprised that Party World finally shut down,” Li, the avid singing fan, says. “The facilities have been outdated. I kept going mainly out of habits and nostalgia.”

According to Party World’s management, the Fuxing Park branch was closed because a 10-year lease ended. Some of its other branches in the city were earlier closed or taken over by other KTV brands, but the one at Fuxing Park came as a surprise.

“It was the KTV to go when it first opened,” says Li. “I had only just started working and it was the legendary, luxurious place — said to have waiters kneeling down to serve you, with facilities close to professional standard.”

It was the first KTV venue Li ever visited. That’s also true for 35-year-old Lisa Zhang.

“It was very trendy to go to a KTV back then,” she recalls. “Thinking about it now, I was like ‘wow’ the first time I went there. I was genuinely stunned by the chandeliers, the different light modes, and the price!”

“Back then, there weren’t so many places for young people, except movies and game centers,” she says. “It was like discovering a new world. We always saved up to go to KTV every two or three months, and we were shocked by the price of beverage there!”

Zhang, then 23, didn’t dare to tell her parents she went to a KTV, fearing they would consider it an illegitimate hobby.

“They would probably have been shocked that I, a young woman, went to a KTV!” she says. “In their ideas back then, KTV equaled a place where men spend money to have young women singing and drinking with them. They would not have understood.”

Gradually, the business attracted so many consumers that a variety of chain outlets appeared, with prices ranging from 20 yuan (US$3.20) to 200 yuan per person per hour.

From B1

These brands competed fiercely against each other and started all kinds of KTV trends,  including a 3-hour flat rate, pay for a buffet and get karaoke for free, a flat rate for six hours from midnight to 6am, or bargain prices for morning sessions, among others.

Today, Zhang’s parents are also used to meeting with their friends at KTV stores and ordering food and drinks that are always more expensive than in the supermarket.

“You can definitely find more aged customers today who come for entertainment rather than business, which was extremely rare to see seven years ago,” says Charles Wang, who has worked at different KTV outlets for seven years.

“When I first started, the industry was still developing and there weren’t many differences among the brands, except some high-end ones like Party World,” he says. “Now, like other industries, each brand has its target — some go for low prices while others provide a larger selection of songs.”

Zhang herself spent more of her leisure time drinking at bars or hanging out with friends at desktop game venues than singing in KTV clubs. Other trendy venues today include billiard, chess and poker clubs and nightclubs, giving Shanghai the reputation as a city that never sleeps.

“We have more choices today,” says Zhang. “Even when we do go to KTV, it isn’t only about singing. It is about getting a private room to hang out with friends, where you can sing, play cards, dance, eat, drink or just chat. For the time being, it’s cheaper than many other places, and everyone can find something to do.”

In the past 10 years, the KTV business has developed so rapidly that no brand can stay long without upgrading constantly. While it was fun for Li and Zhang to just hear their own voice in a private room, today most KTV rooms are equipped with a touch screen ordering system, party mode that turns the room suddenly into a nightclub, and a small stage with a standing microphone so that anyone can become a star on stage.

“I love the standing microphone,” says Chinese-American student Michael Li, who is studying at Peking University. “Before I came to China, I was more used to KTV bars, where you have only one space with a stage in the center, so you can go up and sing to a crowd of strange people. Here, you get all these gorgeous private rooms, each with a stage that makes me feel like a rock star.”

Popular KTV boxes in Shanghai

Chun K

It is probably the hottest KTV box now. A room during prime time or on weekends is almost impossible without a reservation two or three days in advance. It is the venue that started the trend to have a standing microphone on a small stage in every room.

Address: 3/F, Area A, Sun Moon Light Plaza, 618 Xujiahui Rd

Tel: 3115-5888

Fame

The KTV club is renovated in a chic style with large and posh private rooms that have attracted many affluent young Chinese who value service and environment.

Address: 3/F, Xintiandi South Block, 123 Xingye Rd

Tel: 6384-9995

Party World flagship in Pudong

As one of the first KTV chains in the city, Party World has still kept some loyal fans who miss the good old times. The Pudong flagship is relatively new and better facilitated.

Address: B1, 1118 Pudong Rd S.

Tel: 6374-1111

Shanghai Ge Cheng

It is a popular venue among students for its reasonable price and extensive branches near universities.

Address: 11/F, 2-68 Nanjing Rd W.

Tel: 5152-0000