Karaoke Forums

I have been buying karaoke equipment for the past couple of years with intentions  of starting up a little kj/dj buisness .I was wandering if anyone out there could help me with prices , I dont have a clue what to charge for either service Im going to base my buisness with a comic style kj show insead of just the basic stand and sing deal. I have a 1000 watt amp with 2 pv 12s ,2 pv 8s and a pv 15 w/2 10s for lows  the bars im am targeting usually have 25 to 100 people on fri/sat nights (north louisiana) I am also considering the CAVS-199 machine w/21,000 kj and 10,000 dj songs on it for around $2,600.00 is this a desent deal and is this the right machine for me ? I dont mind paying the price if its really worth it .  If anyones out there that could give me any useful info I would really appriciate it, and Ive already called the local djs and know one wants to help  thanks - w2kusa@netscape.net

You may want to post this in the tech forum.

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

Price is, What you are worth.   What is the competition charging?  How good are you at entertaining and keeping a crowd?    How good is your competition at getting and keeping a crowd?   What's your time worth?   What a bar owner is willing to pay you.   How technically good are you with your equipment?  Worse than the competition?   Better than the competition?   No competition.    Lots of competition.

What is the going rate in your area, what is the quality of the competition, do you have a following?  These are all going to factors on what you can charge.
In our area nowdays, the going rate is anywhere from $100-175(if you're lucky) per night for club work.  Private shows you can still get a pretty good price.

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

hey thanks for the info  but still doesnt help  the compettion wont give many info  and as for my sucess at keeping a crowd i know with the line up it im going to have it will eventually blow any1 else around here away all i see around  here is a buncha drunks thinkin there the next toby keith or martina mcbride  i realize im one of those too but i want to add more to that experience by makin it more of a show instead of just sign the slip and sing hence the name " the will cook karaoke xperience" how could i go wrong ? isnt that worth a few $s and wouldnt u come to see it?

You can always call the competition & say you are a bar looking for new karaoke, but do not want to divulge the name at this time due to the fact we have karaoke currently & am pricing around for a new company.

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

Don't forget to block your number.    :whistle:

That is about the going rate in many of the places on the East Coast.  And because the towns are so much smaller I think there are many more KJ's in a smaller area. So even if you deserve more, have more and are just plain better, there will be someone try to underbid you.  So, personally I think that is a fair price to charge depending on your area.  But experiment a little.  Ask questions.  Start with a "First Time Rate".  Give the owners a break to get things going, build up the crowd, etc, and then you can add to the price.  But talk to them first, and let them know that this is just a trial 4-6 week period.  If you ae bringing the crowd in they will then have no problem giving you the higher rate after the 4-6 weeks.  Be up front with them.

First off, make sure all of the music on this CAVs unit is licensed, or else you will be subject to criminal prosecution AND you bar will be subject to losing their liquor license. CAVs is a shade of gray in this business because they typically have HAD all of their pre-loaded music licensed at some point in time, but don't necessarily HAVE it all licensed by the time you buy it. The only sure way to be in 100% compliance is to have all of the original discs included, and I'm not aware of CAVs offering that.

As far as your going rate, the AVERAGE going rate in most major cities around the country seems to be about $125 for an average KJ in an average small bar, $150 for a good KJ in a mildly popular bar, and $175 for a really good KJ in a really good bar.

Remember that the real bottom line is how many paying patrons you put in the seats, so if you work at a place that only has room for about 30 patrons a night, even if you fill the place the bar owner can't justify paying you more than he is going to make as a result of you being there, i.e., the EXTRA income you produce for him ABOVE what he would be making if you were not there.

If I were in your shoes as a new KJ, I'd be looking for a bar owner that is a good man/woman that is willing to pay you at least $100-125 a night. Use this first gig to get your feet wet and perfect your shows.

If you develop a really good product, then use your good reputation to market yourself to the best and biggest bars in the area and you should be able to name your price (again, depending on the size of the bar and how many extra butts you are going to put in the seats!!) It is all good, simple economics!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

W2,
reading your post it seems you are attempting a variation of a typical KJ show.
If you're talking about adding an entertainment value to your show in the form of Comdey that sounds interesting.  Any value added services you can offer a VENUE you should expect a higher fee.  

If you're attemping to gauge the comp prices , don't be afraid to contact the bar manager at places that already have Karaoke Shows - You'll be surpised that many will tell you what they typical pay. Explain to them you are just starting out and need to know the "going pay rate".  

Good luck

W2,
reading your post it seems you are attempting a variation of a typical KJ show.
If you're talking about adding an entertainment value to your show in the form of Comdey that sounds interesting.  Any value added services you can offer a VENUE you should expect a higher fee.  

If you're attemping to gauge the comp prices , don't be afraid to contact the bar manager at places that already have Karaoke Shows - You'll be surpised that many will tell you what they typical pay. Explain to them you are just starting out and need to know the "going pay rate".  

Good luck

hey guys thanks alot this info has got my wheels rolling its really helpful , any advice or suggestions in the future please let me know at w2kusaATnetscapDOTnet