Karaoke Forums

I have a regular at my bar who has gone to the owner and asked if
he could bring his friend in and mic the speakers when we do karaoke.
They have picked a date and have been announcing that 16 people will be
recorded that night. The people to sing will be hand picked by the owner
and this guy.

I told them I didn't care if they did this. Now I am having second thoughts.
Is this legal? I told them I don't want anything to do with picking who gets recorded.
I'm afraid peoples feelings are going to get hurt.

I feel like I have made a big mistake. They are doing this on my busiest night. Which I'm afraid will make it hard to do my job. Am I being paranoid?

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

any unauthorized recordings are violating the copyright.

most folks would look at recording yourself at a karaoke bar as a harmless violation as nobody's going to send this in for a demo recording to land themselves a contract. It's just for fun IF the recording goes home.

However, if the bar is using the recording to further their profits, then it's something I would steer clear of. That is clearly crossing the line. They're getting SOMETHING for NOTHING....

Having a "spotlight" on singers is a neat idea... but as you said, it can also hurt other's feelings. They weren't "good enough" for it this week, maybe next week, maybe NEVER! You can definately lose some singers over this.

Also, mic'in' the speakers is more trouble than it's worth. Going off the pre-amp is a far satisfying solution... depends on your individual hookup, Babs!

I wouldn't particularly like this either.  First off, what are they going to do with these recordings?  If they're going to sell them to customers and friends there is technically copyright infringment involved.  But they probably won't get caught.
Technically speaking, why are they going to mic the speakers instead of taking line outs?  Your other customers who don't get picked are going to feel pretty left out I'd imagine.

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That's what I liked about the CAVS-JB-99 Jukebox machine,  I'd drop cassettes in, and take them home listening for probs with my singing... As a result, I've learned a very important lesson... SOme of us can't sing !  It's saved me the headache of making an @&& out've myself in singer's showcase and receiving a 9.2 rank, while all ranking me are rolling around on the floor peeing their pants over the fool who think's he can sing...


Thank you CAVS !!!!

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

In my opinion, it sounds like this could go either way, depending on the way it is handled.

The correct way to handle this would be to either record everyone or just pick a random group instead of hand-picking the singers. If you want to hand-pick the singers, like possibly they actually intend on making a recording of jsut the good singers, you may want to suggest they invite those singers back on another night instead of excluding (i.e. alienating) anyone on the established karaoke night. I know that some of my best karaoke regulars and patrons are not particularly good singers, but are there every week and pump money into the bar that the owner can pretty much bank on week after week, month after month. Why would you want to even slightly risk losing those people? That is the bottom line and should not be overlooked.

Obviously, the singers have to agree to being recorded to make it legal, so if this does go down, there definately has to be an announcement to that effect.

Like everyone else is saying, mic-ing speaker is FAR from the best way to record live music. If you are going to do that, you may as well just bring in a tape recorder or a DAT recorder or even record it on your cell phone, you'd get about the same quality. There isn't anyone who is even slightly experienced in even amatuer home recording who wouldn't record directly after the mixer rather than on external mics. It sounds like this guy doesn't know what he is doing.

I would present all of this info to the owner and go to him with the attitude of "I want to help make this event as good as it can be, here are the pros and cons I see." If you go to the owner with a bad or even apprehensive attitude about this, he may just get defensive!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Good lord, it's KARAOKE.  People who do and suggest stuff like this annoy the hell out of me.  As a host, I have to laugh when people are so serious about this.  Nonsense like this is a big reason I don't have contests.  My regulars don't pull nonsense like this.

Go for it, girl...I don't see a problem with it as long as they don't disrupt your show....and it shouldn't as long as they let you run regular rotation and they control the recorder....Heck, you won't even know it's happening that way.

Forget micing the speakers...suggest they tap off the mixer, they will get a much better recording that way.

It wouldn't be legal.

http://www.karaokeantipiracyagency.com/faq.html

Besides, who needs the aggravation?

and I couldn't agree with you more in every way (on this post)

Matt :
Just a question (and Im not trying to be a wise (@$%&#!)) what about all the recording Being Played on SingersShowcase here on this site?. Do they have some kind of licence? or am I breaking the law with my 28 Recorded posts in my Profile.?
again not trying to be wise A$$ just courious. Thanks
Michael

you'd have to ask Phill and the folks in charge of Karaoke Scene. I'm CERTAIN that they asked the manus...

and the songwriters...  :whistle:

The recordings are not illegal under fair use, however once they are publicly displayed, could be another story.  It could be said it's not being sold for profit & they can't be downloaded.  But the KS is a subscribe to only mag which the Singers Showcase may help benefit KS monetarily with people subscribing because of it - or not, never know, I just post here.

