Karaoke Forums

I agree with you 100%. I run VERY successful shows without SC products, so why would I need KaraokQ?

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Allen: I was also skeptical but... look at the bigger picture here

1) yes there is a Bump feature
But there is also a "Tip The DJ" that I feel will be used much more than the Bump feature due to the fact that we are Awesome at what we do as a karaoke host.

2) free world-wide advertising of my events and showtimes.
3) GPS location services with Map Guidance that sort showing the closest venue to your location
4) Cross platform (IOS, ANDROID) Digital Songbook requesting station that works even when your closed. You set the times in the back office for when you want to "Close"
5) Automatic integration when used with Karaoki software.
6) Check in system letting DJ know There is a Party on the way.
Free Advertising Videos provided at no additional cost that play just like a song or commercial.
7) I see a few Facebook / Twitter style features such as "Follow the dj/Venue"
Invite friends, etc...
9) best of all, Just like the NAPSTER thing... Publicity

I'm sure there are a few more features available in the back end such as analytics, reporting along with a database of your singers, etc...

all this for 25% But then again The KARAOQ360 is better yet
because for 129.00/month you get it all...
1) New software provided by PCDJ.
2) Licensed music Provided by and integrated DIGITRAX
3) KaraokQ stuff integrated.

Then put out a tip jar... and mail ME 25%... and I'll tell you how awesome you really are.

The people in Mexico and Canada will no doubt rush to your show.... if they can get past the Russians, Egyptians, Brazilians and Chinese.
but what if my competitor is "closer?" Guess where they all get sent then?
-.... contrary to popular belief, the world does not revolve around picking out a karaoke song 24/7.
So what?
So? What do you think the DJ is going to do? Tell them not to come?
I don't need a commercial "about me" at "my show".... I'm already there... and I don't need anyone else's commercials shoved in either.
Whoopie-do.... nothing worth anything here.
What is "etc?" Could it be "uninvite friends?" Another useless feature because my friends already know where I am.
I'm not paying someone else 25% for "publicity" under any circumstances.



There's nothing that they can do that I can't do myself and KEEP the 25%.

OK, so where is the support and advertising for your 25%?

If its inside your bar, we got that down years ago... we have signage from beer companies, etc that have has provided FREE in house advertising for us, as long as they can put the company logo on it and its there 24/7. Any bar that doesn't do this to promote its own karaoke night already?

I haven't anything about this product outside of this chat board. They will need to launch a major campaign to get people interested in the product so you can get those referrals. Have you seen that yet? What is their advertising strategy? How are THEY working for YOU and that 25%?

The truth: YOU are working to get people on THEIR system, and paying them 25% to do it! Most likely you are going to be the 'face' of their product. The people will download their app at YOUR show to be able to use your system. Then you have just handed off your most valuable asset to this company: Your singers! Not doing a show on a night that others are? You just advertised for the guy across town! Do you get a cut for sending business his way because they downloaded the app at your show? Probably not. Someplace closer that is doing the exact same thing as your show? They might go there instead.

Yes you might get some new faces, but we all get that anyway. Good karaoke nights tend to attract attention. You can place your own tip jar out, and keep 100% of the tips, and implement anything this program does without having to pay the fee for it.

Is it worth 25% of your take? I don't think so.

Hugo Drax accused me of not supporting progress and innovation. I spent 18 years at Microsoft doing exactly that. I also - JUST YESTERDAY - interview for a position at the Microsoft Executive Briefing Center to do Executive level presentations which would include presentations at the Microsoft Innovation Center.

What the KaraoQ/Digitrax/KaraokI consortium doesn't seem to register is that I want their product to succeed. This industry could use some innovation. They just have to really understand it from the HOST perspective (bottom up) instead of their Top Down approach.

This is version 1.0 of the product. It will get better. But they have to listen to their existing and POTENTIAL customers. Right now it's a stinker IMO and not even feature complete. But the biggest issue is their version of the Microsoft "better together" story -- You can only realize all the potential and financial gains if you use ALL 3 products. That is a big investment and HUGE risk for single ops and multi-ops alike.

I totally understand their sensitivity to criticism. I had to sell Windows Vista and after that Windows 8. I had to convince companies to spend MILLIONS of dollars to bet on those products even when I knew their were flaws and lots of reasons not to take the risk. Talk about being beat up!

But I also took customer feedback directly to the product groups and fought to get the developers to make the changes the customers wanted. If the customers want it, they buy it, my Microsoft stock goes up, I get paid.

