Karaoke Forums

Hey, I just sent you an email and forgot to list my email address...

musicalcruiser@hotmail.com

Thanks for any assistance you can provide on these CDGS!!

It sounds to me that the entire issue is LISCENSING. If you go to the BMI/ASCAP and that agency website it gives VERY clear explanations about what is required to either DUPLICATE, RECORD, REPRODUCE  or Manufacture recordings, videos, etc. Goes into Mastering, Mechanical reproduction liscensing etc and particularly for COMMERCIAL PURPOSES

We have to separate COMMERCIAL from PERSONAL use. As I understand it FAIR USE laws allow PRIVATE INDIVUALS to make a copy and transfer onto other formats for thier own personal use(ie a kids IPOD)

When it becomes for PUBLIC COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE PURPOSES(IE a show, performance-karaoke or otherwise) then it ceases to be PRIVATE USE and becomes a COMMERCIAL PURPOSE then all the liscencing and reproductions laws come into play.

To my mind in a COMMERCIAL context, anytime you transfer a song to another machine/tape/Hardrive/Cavs etc then it is no longer under PERSONAL use. It is for COMMERCIAL GAIN and you have now made a REPRODRUCTION that would be subject to either MECHANICAL or MASTERING liscensing.

So for a KJ out in the field, what written proof is provided them that they are purchasing a Harddrive, CAVS etc that has ALL its songs with actual authorized liscening?  Simply the verbal assurance from the seller, website, supplier, etc??
Or do they provide an actual written compliance, certification or other verification statement that ALL the music material on these machines complies with
liscensing??? Are you buying stolen/bootleg material? Or do you have clear written PROOF that its all legally liscened and reproduced??

So the next question---what kind of liability does all this put the bars, KJ's, operators
into?? If you extrapolate the ramifications of all this--it can reach down to the very foundations of the Karaoke industry.

Are record companys going to start coming after us like they did with people pirating off of KAZAA and Bearshare getting hit with lawsuits???  I do know in my area ASCAP/BMI has been bringing lawsuits against bars that were not in compliance with BMI/ASCAP for performing recorded music.

My take on where we the  KJ's would stand is this---IF we are using ONLY ACTUAL CD's, DVD's, LASER DISC and they are orginal store bought and NOT BURNS, then we ought to be safe---we purchased them from large established distrutors IN GOOD FAITH UNDER ASSUMPTION THAT WE WERE PURCHASING LEGAL LISCNED PRODUCTS. HOW WOULD WE KNOW OTHERWISE?  As to those with pre-loaded harddrives, or uploaded CAVS or other devices, then I would be concerned.

Just my read.

Food for thougth.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

According to Chris, a salesman at SC who seems to be very knowledgeable, SC must pay a royalty for every track, in advance of any sales, based upon sales estimates contrived by the publisher's rep.  FURTHERMORE, if they use the same track on a different disk, they must pay all over again!

Although I understand that format shifting is illegal, I really doubt that they, the manufacturers are going to waste their money in pursuing one to one format shifting.  They are more interested in the multiriggers running multiple systems with the exact songs on each with only one copy of originals. But if you wish to be safe on format shifting, you'll have to limit yourself to Zoom and Top Hits Monthly.

Swingcat sounds like all of the disc users that are afraid of legitamit PC based Karoke Hosts.  
Just my tke on the issue.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

I dont believe it will be KARAOKE DISC MFR's that would be doing any kind of liscencing action. I would think it would be original MUSIC manufactures that would be pursuing this---like Capitol, Decca, MCA etc etc. As I understand it several karoake CD's have been pulled out of production due to liscencing issues.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

I have NO FEAR of any other persons assortment equipment system/show/style etc etc. They do not concern me from a competition aspect. I may admire them, wish i mine were as large or diverse...........but afraid of them.......Hardly!

Where I DJ at the gear is SOOOOOO ANTIQUATED that its a moot issue.

What i am concerned with is potential trouble from disc labels coming after KJ's for "Piracy" "Copyright" "Liscensing" issues. I know MANY KJ's that are operating lappies/cavs/hardrives...a number of them are my friends/associates/aquantances or Ive done gigs for them as fill-in. My concern is how this will impact them or others in the field and the industry in general.