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

Mic'ing the speakers? those guys don't know what they are doing. Just let them do it , but I will not let them record from the line out of the mixer. Because if there is a need to record using my equipment I like to be in charge.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

I see where you are coming from...but if someone wants to record my show, then I want to sound as good as possible....If they go line level out from my mixer, I am going to sound real good....It's a pride thang.

Speaker micing is an iffy business...You gotta know what you are doing and if there is a mixer with an available line out, then why bother. If you got a live band with backline amps in a smaller venue, then you need to learn to mic speakers...Otherwise go line out.

I guess you could draw a legal line and say that if you are plugged in VS miced, then there is a difference...I tend to run barefoot, so i don't worry much about the details of the law....Long as no one bleeds, I'm happy.

I don't really follow... Here's why...

I've played in venues where there've been Television and radio stations present... WPIX in Philly area etc... To my knowledge, they communicated with our soundmen but they didn't touch our equipment... They recorded using all their own..setting their own levels,  they didn't run direct into our equipment...They weren't really apart of "us" per se. They were a separate entity..

What I wonder, and this is just my opinion, is that if they didn't include Bab's here, (which they didn't),  they went directly to HER boss excluding her from any part of this,  why the heck should SHE allow them to use her equipment or even care  what they do.... Now I realize some consider this a reflection of HER sound, and mixing ability, yet here's how I see it..

A couple of know-it-all kids that want to do their own thing, and be in charge have gotten clearance to do-so from Bab's boss,  the same boss that while in florida excused her from working her shift, in favor or the live guitarists spur of the moment ?     Bab's hasn't been included in this,  what if these kids (or perhaps even young brats that haven't a clue how to record start screwing around with her equipment taking charge of her gig) ?    She hasn't been included in this. SHouldn't she set limit's as in

"You clowns might not have a clue as to what you are doing,  you want to mic my speakers, UNLESS of course you are going to try to pull a fast one and go "gee can we plug into here" ?  

now like that goofball or (head soundman for Blues Cafe that just walked up on your stage, and couldn't figure out how to do anything with your sytem)..HAHAHA,  they are screwing around with your equipment, and you've been seated in a corner by a couple of young punks that think they know-it-all,  thing is...You still haven't been included by these people, or your boss,  they went over your head, never even asked YOU prior.. I'd just say...."Stay the F*** away from my equipment.. Especially since I doubt you'll reimburse me when your 9 dollar GE ceramic microphones ruin my system"...

Bab's, I don't follow,  it's one problem after another in that same place that you've been disrespected at by management since the beginning,  You walk in saturday, and you've been replaced that night,  a drunk throws a chair at you, the venue doesn't support you, fools walking up on stage tweaking your equipment, women are leaning on your equipment breaking it, now god only knows what's up...

Why are you not looking for another job where they treat you with some integrity   God only knows what you'll walk into that night...Get your butt, AND your equpment out've that dump....

JMO

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I don't think those guys intention is to record the SHOW; they want to record the singers;themself and friends. If they want record the show they would have approch Bab FIRST. If am in that position I will not have anything to do with them.
Just hope that they use those recorder with a built in mic, eitherwise you may have to rent them your mic stand. maybe two.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

HEHEHE, Maybe they want to record the really good singer's, and than submit the material on Singer's Showcase and pretend it's them singing



<heading over to Ksolo>

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I agree with Steve, you go behind my back to use my equipment.  Nope not happening and they would definitely will not be touching my equipment.  They want it that bad they can rent their own.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Babs this might be one my first serious posts on this forum. I dont normally freely give professional advice unless I know all the facts and parties involved. From your previous posts and troubles in that venue (I assume all previous posts pertain to that bar and owner) here is what I would do. I would use this latest ordeal to adopt the following tactic. I would pay a minimal fee to an attorney to do the following. Compose a legal letter to be sent to the owner This letter depending on your previous oral agreements would state the following. Due to practices not covered in the original oral agreements and liberties taken by the establishment in regards to protection of employees and safety of equiptment. (including all greviences including this latest one) "Babs Company name" is under no obligation to provide said services until a legal contract is signed by all concerned.  This contract (incuded in fee and drafted with your requirements) will be signed in the prescence of legal councel, notarized and registered in county ,Ill etc

The letter should be sent by your attorney to the establishment c/o the owner. If he balks or even tries to force you into something else I would calmly tell him BYE....

There is one allowed to take your picture record either audio or video without informing you why and if they use it in any way without your written consent is liable to lawsuits that I guarantee you wont warrant  their motives or gains. Personally I think you have put up with all the bullshit in that place that you needed to. This is only a preliminary plan and idea of tactics so beyond this I would consult legal sources.