Extract text from Humdrum and karaoke files (KRN)
To convert KRN karaoke files to another format, you need Humdrum Toolkit or other Text software.
To convert other file formats to the "Musical Score Notation" file type, you need software like Humdrum Toolkit or a similar tool.
The .KRN file extension represents two distinct musical formats that often confuse users due to their specialized nature.
The most common technical use is the Humdrum Toolkit notation format. These are ASCII text files used in computational musicology to represent musical scores with extreme precision (pitch, duration, beams, and editorial markings).
The Problem:
While powerful for analysis, .KRN files are unreadable to standard media players and completely incompatible with mainstream DAW software like Ableton Live or notation tools like Sibelius. They are strictly research-oriented text data, not playable audio.
The Solution:
For listening, convert .KRN to MID (MIDI). For sheet music printing, convert to PDF or XML (MusicXML) to open in MuseScore or Finale.
Less frequently, .KRN files are legacy karaoke containers associated with Karaoke Player (linked to KaraFun). These files synchronize lyrics with backing tracks.
The Problem:
This format is largely obsolete and proprietary. Modern players prefer .MP3+G or KFN files. You likely cannot open this file on a smartphone or smart TV.
The Solution:
Convert these to standard MP3 for audio playback or TXT to extract the lyrics.
Convert.Guru analyzes your KRN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SPU, MKF and CKF files.
If you want to convert KRN file to , you can use Humdrum Toolkit or similar software from the "Musical Notation & Karaoke" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to KRN, try Humdrum Toolkit or another comparable tool in the "Musical Notation & Karaoke" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our KRN converter.