If this trifecta of businesses - and to be fair, I think it is really just KaraoQ that needs to be making major changes - if they want to be successful, they have to put on a bullet-proof vest and listen.

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-Chris

I see your point... Back in 2008 my husband worked at Microsoft in the Corporate level Licensing department... his main role was to educate Corporations big and small on what they needed and then direct them to MS resellers.

KaraoQ Will need to be prepared to educate and assist customers in the need for their products/services offered but we as customers need to also realize that services in this day and age, do not come free.

I truly enjoyed reading this... It's like trying to sell an eskimo a heat pad when you know they have fire available now.

And that's the thing... We don't need their products. I've gotten along just fine all these years without them. I don't need to pay them 25% of my earnings for the same things I can do for free.

Well, I can't do world wide GPS. Just think how many customers I'm losing from Italy, Spain, Russia, Germany, etc. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to suffer the loss of these customers.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Just so we are all on the same page, It's not really 25% of our earnings (as in taking a cut from our pay) The service they offer is just a feature within the software that puts it out there. Kind of like Paypal offering a service and taking a cut from earnings made from using their service.

if that feature was not there, then you would pay nothing. but if some guy tipped you 100.00 for a great show as a DJ host then 25% kick back on that service is pretty fair.

If you reverse the facts, then basically, KaraoQ is paying you 75% of earning from using their software.

Here is another example with itunes store and a developers app. Itunes keeps 35%-50% of all app sales but on a good note, the developer still keeps 50% from earnings brought in from that app.

Oh yet another example: a waitress makes tips everyday but yet still has to tip out the bartender 20% and also back of house 5% because their services led to her getting the tips.

Are we all getting the "kid rock & Sheryl crow" picture now?

at this point everyone group sings "I can see clearly now..."

How is that fair? Was KaraoQ running the show? Did they provide the entertainment? Did they do anything other than stand next to your tip/bump jar and take out money every time a patron put in money?

Then I don't need their software. I can use something else and keep 100% of my earnings.

This isn't a good example. The developer "manufacturers the product" and it is the responsibility of iTunes to market it, complete the transaction and their "fee" is derived from the work they do. KaraokQ does nothing for you... YOU have to get the customers -- the venues -- and then get singers. This software doesn't do that for you.

Their "services" did NOT "lead to her getting tips" at all. Her service to the clients got her the tips. The "tip out" to the bartender and barbacks insures that she has the product to deliver to patrons.

There NOTHING that this software does that you have to rely on to perform your job -- and perform it well. You still get tips and if you want, you can charge for bumps if you want to sell them too.
(1) You don't have to rely on this software for your music -- you already have that.
(2) You don't have to rely on them for a songbook -- you already have that. And even an app for a smartphone.
(3) You don't have to rely on them to get you gigs -- they don't do that anyway.
(4) You don't have to rely on them for "worldwide advertising" you can put it on the net yourself.

But they have to rely on you to be in a karaoke club to start with.... and they'll collect the name and address of every person that leaves a tip or pays for a bump.... of YOUR customers..... through their phone and there's nothing to prevent them from marketing something else to them directly without your knowledge.

Do you really want to give away your customer contact information... and pay them 25% for the privilege? They should be paying you a commission, not collecting a fee.


Nope.... that's not ever gonna happen.

This is a very good point you just mentioned, about the privacy of singers that are databased and made available to KaraoQ, Lets make this #1 question at their next summit.

I'm greatful for you to have said this, that thought has never crossed my mind.


This quote taken from source: https://karaoq.com/privacy-policy/

Is anyone else reading what i'm reading? I hope KaraoQ reads their privacy Policy and makes the appropriate changes.

Basically what I see is that the personal information does get shared unless told otherwise from the individual or by law. Hmmmmm. sounds like same thing mentioned 4 times.

If the software/company FOUND me several new gigs and set me up in them, then I'd gladly pay out 25% every time I did those show as a kickback. THAT's making me money.

If a guy give YOU a $100 CASH tip because YOU are a great KJ, are you going to write out a check to KaraoQ for $25? I think not.

Again, its increasing the companies profit at your expense. It's your show that you work, your singers, and your tips. You have done all the work already! You are even putting their software into your customers hands! Of course they want you to think this is a great idea. Who here wouldn't want to make 25% for doing nothing?

they are not saying the want 25% in general, they are saying 25% of incomes generated from their software.

On another note, Noone has mentioned or even questioned the Banner on there page?
"2.00 for adults, free for kids"


I wish they remove that banner and feature, it sux big time unless it's something to do with something else other than depreciating our shows.

