Karaoke Forums

Hi ! I just can't seem to find a site in the USA to (purchase) mp3+g files. I understand that the mp3+g files are smaller then the CD+G for saving space on the hard drive.  I read in here that Zoom , SoundChoice, Charbusters are great sounding ones to purchase. When I went to these sites, I cant seem to find decent mp3+g selections.  Maybe I'm not looking in the right places on their websites. The SoundChoice site sends you to other websites.  Zoom has links to USA sites, but I couldnt find any mp3+g downloads on any of them.

Do I need to just download CD+g and convert them to mp3+g files.  I read on here you can do that, but I dont have the Vogone software purchased to do that with yet.  I just want to purchase thru downloading, some great sounding mp3+g files.  

Please give some links to where to purchase great sounding  songslike zoom's music or soundchoice.  I would really really appreciate the help and links!!!!  :yes:

Here's a site to purchase mp3+g files.

http://www.tricerasoft.com/cgi-bin/Kara ... /index.asp

Once you own the files, you can use a program such as mp3+g toolz to convert them into .bin files, and make a cue list. Then you need another program that emulates a disc, such as Daemon, then another program that can burn sub layers, such as CloneCD, as well as a burner capable of burning it all.

I'm not that familiar with Vogone, but I believe it's a program used to remove vocals out of original songs. I have never known any one have consistent success trying that. Plus, it's against the law, except possibly for home use. but, isn't everything? I have used Cool Edit 2000 (no longer available, bought by Adobe, and put out as Adobe Audition), with some success, but only on a few specific songs. Usually, it doesn't work well at all.

You can also use a program such as CDGRip to rip CD+G files to MP3+3 files. Here's a link:

http://kjtools.com/CDGRip.html

There are a lot of programs that will play the mp3+g's on computer, such as Siglos. But, to play them on a CD+G player, you will need to make them discs.

DISCLAIMER: I have absolutely no idea how much of any of this is legal, as I don't do it. I played with it once, just out of curiousity. I'm assuming that if you legally own the rights if you buy from TriceraSoft, then you should be allowed to make discs of those songs. But, the answers might be on the TriceraSoft website. Or, I'm sure there are others here that can answer those questions.

Or, inform you (and I) if I have made any mistakes here, or left anything out...

Hope you find what you are looking for...

R

CAVS is another place to get downloads...

Soundchoice refuses to sell mp3+gs, although they have their own proprietary format for Ipods (DOPI - Ipod spelled backwards).

ZOOM WAS selling downloads, but I heard they backed off this...

And anything beyond personal home use, the computer format is technically illegal. DESPITE owning the discs, or purchasing the downloads from legitimate sources.

Hi all:  Knightshow, is it illegal to download mp3+g?  If so why, just a brief explanation.  I am new to all of this and only sing at home.   I dont want to break the law.  I just want to save space on my computer external hard drive that I'm going to soon purchase.  

thanks alot
Gayle

If you purchase from a legitamate source (Tricerasoft comes to mind) you shouldn't have anything to worry about. If you import songs from SOund Choice or Pop Hits Monthly you might have issues as they aren't licensed for computer karaoke and aren't in the pc format to begin with.  The legal issue isn't copyright as much as it is format shifting despite what Sound Choice and Pop Hits want you to believe.  If the song is already in the PC friendly format and bought from a legitamate source then you haven't broken the format shifting laws.
Format shift means you have music in cdga format (on disc) and you convert it to Mp3+g format.

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

Tricerasoft is still offering Zoom as of today.


In your opinion, which is certainly not shared by everyone.

In practice, since thousands of KJs are daily using format-shifted materials for karaoke shows, you are unlikely to become the test case. I suppose if lightning strikes, you could become such a case. But my belief is that if you own the disks and have them with you or readily available, you would be unlikely in the extreme to run into trouble.

To answer the original question, the most common way of building a PC-based library is to purchase CDG disks and then convert them to whatever format your program uses. Programs to do that abound.

