Karaoke Forums

Budget priced KJ are driving me nuts. People continue to under bid me by $100 or more. Turn over is great but bars are still unwilling to pay my price for the quality I offer. How can one better market themselves to bars?

You didn't say what the $100 difference is for so I'll assume it's a private party.  Nearly every posting I see about shows at bars state they don't pay much over $100-$150 for a 3-4 hour show which means you're possibily pricing yourself out of the market
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There are a couple things you need to examine.

1. What is everyone else charging?
2. What equipment to they offer when they do a show?
3. How many tracks do they offer? Real tracks, not duplicates.
4. What quality are the tracks they have? Are they cheap Numark discs or mostly Sound Choice, Chartbuster, and other quality manufacturers?
5. What else do they offer? Lights? Gimmicks? Fog?

Basically you need to do something you should have done long ago - market research.

If you market yourself in a way to show the differences and how you are better than your competitors then you can charge more.  But also keep in mind that there is a point of diminishing returns.  For example, if one company has a good cross section of professional equipment, can adjust the sound to the venue/singer, and has 10,000 tracks and you have top of the line professional equipment, can adjust the sound to the venue/singer, and have 20,000 tracks not everyone will say that's worth an extra $100.  I know one group of people that rented a machine and the Sound Choice party pak 1 & 2 for about $250 and they were happy with that.  Not everyone wants a full trellis of lights, fog, 10,000 watts and a 50,000 song library.

Alternatively, another thing you could is to offer a basic package cheaper, but upcharge for lights, fog,  additional libraries, etc.  You can also target groups that are willing to pay more but don't expect to get rich off of doing bar gigs.

this may be a touchy question but what are the going rates for events?

I have a Day job so I do this mostly for the fun of it.
but I do not do it for free or take someone elses KJ job away from them by sneaking in cheaper.
I get all my Jobs By people who have seen my show. My show is quite different than a Karaoke show but I do get hired for Karaoke at Bars, weddings and Home Parties.
For My Character show I charge $250.00 for 4 Hours thats non stop entertainment I have another singer fill in while I change costumes. My fill in singer does not charge me she does it just for the fun of it. ofcourse I take care of her in other ways....no not that ...I buy her drinks...

a Bar Karaoke for 4 hours is $125.00
home parties are $150.00
I ve only done one wedding at $175.00

My question is ....Am I too cheap or somewhere around the going rate?
or am I the guy you KJ's want to beat to a pulp?

be nice ......


Michael

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"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about."
Benjamin Franklin

Meister hit the nail on the head,  You need to compare APPLES to APPLES

No matter HOW good  your show is the market can only afford a certain dollar number for a specific type of gig.  Whether you are quoting a WEEKLY BAR GIG  or a Private Party  they require differant pricing .   Weekly Bar gigs in differant size VENUES require differant pricing ... If you're quoting a small to medium sized bar gig $125-$200 for mid week might be all you can ask.
$150-$300 for weekends ?  But if its a LARGE CLUB  with tons of people consistantly patronizing the place . Hey they should pay $250-$300 for a great show and sound system....

Now that it's not REAL early in the morning and I can think a little clearer....

Yes, apples to apples is exactly what I was trying to say.  Just because you have a DBX 166 for every mic, condensor mics, gold plated mic cords, 20" LCD's, and a 50,000 song selection means they'll pay any more than they do for the guy without compressors, PG-58 mics, cheap $4 mic cords, a 13" tv and a 10,000 song selection.

The most basic, fundamental rule of business is supply and demand.  It means that based on the number of KJ's doing shows in the area there is a limit to the amount people will pay for a basic 'standard' show.  If that number goes down then price can go up and vice versa.  My recommendation?  Start bumping them off so there are fewer of them and the price goes up! (Note: I don't condone murder or injurying them, it was meant to be taken as SARCASM! <---disclaimer in case you start whacking KJ's).

