Karaoke Forums

Really???????
I usually keep out of the piracy threads, but this burns my (@$%&#!).....

I have been biting my tounge for a few weeks now, but I can hold it any more after reading the thread about the guy on IRC, and people hounding him cause that is a known pirate "hangout".

So, how many people read Mobile Beat, or went to the convention???
HOW F-ING DARE YOU....You supported karaoke piracy and should be lined up against the wall and stoned with SC discs!!!!

How? What? Why? Do you ask?

Recent Mobile Beat magazine with an article on how great my multi-op competitor is. Needless to say Mobile beat did not ask him about his 60K karaoke song library and at least 3 karaoke shows a night. I think he has 4-5 karaoke rigs, but don't quote me on that. Yeah, I have no proof he is a pirate, but really?

So does it really matter?????

Maybe they should have let Kurt Slep interview him?

I don't read Mobile Beat and I didn't go to the convention, so I didn't see it. However, I wouldn't automatically jump to the conclusion that someone with 60k songs running 4-5 rigs is a pirate. Though I generally consider most multi-rig operators to be suspect. It takes a fair amount of discipline and a lot of resources to multi-rig at scale.

*I* have 65k tracks in my largest system and about 20k in my smallest. We run 5 concurrent shows on Fri/Sat. I am not the only one in my area that operates legally with large libraries. Absolute Karaoke Group has several 75k+ libraries and they run close to 30 shows a week.

It's the folks that claim 500k songs (regardless of how many rigs they have) that set off alarms. It's the folks that hang out in known pirate forums that set off alarms.

I believe there was a threads here over a year ago about KaraokeScene accepting advertising from known pirates. I know my local printed karaoke magazine does as well. While I wish both had a means of vetting folks and refusing to take money from pirates, I also understand it isn't their job to do the vetting.

Besides, it is silly to think that there aren't a BUNCH of pirates attending Mobile Beat, hanging out on Karaoke Scene, or running shows that we all attend. Pirates aren't necessarily stupid. It is in their best interest to stay informed.

We have to draw our own lines. My line stops with folks that publicly announce their lack of scruples.

_________________
-Chris

OK...UPDATE......
After reading your post, and looking closer
total of 130K in songs on all 5 rigs (maybe more)
That is OVER ONE HALF MILLION dollars in music if he is not a pirate

60K are unique songs(my bad)

So, according to my math ($1 per song), he has not made much money, unless my math is wrong.

Don't you understand? Anyone with more tracks than Chris is a pirate. One illegal track makes anyone an illegal operator, according to some people. Anyone using a Backstage disc is breaking some law somewhere. The tracks were never licensed and just about every KJ out there has at least one of them in their library. I love the holier than thou cheer leaders that pick and choose which sins are ok to commit and which ones make someone ELSE an illegal host.

Can you spell HYPOCRISY????



But we bought them in good faith wah wah wah.

At what point have I ever suggested that someone with more track than me is a definitive pirate? I know many hosts that have been in business a long time and have a LOT of music that they legitimately. But I have never met a host that legitimately purchased 500,000 (that is 1/2 million) songs. Absolutely no one. Can anyone name even one host they know that actually purchased or otherwise legally acquired that much karaoke music?

Yes. Technically one pirated track makes one a pirate. Just like stealing one candy bar makes one a thief. I don't know how it can be perceived any differently. It really is pretty black and white.

As far as Backstage goes, how would the average KJ know if Backstage properly licensed or not? They wouldn't.

While we are on the topic of pirate, licensing, theft hypocrisy.....how many self-made karaoke tracks have you created without compensating anyone? Nuff said.

_________________
-Chris

OK....Update some more
22 systems (computers) all with identical music

So 130,000songs x 22computers = pirate?
BTW.....
that's 2.8 million

quack?

Well Sound Choice and DigiTrax were both at Mobile Beat Convention, maybe they should have confronted the guy about it?

Do you honestly believe that a KJ, ANY KJ is spending $500,000 on music?

You are either an idiot or a pirate apologist. Either way, pretty low for a self proclaimed karaoke enthusiast.

It wasn't long ago that people were saying that anyone who had more than 25,000 songs was a pirate. Now that Chris has over 50,000 songs; we're all supposed to change the standard?

As far as my home made tracks are concerned; I believe my grand total is up to 3,107 tracks; keeping in mind that many of them are Vocal Versions. Making a Vocal Version first makes getting the timing down on the swipes much easier. I do believe that Karaoke version and i-tunes have made a few dollars on my purchases. What they do with the money once they get it is none of my concern....kind of like whatever Backstage did with their money, but I'm not claiming to be pure of heart like you are. Am I Chris?