You can also purchase MP3+G files from online sources. Not all manufacturers allow the m to be sold online -- the only ones I know of currently doing it are Panorama (Karaoke / Top Hits Monthly), Zoom, CAVS, and "Forever Hits", whoever they are.

K.A.P.A. certainly agrees with Knightshow..........

OK, if the problem is format-shifting, then if you take a Sound Choice song off of CD, and another off DK, and yet another off a SGB CD, and put them all on another CD, then you started with a CD, and ended with a CD. That certainly can't be format shifting, yet it's "generally" accepted as being illegal. So that would make it illegal for copyright reasons, I think.

I see that most people feel that if you can prove you own every song on your hard drive, then they probably aren't going to prosecute you. To me, just the idea that they COULD makes it difficult for me to go that route - I'd rather turn discs. It's not that big of a deal to me - but then again, I don't have 100,000 songs, either.

R

HI all:  I think the mp3+g format makes so so much more sense then having disk around.  Computers are the way of the future.  They help keep paper and other materials from piling up and keep things simple and organized.<<<in my opinion  :)

Thanks everyone for your advise.  I will check out tricerasoft site for the mp3+g and if I cant find the song I want, I will just have to get the CDG download.

Gayle

Gayle - I agree, the mp3+g format make more sense, however, the biggest problem is that some people are basically dishonest, and would "trade" (which is theft) music. Trade is the word they use to justify it. When you truly trade, you DON'T keep the original, but in this case, they do.

The music industry was worried when cassettes came out - hey, people will stop buying records. Nah, didn't happen, as most people only had a few friends they might record a record for. And the music companies often owned the tape manufacturing companies as well.

Today, you have 100 million friends online, that you can technically make copies for. And you don't even have to buy the tape, just send it as an attachment, or easier yet, just put it in a shared folder. THAT'S what the music companies are concerned about. And that's what they are trying to protect themselves over.

It's like practically any business. They will fight to keep their market share, and if someone illegally rips them off, they will fight that even harder. Can't see as I blame them - if you are a KJ, and someone steals your equipment, and goes into business the next day, are you upset? I would guess yes, but some people rip of tens and even hundreds of thousands of songs, throw them on their hard drive, and are in business tomorrow.

I would hate the see the day that they no longer bother making discs, because it just isn't worth it to them. I has to be costly now.

Good luck, hope you find your song...

R

When attorneys find it is ecomically feasible to sue Kj'S and can prove a case then it will be a problem otherwise it is a federal bust in which the investigation will cost the taxpayers about a million bucks for each case...

Dont believe me? The ICE raid here in greeley at the Swift plant cost over a million dollars... Lets get real ...

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Yeah, let's DO get real...at our local university, they approached over 100 students, that had been file sharing, some as few as 50 files. They offered to settle with each for $3,000. From what I hear they are almost to a person going to settle. That's $300,000 in my math. Who would have thought it "economically feasible" to go after a bunch of college kids? Now, multiply that across the country.

And as with anything else, the technology to find the P2P people will only get better.

Now, when the KJ with totally pirated music can afford $10,000 or more of equipment, and they figure a way to confiscate it, then they might just go after people.

Just because you don't/won't get caught, doesn't make it right. And just because you ain't caught today, doesn't mean you won't be caught tomorrow.

Again, I'll stick to my discs, thank you.

R

Downloading mp3's and file sharing is a far cry from me that has spent thousands of dollars for cdg's and converting to a more advanced format. If it is legal to buy mp'3 from the net why in gods name should it be illegal to download karaoke tracks?  
On ebAY I have a rating of over 150 total 180 buys That is mostly from buying karaoke cd sets...