Private parties/home parties) I generally get anywhere from $250-$500
Bars anywhere from $150-$175
Weddings (karaoke at weddings - UGH!) anywhere from $400-$1000

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All prices are relevant and region bound. The prices you quoted might be good in your area, but that does not mean it's valid for all of the states. The cost of living and income index of the general population determine the price.

good point Allstar......glad to see ya posting again

I live in the Ohio Valley, and I'm only about 40 minutes from the Parkway (Robinson), or about 50 minutes from Pittsburgh...I charge $150 at bars.  You being in Pittsburgh should make at least that, or $200.  I know a guy around here who charges $200, but that's only because he's been doing it for years.

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"Life is the song, Love is the music"

I agree that all pricing varies region by region and demographic area by area.

I do believe that if the going rate for a steady 4hr bar gig is X$
And you are doing private parties like Annversaries /Birthdays/Reunions ETC.  (maybe not home parties) your rate should be at least 2x the rate.   So if your working steady at a gig making $150 .. A private party you should ask AT LEAST  $300
Not saying you shouldnt take a party for $250.  Of course it varies on circumstances and other variables. But a KJ/DJ should always get a good buck for private parties etc. Don't sell yourself short $$$$.

Ok, Guys at the time of my post I was tired and bent so I made it sort and vague. I have no issues with private party booking or pricing.

As far as bars go there are a wave of budget karaoke people raiding the Pittsburgh Area. They have average equipment, A decent libaray but it all burned, and they are happy with $75 - $100.

Weekdays I charge $200 for a 4 1/2 hour bar gig. Friday and Sat $250 I have enough work to keep myself busy, but because of these cheap kj's it's been a struggle becoming multi op. I have recently put a second system together and i would like to have it out more than 1 night a week.

My main system is JLB M-pro tops and M-pro 18" Crown amps, I run 2 pc's dell notebooks, have nice chauvett intidator scanners and few other lights on my rack. Shure 58 wireless mics Alesis midiverb processors, DBX drive rack, Dbx compressors/ gates for my mics. And 35,000 songs Mostly Sound Choice I have all the spotlight dics so that like 800 + the foundations and bicks the rest are pop hits, top hits, I have the dk set So all my music is quality.

My Second system I decent also JBL Eon's, Shure mics, Mackie mixer, Alesis Processor, Dbx drive rack. About 9000 song bigger mix of cd's but mainly sound choice.

So my second system isn't junk either. I would like to get $150 to $175 a night that way my KJ makes $100

I realize that these cheap kj's only last about 9 months max but everytime one falls antother come out of the wood work. I have bid 5 bars in the last 2 weeks and they all have heard what a show we have at our other bars. They say they will call, I drive past and karaoke is advertized on the sign and they have hired someone else. I confroneted the one owner, he said well this girl came in and said she would do it for $75 so i hired her. I asked have you heard her shows, again no but at the price i figure i would give her a try.

So the best thing I have come up with the first show is $50 so that owners can see the show. From there the min fee is $150

in my area, it wouldn't support $200 for a weekday... normal rate is $150, even for the best show in town! We have people who have some of the rarest collections you'd ever come across, and they can't GET gigs... due to all the competition.

The multi-riggers only make it worse!

Note that Matt is refering to the scum multiriggers w/ illegally burned discs or have acquired the tracks through other means.

That aside, I'd talk with them about having anyone they're considering come in and do two shows and you'll do two shows at the same rate the other person quoted.  Let them decide who they like better.  Offer to maintain that rate for a month or 6 weeks until the business picks up and you'll increase your price to the 'normal' rate at that time.  They get the advantage of having your quality show but not have to pay the 'normal' rate until they are able to take advantage of the increased business.

BTW, I'd never do it on % increase in revenue or anything loony like that.  A fixed increase in price to $x on specific date.

For steady bar work, I think $125-$175 is pretty normal in my immediate area.  I don't know what the bars downtown or in other regions pay, but I'd guess it's about the same for the most part.

For private parties (most of them are DJ only gigs), I keep it simple and charge $125/hour.  I'd say I'm priced about in the middle for this market.  The higher end outfits are mostly the very large, long established, heavily advertised DJ companies; I sometimes still subcontract for a few of them, but won't work for the fees they typically pay ($200-$250) since I use my own gear and music - I look to make about $500 when doing a wedding booked by another company.