I've been a KJ almost 28 years and noone likes the fact of having to pay to sing.
Paying to sing sooner (Bump) i can work with but not pay to sing. thumbs down on this feature sorry KaraoQ. Dump this feature.

What happens when you hit the "Get in the Que" button does it redirect to paypal requesting payment? or will it just add the song in the Karaoki player?

Email send to KaraoQ Support desk.

I'm just baffled why you or anyone else would be interested in using this software. Do you really lack that much confidence in yourself to believe you can't be successful without the use of this software? Software which, in my opinion, can only be detrimental to KJ's, their singers, and the industry as a whole. Can't you see right through this for what it is?

Again, I ask you and anyone else that would care to answer this one simple question: Do you really need this software in order to be successful?

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

todays technology with digital songbooks is a major asset that i am really interested in, the rest really doesnt matter. i just hate constantly printing and updating new songbooks all the time. I'm just expressing my opinion.

CAVS and Tricerasoft both have digital songbook software available... I use Super Remote Tool 1.0 and it works seamlessly with Just Karaoke 2.0. Together they are both $100

The software drops people into something akin to a named folder for that person and your rotation remains intact. They have full search features from any device, and can even save favorite songs via a password.

I even set up an old tablet as a kiosk so that people who don't want to use their phone can access the songbook. (Edited)

And yes, it can run w/o the Tricerasoft karaoke program.

You can also demo the software so you can see what you are getting into before you spend money.

All without help (and fees) from big karaoke brother.

And I use the CompuHost Remote Request system. With it, your singers can use the touch screen kiosk (that you provide) and/or their smart phones to search through your whole library and submit their songs from anywhere in the room. Using their smartphone, they can put themselves into the rotation, search for songs by title, artist and even change the pitch if they'd like.

So, you see, you don't need KaraoQ. There are many other and better alternatives.

I forgot to mention, when a singer uses their smartphone to send in a song request, it automatically puts them into the rotation. You don't have to do anything. If they already are in the rotation, any songs they send in automatically go under their name. Works perfectly.

And once you buy the program, it's yours. You don't have to pay for a subscription or give them 25% or anything. And there's no advertising of any sort.

Like I said, they want you to believe that you need them but you really don't... they need you!

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Concerning Songbooks;

I use an old laptop with nothing on it but WinAmp. It is set up with plug ins to play unzipped MP3+G files. I use my backup HD externally and every time it is recognized it adds any new media to the WinAmp library. I provide headphones, singers search what I have, double click and listen and view the graphics, too. It works superbly and they like it. Also, it hasn't cost me anything because it was an old laptop I did not destroy, my backup HD is put to good use and I already had a headphone.

I regularly have anywhere from 23-36 singers and it does not cause a logjam, at least one that is an irritant to any singers.

I conferred with Brian at SC/PEP and he confirmed that would be an OK thing to do.

I probably should have just kept this to myself, but I do not want to see anyone making money off of hosts using another of the many apps already out there, get a !@#$ing ROPE !!!

People love videoing their friends themselves and doing with it what they will and they will.

They love coming up and telling me what they want to sing, gives us a chance to visit. They view me as interested in them especially when I make attempts to download a song for them that I do not currently own.

I'm just sayin'.

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You can never argue with a crazy mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mind ----B. Joel
I have great faith in fools; My friends call it self-confidence ---- E.A. Poe
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity ----E.A. Poe
I don't know, I don't care, and it doesn't make any difference! ----A. Einstein
Double bubble, toil and trouble ----W. Shakespeare & Walt Disney
I hate it when I get on FaceBook ----Me
Karaoke might be Groundhog Day ----?
Of All the Martial Arts, Karaoke Inflicts the Most Pain ----?

I have to echo the sentiment that there are many options. Most if not all are "no load" meaning they don't take an ongoing portion of revenue. I know little about this KaraoQ program, have nothing against it and have no axe to grind beyond spreading the info about options. Use it if it works for you!

However, I have at least a half dozen options for online songbooks in my link directory and AFAIK, most or all of them are free or have a free option. I have no financial nor business interest in any of them. I just collect the data.

http://www.karaokeacrossamerica.com/lin ... k-software

That doesn't even include the online songbook options that are built into some of the player software.

I'm sure there are others as well that I don't even know about, but if you tell me about it I'll add the link! Find one that works for you!

Hope that helps.

You have to realize that they are a business. They are not your friend. They are out to make money at the KJ's expense. We do all the work, and they get paid for it. But only if you buy in to it. Most KJ's will see right through this for what it is.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.