El karaoke empieza ahora con la cola de canciones.

Spanish often uses the definite article with nouns where English might not.

Here, el karaoke means the karaoke as an event or activity. In context, it sounds like a specific karaoke session that is about to begin.

Also, karaoke is treated as a masculine noun in Spanish, so it takes el:

• el karaoke
• un karaoke

You could sometimes hear karaoke without an article in very general statements, but in this sentence the article sounds natural.

Empieza is the 3rd person singular present indicative of empezar.

So:

• empezar = to begin, to start
• empieza = it begins / it starts

The subject here is el karaoke, which is singular, so the verb is singular too:

• El karaoke empieza... = The karaoke starts...

A useful point: empezar is a stem-changing verb in the present tense:

• yo empiezo
• tú empiezas
• él / ella / usted empieza

The e changes to ie in most present-tense forms.

Because empezar is an e → ie stem-changing verb in the present tense.

So the stem empez- changes to empiez- in most forms:

• yo empiezo
• tú empiezas
• él/ella empieza

But not in nosotros and vosotros:

• nosotros empezamos
• vosotros empezáis

This is something you simply have to learn with the verb, because it is a common pattern in Spanish.

Yes, ahora can move around.

In this sentence:

• El karaoke empieza ahora...

that placement is completely natural and means the karaoke starts now.

You could also say:

• Ahora empieza el karaoke...
• El karaoke ahora empieza...

But the most natural options are usually:

• El karaoke empieza ahora
• Ahora empieza el karaoke

Word order in Spanish is often more flexible than in English, especially with time words like ahora.

Here, con means something like with or starting with, and la cola de canciones refers to the queue of songs waiting to be sung.

So the phrase suggests that the karaoke is beginning with the song queue, meaning the songs that are already lined up.

In practical terms, it implies something like:

• the karaoke starts now,
• and it starts with the songs already in the queue.

In a karaoke context, this is understandable because people often put songs into a waiting list.

Because de is the normal way in Spanish to link one noun to another when the second noun describes the type, content, or category of the first noun.

So:

• cola de canciones = queue of songs
• lista de invitados = guest list
• vaso de agua = glass of water

Using para would change the meaning. Para canciones would sound more like for songs, which is not the intended idea here.

So de canciones means that the queue is made up of songs.

Yes. In Spain, cola is a very common and normal word for queue or line.

Examples:

• Hay mucha cola. = There’s a long queue.
• Estamos en la cola. = We’re in the queue.

This is especially useful to know because regional usage varies:

• In Spain, cola is very common for queue.
• In some parts of Latin America, fila may be more common.

Also, cola can have other meanings, such as tail, so context matters.

Yes. Comienza is also correct.

• empieza = starts / begins
• comienza = starts / begins

Both are common, but empezar often feels a little more everyday and conversational.

So these are both fine:

• El karaoke empieza ahora...
• El karaoke comienza ahora...

The meaning is basically the same.

It is using the present tense, but in Spanish the present can often refer to something happening right now or immediately about to happen.

So empieza ahora can mean:

• it starts now
• it is starting now
• it’s about to begin now

This is very normal in Spanish. English also does something similar sometimes:

• The show starts now.

So even though the verb is simple present, the sense is very immediate.

It can mean the activity, the event, or sometimes the karaoke place/system, depending on context.

In this sentence, el karaoke most naturally refers to the karaoke session/event.

So here it is not just the machine itself. It means something like the karaoke part of the evening, or the karaoke activity that is beginning.

It is understandable, and the grammar is fine. A Spanish speaker would understand it.

That said, depending on the exact context, some speakers might choose slightly different wording, for example:

• El karaoke empieza ahora con la lista de canciones.
• Ahora empieza el karaoke con las canciones en cola.
• El karaoke empieza ahora; vamos con la cola de canciones.

Why? Because cola de canciones is understandable, but it is a bit context-dependent. If you are talking about songs waiting their turn, it works. If you mean a fixed song list or catalogue, lista de canciones might sound more natural.

So the original sentence is valid, but there are other natural ways to express the same idea.