As far as the computerized equipment...I love it---its nifty, and neat gadgetry. But is it worth the investment cost, installation work, training learning curve effort to me at this time??----No.

As to assortments. I have yet to invest in lappy/ HD equipment. At this time Im completely OLD-SCHOOL---lasers/CDG only, even my main wired microphone is an old-school silver mic.

My "Manual Loading System" (by hand) is fast, efficient, easy to maintain and doesnt require a lot of upkeep.  And givin the potential legal liablities I wont be investing computerized/cavs in the forseeable future.  Any investing will be done in aquireing upgrading sound equipment.

_________________
"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

stolen laptop from my competition here in KC, MO... so if you guys hear of anything, let me know!!

Stolen Laptop---one more reason Im not so keen on going laptop.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

meeeeee too! Also, harder to work on, parts are more expensive, not so easy to fix on the fly as with a desktop or rackmount...

fergit that!

Again MATT------------THE voice of COMMON SENSE, LOGIC and REASON!!

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

When I come through town it looks like Clint Eastwood went by.   The competition is laying around all over the place.  :wave:  :shock:  :O    

"In all of the confusion about all of your duplicated hard drive songs, I forgot how crappy your system really sounds.    So I really don't remember if I took over 5 or 6 of your shows.   Being that I have the best karaoke system in town and it could easily blow you clean out of the business, you have to ask yourself one question... Do ya feel lucky punk????    Well do ya....."    LMAO  LMAO  LMAO

Did anyone find my lunch?

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You can be strange but not a stranger

I think it's mixed in with mine... all over the sidewalk!

MAKE MY DAY......

Hi guys. I'man old newbe. I am getting into it for my sister.
She sings... I cant. My question to you is
If I happened to have the biggest collection of tracks in the world...
would as much as 5% of them ever get played.
I live in the UK, and when I watch karaoke, it seems like the
same people are getting up singing the same collection of
songs week after week.
Makes me feel I could run karaoke with 500 songs.
You guys have done it. how does it work for you.

Every bar has their own collection of singers.      At each bar the different singers will sing different songs, so you will need more than 500 songs.

If you were to be able to choose your customers and purchase just what they sing and you never got a new customer then yes 500 may do it.

Chances of that happening are astronomical

2500 songs (no dupes) carefully selected for a specific age groups could probably do it as long as you stay with that group.

I have almost 11,000 w/no dupes and do a decent job of hitting all the bases. The only time I get stumped is on heavy metal, and Rap unless someone is asking for music that is not main stream.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Yes the chances are fairly good that you could run a successful show with 500-1000 songs - carefully chosen (but which would those be?)  What works in one place me be totally opposite of what will work at another.  Many singers now days look at a book size as well as how a show is successful or not - the experienced singers, not so much - the experienced singers know the difference from quality over quantity.  But on the other hand, if you have a large selection (hopefully it's a legit library), why not allow those singers to see it?  I don't have what you'd call a large selection, but it's over 10K now - carefully chosen, no duplicates & I get people all the time coming in saying I have this when so & so don't & they SEEM to have everything.  I no longer buy just to be the first to have something because I found that 99.9% of the time, most of the songs that were bought to be first, sit on the shelf longer (if not forever) than a disc that was bought because it was highly requested.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Agreed!  I too used to think I had to have everything coming out.  Nope.  Closing in on 10k with no dupes and am much more selective.

Kelly

OK you guys. I was brought up in Liverpool England. Loved the 60's.
Met a girl in Bolton Lancashire. Went to live there.
My friends warned me... (cos I had friends in those days)
Told me... Bolton is only 35 miles away, but put your watch back.
Seriously... put it back 100 years.
They are so stayed in their ways.
I sing this song... I always will sing this song. What do you mean I cant sing.
I'll rip your f'in head off. Week after week after £"^%$ week.
I'm 35 miles from Liverpool. 7 Miles from Manchester. Only 200 miles from London.
Go in a club... You cant sit there. Martha always sits there. Someone get the club secetry. He cant sit there. OY the meat pies have come...
You seriously think I cant get away with 100 Karaoke tracks.