Karaoke Forums

Just went in today to check out new releases and saw they now offer Karaoke Channel songs.

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

I've not heard of these before. What kind of quality are Karaoke Channel products?

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

Sound Choice!

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

Really Is that SC qualtiy, or is this an SC product under another name? Either way I'll check them out. Thanks!

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

It's SC, licensed to stingray in the UK (Where derek slep happens to work, found out through linked-in) and sold through a UK site, which according to Stovall is, "CONTRIBAND KARAOKE, AND WE'RE WORKING TO STOP IT AT THE BORDER"

http://www.mobilebeat.com/category/type ... hing-else/ (2nd video, 18 minutes in)

Sort of funny that SC is doing something Norbert says is illegal. Who's right?

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Living my life as Robert Cortese, 162 E. Jackson St, San Jose CA.

It's like the difference between high and low budget toilet paper, it really doesn't matter in the end. -exweedfarmer

Which is smarter? Just sticking to making/selling karaoke, while people all over the world create software FOR FREE that helps you sell it, or trying to compete with them and keeping it a closed loop while you blow your money into an industry (software) that you(the karaoke manu) knows nothing about?
-me

They said it's illegal for the UK licensed imports to be sold via US distributers due to no US licensing and if you look at the US retailers, most of them have stopped selling UK product - except for maybe some overstock or what they have left, but nothing new. Nothing was really mentioned about direct to consumer from a UK company which has not been stopped.
But what does that really do for SC if the GEM series is really licensed in the UK.

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

I do believe Kurt's brother is the key man at Stingray. You may wish to double check, but I think you will find that all is not as presented.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Per Kurt, SC imported a gazillion GEM discs under the ban wire. This may or may not be true, but either way, SC is done producing new releases. Can't bring them into the U.S. from the UK for resale or distribution, and no licensing here. Done.

Actually, they have been out of the karaoke music production business almost 2 years now.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Hate to bring this up again, but SC is made and published in the UK for the last few years, and the products are made according to UK laws for royalties and permissions. So if another company is compliant with UK laws, then they are no different from SC in this matter.

There are millions of things that we purchase from other countries, and the US has agreements with many countries that treat manufacture of products legally made in another country legal to be used here. Of course we dont have ageements with all countries, and I would be suspect of karaoke published in some tiny country with lax laws, because the US probably does not recognize all countries trademark/copyright protections as legit. The UK laws on copyright are differnt from the US but we accept them as being sufficient for the products to be imported.

I got told by Karaoke Channel that their music is for personal use only, yet PCDJ Karaoki offers Karaoke Locker intigrated into it, which is the exact same Sound Choice library, and is meant to be used in shows...

It's very contradictory... I'm not sure what to think about Stingray .

The problem with Karaoke Channel is that they have apparently re-sold their songs to other outlets, SOME of these other outlets may also include the disclaimer, while other do not.

Of course some of the other outlets may not have permission to re-sell the Karaoke Channel songs, so of course that is piracy, but I believe that it is the problem of KC to stop the pirates. Only KC knows who they have sold the rights to re-distrubute songs online to. If a site has been up for several months, and is selling songs at a reasonable price that COULD cover royalty costs it might be legal. If it has been up for a year or more from a domestic site, and appears "legal" to a reasonably educated buyer, then it is KC's fault for not stopping this seller if they are in fact pirates.

It is my perception (and I may be wrong here) is that KC obtained the Sound Choice US licenses for song contracts where SC had not used up the number of songs that had been contracted with the songwriters. Since SC moved production to UK they are no longer using up any of those US licenses. For many SC songs KC is not selling SC products, and presumably these are the ones where the US license had been used up or not renewed.

If I am correct here and KC is using the US licenses for sale, then there is no difference from the point of view of the ARTISTS with regards to a KC song used for commercial purposes and an OLD US MADE SC disc used for commercial purposes (in a show). SC is apparently trying to re-write the copyright laws to make a distinction between copies that can be used commercially and non-commercially, but I seriously doubt they can make that stick in court. There is no-difference betwen the commercial and non-commercial versions of regular music, and commercial use is covered by ASCAP/BMI etc (for the bar/venue purpose). But SC can rely on intimidation until then because no-one will want to be the test defendant in such a case.

Of course this post will be banned over to the legalities page, but hey this topic is entirely legalities/piracy from the start.

I downloaded a couple of tracks from VenueVJ (karaokelocker.com and makers of Aria and the new PCDJ program) and sure enough it says "Karaoke Channel" right on them.

I'm new to this game, but I really want to use these...

I fired off an email to them today... we'll see what they have to say.

Also, Lonman, I see what you mean... Select-A-Track is offering KC tracks for about double the price... Their affiliate, MP3store.com, has a scrolling banner stating that reads make sure to read the terms of service of each manufacturer to find out if it can be used commercially...

?

Ok.. I read this over about 4 times before it made some sense... so you think that KC bought up these unused licenses and are trying to move them?

Still though... one would think that titles available for immediate download inside a program designed for commercial use could be used commercially.... Unless it's bait for such a law changing case....

I read on their forum board that they will not seek legal action against anyone in possession of media shifted material, as long as it's kept 1 : 1, or downloads by Stingray or any of their affiliates... That makes me want to, but you're right... I don't want to end up in hot water either.

Yah stick to tricera for now. He's Canadian (so you know he's awesome.. amiright?)

Definitely!! I'm already using him... I'm just looking for another source to get the songs Tricerasoft doesn't have. I love SC music, and would like to find a way to have them at my fingertips, but if I have to order custom discs... well I guess that's what I'll have to do :/

Zoom and Sunfly also offer direct downloads of their products.

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Dave's not here.

Those are also available on Tricerasoft

Not everything that is available at sunfly's site is available on tricerasoft.
Hide Your Heart by Kiss isn't available on tricerasoft but you can get at Sunfly.
The thing I don't like about Sunfly is you gotta buy three songs to get the one you want.

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

Better than needing a 5 song minimum for a custom disc. But usually have no trouble finding something wanted/needed.

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

Too bad old school PHM aren't available in mp3+g... I think I'll be purchasing the 3 year package before I unleash this system in a bar (this thing hasn't been updated in 5 years ) but they were always pretty good at having the songs I needed.