Karaoke Forums

I can certainly buy the moving to direct sales thing. BUT, putting a perfectly OK but stale web site under construction just doesn't happen. You redesign behind the scenes then take the old site down and bring up the new. The only reasons to put a site under construction is if it is brand new or there are inherent issues with the current site and you do not have time to solve the issues. The SC site worked OK at best the last time I was there, which isn't recent. So, the question is, what are the inherent issues that caught SC with their pants down.

Let the rumors and speculation begin.

But they are still selling Gems off the site so it isn't completely down.

So every single vendor in the U.S. sold out of the same product at the exact same time? Wow, what are the chances of that?

well, the alternative would be they were told to stop selling them, but the implication behind that is unfathomable.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

I once heard someone say that the first thing a pirate does when confronted about their piracy is to delete their sound choice content to cover their tracks.

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KNOW THYSELF

That actually is a possibility. OK, for me it's a possibility. Disc sales have dwindled. SC probably had licensing to make X number of copies. Once those copies are gone, the question becomes, do we re-negotiate this thing all over again with all the publishers represented on all the content, or do we move forward with the non-disc direct sales model and simply let the disc sales drift off into the sunset. I doubt the distributors kept a bunch of the bricks on hand. Probably have three in stock, sell two, reorder two. Those numbers will vary. So it is conceivable that all the distribution channels might seem to go out of stock at close to the same time.

Still, how can SC not see that coming and not have an updated site ready to go, knowing that the disc life would be ending soon?

Of course an alternate is that there were licensing issues that was ruled on or there were additional actions required in a settlement that included recalling physical product and removing references to that physical product on their site.

There may be more, but those are the two scenarios I can think of.

Ace Karaoke still has 37 pages of SC discs for sale. Many of them have Universal songs on them.

If you do a search for Foundations you will still see stores selling them.

Not saying what it means or doesn't mean. Just saying that the premise that this latest rumor is based on is not exactly correct.

That can mean option 1 or options 2 minus the recall. We do not have to stop using songs we bought in good faith if later it is discovered the karaoke producers pirated them. Could be the resellers bought in good faith and can continue selling them since they were purchased in good faith.
I would lean toward option 1: supplies of pre-licensed material running low and not seeking future licenses to make more if it were not for an under construction web site. Even that could be option 1 with no fore-thought into having a site ready. That's horrible business there as well.

But the site isn't totally inoperable. It just isn't pretty. You can still purchase off it.

I have also pointed this out more than once now, but apparently, once AceKaraoke stops carrying it, it must mean that Sound Choice did something wrong.

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-Chris

If I am not mistaken, Sound Choice is down to licensing GEM's. Which means they have only the Professional KJ as a customer. While I agree that taking the old site down without having an immediate replacement isn't the way *I* would have done it, having a much smaller customer base to service means needing a less robust site. They have never had automated purchase of GEM's, so the existing site is perfectly functional for the market they are trying to reach.

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-Chris

I think if they would have always only had the professional kj as a customer we wouldn't have nearly the mess we have now. But I know every business operates differently and nobody has 20/20 rear vision.

But, on the other side of the coin, you might also find that all these sites are still listing the Foundations and Bricks, but when you go to order it, you find out that it is either out of stock or on back-order.

Something shady is going on at Sound Choice. Sorry, but that is all I see here. Just a shady operation now, that is trying to get the eye of the world off it. There is more of THIS story to come, for sure. If Kurt thinks he will survive on JUST sales of GEMS he's lost his mind. If SC loses to Universal, what will that say about the mighty, self righteous Kurt Slep?? He can sell unlicensed product but the people that have media shifted that unlicensed are in the wrong?? REALLY?? What a hypocrite!!

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Kurt lose to Universal??????? I did not know there was an ongoing suit between Kurt and Universal. Perhaps you have your manus mixed up? Digitrax filed suit against universal then Universal has returned a suit against Digitrax.

I might suggest that if you feel that he is "shady" and sold unlicensed tracks and you own a copy of any of those tracks and are using it/them in your karaoke business, you are being hypocritical and "shady" too in your statement/actions. Besides, how do you know what Kurt thinks, have you ever spoken directly to him to get it straight from the horses mouth instead of all the misinformation going on here? Who do you know "Kurt, the man or Kurt the myth"?

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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!

It is equally possible that EMI issued cease and desist type letters to all the major vendorss, all by themselves and sound choice had absolutely nothing to do with it.

That's not what I believe happened, but its just as plausible as all the other speculation thrown about here.

Guess the truth will come out when the suit is settled. But like I said before, I'm not going to let it bother me.

-James

It isn't the way *I*, *YOU*, or any other business with any foresight would do it. While they are focusing on GEM, and they may be out of inventory on foundations, they must still have quite a bit of individual discs still out there for sale. Why not put a disclaimer that disc selections are limited and build the new site? Either they didn't plan ahead or they quickly had to move due to some sort of issue. Those are the only two options I see and neither is flattering. But they never were the sharpest tool in the shed so this is probably a lot to do about nothing and it's another whim choice by Kurt.

Pure Speculation on your part but, do you really not like Kurt? How do you even know his overall business plan. Have you called him directly and asked him what about his inventory status? Maybe good things are happening for SC, did you ever consider that or are you just another SC hater using their products for your own profit?

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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!

It is speculation on everyone's part. So it's only OK to speculate if it fits with what you wish to read?

I do not know Kurt. I do not hate or like Kurt. I do not form like or hate opinions of someone I do not know personally. My comments are regarding his business practices so why would you speculate on my opinion of him personally? For all I know, he could be a very likable bad business man.

I have not called him regarding his inventory. I don't buy the product any longer so my only real interest in this is of the "legal" kind. It would not be worth wasting my time or theirs on such inquiries. Again, I admit, I am speculating just like everyone else in the thread. I feel I have been very fair in my speculation, giving room for any possible scenario. Maybe SC could end the speculation with a press release or something? It's a horrible business practice to leave your customers in the dark about what's going on, especially when your web site is suddenly goes into Under Construction. That isn't speculation.

Maybe good things are in the works for SC. I would be happy for them if they were but I seriously doubt it. It is my opinion that their last two business model parts have been disasters. The GEM goes completely against the model that is a huge success for all other media resellers and the way the suing thing has been executed has been their "Titanic" from a PR standpoint. But I am not one who is hoping and wishing for their demise. I actually appreciate their early contributions to the karaoke industry. I also appreciate Benedict Arnold's early contributions to the Revolutionary war.

I am not using SC products for profit.

you can speculate all you want, I just think it's a ploy to push the gem series.

why sell old product at the low price of $1200 (think that's about the average price for the entire 7500 series f1 f2 b1,2,3,4,5 at least on ebay)
when you can sell the foundation for $6000 and they'll finance and make a lot more off the interest.

smart on their part! I don't blame them one bit. times are changing and getting harder to
make money with an obsolete product like the cd+g.

Myself I would like to see the ability to download and buy individual songs as I think they
would make more money in the long run that way.

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It's all good!