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Geez, no one was pointing a finger at you! And I didn't say if it was right or wrong - the original discussion was legal or illegal. Until it's legal, it's illegal, plain and simple. Will you get caught? Who cares?? Is it right or wrong? Who cares?? Is it legal or illegal? Ah, there's the rub!! I mean, if it's legal to buy booze, why in gods name should it be illegal to buy pot?? more people are killed by drunk drivers than high drivers. Besides, when you're high, who has the energy to drive??

The line at this time is drawn - it is illegal to format shift. So, we either come up with a way for the producers to actively change things, or we live with it, or we illegally do what we want. I'm for trying to change the law, not shirk it.

R

Problem is/was with taped recordings, they weren't happening in the mass millions the day a song might be released - it may have been a friend bought the record & you asked for a copy & you obliged, I remember getting a few tapes that way as well as i'm sure probably the majority here has as well.  With internet downloads 1 legal purchase can literally turn into hundreds of thousands of illegal copies within an hour of release.  Tapes didn't have nearly the impact on the record industry as the internet as far as possibly destroying the record insutry as it exists today.

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Exactly! With the tape, I had to buy a tape, record a tape, label the tape, and physically deliver it. To ONE person at a time.

Now, I can just deliver it to any computer in the world that wants it, virtually instantaneously, and probably MUCH better quality than the tape ever was, and it will last virtually forever. And I didn't have to leave my chair once, and it didn't cost me a cent, because I've probably stolen the file in the first place.

Oh yes, I am guilty of giving a song or two away over my lifetime. But I don't "trade", or steal, or otherwise get illicit music for any other reason than that someone wants me to hear something, and it's not worth it to buy the disc just to hear it. If I like it, I buy the disc, plain and simple. If I don't, I delete the file.  In the end, I have to face myself in the mirror...

R

And not succeeding very well, either.

With music MP3s, I simply don't buy. I can't use them, because they have DRM. I am not a one-computer person, and I would never buy on the same machine I listen on. If you buy legally digital, then you suffer with a crippled product. Compare that to the illegal downloaders, who have unimpeded MP3s to use. So you actually benefit in multiple ways by cheating -- you get it to use it freely for free. If I buy, it is a pain in the petootie to use.  So I wait and buy the very occasional CD, where at least I can get a real track to use as I wish.

If high-quality tracks were put on sale for download, I would buy more. I find the Panorama ones OK, and I have bought quite a few of them. But I would buy a lot more Pop Hits or SoundChoice.

OK Somebody take Ollie's car keys  and call a taxi!!! This is getting so rediculuos.

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Forever Hits are the Nutech Line.

Micky, it's not my "opinion", it's the law AS IT'S WRITTEN. The fact that others are doing it - that's a Mob Mentality interpretation of the law. doesn't make it "legal", just harder to prosecute.

It is "Technically" illegal to convert the purchased cdgs to another format, including another CDG (cdr). For the home user, such as the original question is for, this is covered by the Fair Use Act, and they'll never complain about that. What they do complain about is that same user that suddenly decides to give that product away to others. This is NOT allowed by law. I used to do it too, so it's not like I'm waving a flag and shouting "THIEF" to others... I'm as guilty as the next person, and I do regret when I did it. I don't do it now.

I don't run a pro show anymore, as I DO believe that it SHOULD be allowed for the person that ownes their discs to convert to a format they deem appropriate for them. This is what's known as the "no harm, no foul" interpretation of the law. It makes it even harder to prosecute, in my opinion, BUT after Sound Choice's and Pop Hits Monthly's recent statement on computerized format, I decided to flip them the bird and say the he!! with them, and their high and mighty stance on those of us that DO buy their discs.

These two manus are trying VERY hard to control the way people are doing things with their material. I feel this is wrong. But since I don't have millions of dollars at my disposal to fight them in court to prove my case, I just decided to drop this part of my life. It saddens me, but I have a family to provide for.

No matter how many times you restate it, it is your opinion. There are whole companies and law firms differing with you. So you can restate it again as if it is fact, but it is still your opinion and it is not at all tested in court.