All of this fuss about how many songs people have is such a waste of time. I go to a LIVE BAND KARAOKE show and they only have 400 songs in their library but everyone seems to enjoy themselves. I think I know 250 of the 400 songs so I can keep going there for a while before I have to start repeating songs. Maybe I should report them to the high and mighty because they display lyrics while they play songs? Nah! I don't think I will.

I can say I have spent over 200,000 on my two full and 1 smaller party rig on music. When I bought my pioneer lasers, they were about 120.00 disc for 28 songs, DK was about 45.00. I was thrilled that sound choice was such high quality at 29-35 a disk. Hell, Music Maestro was 30 in the 90's. If I remember my NUtech Lasers were about 75.00 a piece. For those of us who have been at it for a while, it was easy to spend 75,000 per rig over 20 + years.

WOW! According to what I read right here on this forum; 90% of all hosts are pirates. Aren't all of the people who sing at their shows karaoke enthusiasts? I guess you cheer leaders are up against a pretty sturdy brick wall. Do you really think that you will change anything at all by calling people names?

I think a lot of people bought pre-loaded hard drives with hundreds of thousands of songs thinking that they were just getting a really good deal on a bulk purchase. Heck! They found them on a some legitimate looking web sites on the internet. I think some people even bought them on e-bay. In today's world, e-bay is like shopping at K-Mart for Christ's sake. If they bought these hard drives in good faith; I say let 'em be. You can't put the genie back in the bottle. The cheer leaders are just jealous that they had to spend more for their songs and the new generation of KJs got into the business on the cheap. Wake up cheer leaders. Sound Choice doesn't give a rat's a$$ about any of you. They don't even try to force your competitors out of the KJ business. They just want their cut of the pie from your competition. They don't care if you have the pie or the pirate has the pie; as long as they get their slice.

I think you've got that a bit wrong.

We (SC) have historically operated under the presumption that an operator who has fewer than 20,000 tracks (which may be aggregated over multiple rigs) is unlikely to be a pirate, whereas having more than that makes piracy more likely. However, that's just one factor of many we use in making a determination.

It used to be that having 20,000 legitimate tracks represented a very substantial investment in music--often in excess of $30,000, which is a lot of money for most operators. In part because of (but not through) piracy--which has allowed the legitimate market to be flooded with discs as formerly legitimate operators sell off their stock at bargain prices--it is possible to accumulate that number of tracks for quite a bit less money. So we don't rely so much on the raw figure.

I'd be interested to know who the operator is from the original poster's statement. I'd be happy to take a look, and take action if warranted. A private message will suffice.

Oh no Mr. Bill I mean Mr. Jim don't take action, please, anything but that!!!

Beware the wrath of the all knowing and all powerful OZ!

This forum used to be full of honest, law abiding people. People who cared about running an above board Karaoke business. Thieves were taken to task and newbs were instructed on how to obtain legal music.

Now, it's OK to just steal. Take what you want. In fact encourage others to steal too and brag about it! So what if some companies lose money. They deserve it evidently. Why pay for something and run an actual business when you can just steal! Do you teach your kids & grand kids too rob & steal too? Ever mention to your wife, family, church, friends that you steal from US businesses every month? Of course not. Because the hypocrite has no balls. You cant run a business, cant make money, and justify stealing for your lack of business chops.

"Pirate" is a badge of honor now and committing a crime is justified by pointing at the victim and claiming they deserved to be robbed. Karaoke hosts have become the wife beaters of entertainment. Bravo.

Maybe some people here proudly proclaim their badge. But many of us are law abiding folks that purchase our content.

This is much like anything else in the world - Do the right thing and be over looked or chastised for it. But be the vocal minority that has no clue, and get a whole lot of attention.

Bruce is trolling. I won't be feeding him any longer just like I stopped feeding The Lone Ranger.

_________________
-Chris

Really Bazza stealing, thieves, robbing, I'm surprised you didn't say they used the threat of deadly force. This is not a criminal act, the adjectives you are using to describe the problem does not apply. It is the choice of the victim aka the legal process manus, they decided not to seek criminal penalties. They decided to go the civil suit route, since that lowered the bar as far as proving their case. Even with this reduced standard they have been having a hard time winning anything more the the fair retail value of the product in question. That is why they have been looking for out of court settlements, and dismissing cases and then refiling, in an effort to wear down the defendants. Sc is a legal process bully and if they get beat up once in awhile, that is just them getting back what they have been dishing out. Remember you have to be able to take it, if you dish it out.

Does that mean you don't love us anymore Chris, I'm crushed.