Karaoke Forums

Unless I am going to turn into a golden oldies show like you did, the music is never fully paid for. Equipment breaks down and needs replaced. So the need for better pay than $50 a night is still there.

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

Actually I was lucky not much equipment breakage but then seniors aren't as rowdy as the youngsters. As far as music and equipment went I usually saved my tips about 10 to 15% of my yearly karaoke income to cover these expenses. On a good year that came to $4000 to 5000 a year. Of course I did a lot of private parties and weddings that is where the real money is. I still managed to donate my services for worthy non-profit fund raisers. That was good PR for my business and netted me additional work. Since I have always had more than one source of income while I was hosting, money was never the driving force for my business decisions.

TIPS??? What's that? It's almost unheard of in NY City and Central areas of NJ.

There... I fixed it for you (added in red).

Wrong Cue. The need for better pay than $50 a night is there for any legal host. $50 a night is pirate pay by my standards.

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

Wrong Danny... You have those KJs that apparently don't feel the need for money, so they charge $50 and all they can drink (and they are NOT ALL PIRATES... so don't say it!!!). The NEED for more money is set by each of our OWN PERSONAL STANDARDS, and then is determined by what the Venue is WILLING TO PAY.

There Danny... I fixed it for you again (in red).

Depends on the needs of the host Danny. If you are trying to support yourself with karaoke it might be too little, still if you worked 20 nights a month that would still be $1,000.00 at month, if 30 1500.00, not terrible for a host looking for supplemental income. Over a year that could add up to 12,000.00 to 18,000.00. Not a fortune but add that to other retirement income it's better than nothing. If a person knew how to budget and had no debt, and owned their own home it could work. Everyone's situation is different after all. If a host charged more they could even make more. It would still be possible to purchase music and buy good equipment, especially if it were just somebody's hobby.

What idiot host is gonna risk being out of work by undercharging the client? I have only done one $50 show and that was only an hour which is my normal hourly rate.

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

Good for you. I also charge $50 an hour (for no less than 3 hours). In the day when KJs were taking in $200-300 a show, there were $50/night KJs out there. Even today, there still are. Why don't you ask what the going average rate is in Portland. I've heard that $75 is the max that these KJs can command (due to a combination of a bad economy and an over-saturation of KJs out there). As to what kind of idiots are out there, why don't you ask them (I'm sure you've encountered a few).

$50.00 an hour no wonder you are always looking for a job. My sweet spot was around 150.00 for four hours about 37.50 an hour. Of course for a wedding or a private party it was more, but then for special events patrons expect to pay more. I never heard of a host risk being out of work by asking for less only asking for more. I guess things are different back East for sure.

One of my shows is $50 a night. I took it to get my name out there. I have pirated NOTHING. Another of my shows pays $250 for Saturdays, ans $150 for week nights. I do a back up show for a friend of mine and get $150. The $50 show is a beer/wine place that doesn't make the same as a full bar. I am not so proud that I won't take the money where I can get it. From that gig, I have gotten other gigs that pay more, a new back up show, and various parties and fund raisers. Been doing that show for 6 months, and still going strong. STILL getting other work from it. I don't have a massive music overhead cause I buy my stuff by the song, rather than by the disc. Some nights i will buy 10 songs. other nights 2, and still other nights, none. I will buy 25 credits from Tricerasoft for $40. Comes out to $1.60 a song. Not too bad. But EVERY song I have been buying has been a requested and SUNG song. To ME it's MUCH better than buying a disc for $25, for one or two songs, and 13 out of 15 NEVER get sung.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Which proves a point you have to get exposure or no one knows your out there. Sometimes you take less for promotional reasons, no one is going to know how good or bad you are if you don't play. There is many a time I was out hosting and one job led to another. The bottom line is if all you work for is a certain price and you sit at home how is that helping your business? Sometimes it helps to even do non-profit events for free, that is good PR for your business, and usually pays off in additional paying gigs. At least that has worked for me in the past, and once in awhile I will dust off the speakers and still do one of these events.

If a place cannot afford to pay my measily rate of $150-175 per night (discounts for multiple nights in a row) because they are too small to make it worth it, I will pass the job to someone who wants to play for beer. Not worth it. I never dropped my prices when I started, I got what I asked for & proved myself to them while working that it was worth every penny - a $50 night would never have happened even to gain exposure - again, not worth it. There was one place in 20 years I couldn't get to work - but it was also because the owner absolutely DID NOT want me to advertise it in any manner!

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

Once again, you are also overlooking the area I live and work in. This is not a well to do area. I work in a small town. The bars around here don't do very good business at the best of times, just because the customer base is mostly working poor. Let's not forget the difference between where you are, Lon, and where I am. There are plenty of small towns in this country that people have to take what they can can, and just get lucky once in a while.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

150 a night for 4 hours is pirate money. I can't pay for discs and rent for that!

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If you don't have anything nice to say, say it sarcastically!
The Truth often gets in the way of a good story.
Record companies should make every song in a karaoke version and kill the dispute!

All depends on why you are in the business? Like I said every host's financial situation is different. It is not necessarily pirate money Big Easy, if a host is retired and has other sources of income, with no debt and owns their own home, then the 150.00 is supplemental income. Maybe to support their hobby that just happens to turn into a full on business, that is what happened in my case. Lonnie says he works in the $150 to 175 area and he is definitely not a pirate. The sweet spot or average in today's market is somewhere around a $150, in most of the country. There are hosts that expect to get paid more and they sit home much of the month like Danny.

And, I've heard (a few years ago) that in the Portland, Oregon area, the top dollar for KJs there is $75 for a 4 hour show (because the area is over-saturated with KJs, and that is all the Venues are willing to pay).

I don't know what the current overall average is for the Seattle area. I can say that for me, my average across 22 nights a week is $163/night. This is up over the $150 avg a year ago and less than $150 avg when I first started.

Keep in mind though, these number apply only to me. I don't know if the area as a whole has been able to increase rates or if it is just me.

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-Chris

I'm sure if we took the median fee, hosts working lower than $150 and those working above it, the median fee would be somewhere in the 150 to 175 area Lonnie is working in. He seems to have his finger on the pulse of the current industry.

I am in the land of the working poor (East Tennessee) but my rates continue to rise. I continue to demonstrate to them I can help them generate revenue and keep singers coming back. All the bars here sell the same brands of beer so we create an environment that brings them back. Sometimes, finding a way to Sell the venue the idea you are worth the additional money is difficult at best. You might be a great host but a lousy salesperson. And here we are saturated with bars and KJs too. Two of my venues cater to working class (and some of those are not even working but sure can find money for beer) Can't you hear the banjos playing in the background. Remember, every one else's market look greener from another's perspective. There all more similar that we like to admit when it comes to bar owner mentality and competition.

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No venue to big or too small. From your den to the local club or event, we have the music most requested. Great sounding system!