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

Actually Meister, I'm really NOT!

Yes, we have some multiriggers that ARE what you describe.

But I've got one idiot up here that is a McDonald's kinda guy. He made one pretty successful enterprise... and then has duped it, telling the people what kind of library and equipment to get so that they basically get everything he's gotten... and then as a SEVEN (and working on EIGHT) KJ act, are doing 29 shows per WEEK.

Now that wouldn't bother me so much as I'd say he's done his hard work, he's bought the discs, he's providing basic good shows... but he's the main reason the bars won't go above a certain price. He's openly stated in his dealings that he does $25 an hour on weekday and $35 an hour on weekends...

The fact that I or many of my competitors up here can't get other gigs is because of them. Oh, and there are some of the $50 a night guys too... don't get me wrong. I thought I had another gig lined up, and was willing to give them an introductory six weeks where I worked up to my normal show rate... they won't even touch me due to all these $50 a night guys.

Last night... I was sitting at home... and I got a call from a gal that has been putting my cards into places. She was partying at the bar I'd thought I had a gig at. There were over thirty people there... all from the same group. And they were complaining to the manager on duty (not the guy I interviewed with) because they didn't have a DJ, a KJ, NO entertainment of any kind... and again, presented my card. The manager said, "Sure! Tell him to come on down, and we'll pay him $50 for the night and he can keep whatever tips he gets!"

I nearly threw my phone into a wall with frustration.

THAT's what it's like here. Either you have a company that's reputable, but has openly determined the rates for this town... many of the bars have heard about this, so they will NOT pay over his rates... or you have the $50 a night guys that are awful and have been burning out the bars... once they pay that rate, they never want to pay more than that.

I told the manager if he was so happy with the $50 a night guys why he wasn't still having karaoke? Sheesh! that's a no brainer! Pay next to nothing and have entertainment.

Well, turns out that they were using crap discs, or burns, and didn't have this, and didn't know sound very well, and their books weren't updated...

I told him that's what you GET when you hire amatuers... when you set the bar sooo low that's all you'll ever get. I told him I wouldn't unpack my rig for LESS than $125, and that's for mulitple nights with a solid commitment of at LEAST six months in place.

Bottom line: The experience and fortitude to pull of a good show with a great selection and updated books costs MUCH more than your crank addict shows. If you want an amateur hour, go for it. But don't come complaining to me that you're losing your customers.

At the very least, it was a tiny bit of pride when the gal that called me up was really pumping the guy for me... saying I have an awesome show, complete with videos, doing dj filler or upon slow singing nights mroe and more of the dj work... and that they would follow me to a club that DID sign me up. She said the manager kinda paled at that info. But did I get a call? Nope! It's enough to make you want to go postal.

Nice to see someone else feels my pain. Situation is similar everywhere I suppose.

it is, and that's why I don't biyatch about it... I can only do what I know how to do. put on the best show I can. I provide a service... nothing more, and no longer will I try to take it as a personal venture to help their business. If they want k-mart, they can go out and GET the stuff and hire their own kjs for min. wage! I'm through fighting!

Maybe it's time to start the brain Cells working on something "out of the box"
sit back and think of everything you like to see when your out for a good time.
add some karaoke with maybe an open mic .....a good DJ mix...video show...all combined...

I do a show that anyone of you Im sure can pull off....Im not the best but my show is entertaining and holds a crowd.

get your top singers and do a Ledgens karaoke show featuring different characters.
youll find most will do the show for free just to get up and sing....

3 or 4 songs a piece  in costume is very entertaining if you can get people who normally sing at your Karaoke shows.
change people each show to keep it fresh.

I found that doing my show the people I get to fill in while I change costumes get all their friends to come in to see them perform. between their friends (and my 2 friends) ....we have a great turn out for the bar.

Im not saying get away from Karaoke but when you need the extra cash and you want to blow some minds and be the talk of the town again think "out of the box".
the big DJ/KJ places here cant compare with my show cause all they have is dic spinners with no personality.....so I use my best singers and myself to produce a show no one else offers.

no more crying ...fight back

(pic's in photo gallery and my album)
Michael