Karaoke Forums

If we all did it the same, we'd have nothing to talk about. Well,...maybe in most karaoke forums......  This forum is more of a cross between "Karaoke tips and As The World Turns."  "Will Kappy come out of his deep sleep?..Will Keith find the woman who can wash dishes; cook and sweep all at the same time?  Can Bigdog find true love other than the mirror?........Turn in next week as we............. Just kidding guys; just kidding.

Kelly

I am one of those people who don't carry dups. The only duplicate songs I have
is if the song is done by a different artist. I personally like it this way because it cuts down on book size. I have a lot of sings and the books were getting out of hand. Another nice thing is people aren't constantly asking me what is the best version. You know what I mean. That used to drive me crazy. I'd always point out the sound choice version. Then if they didn't like that one they'd want me to stop it and try the other one. Now they only have one choice. It hasn't been a problem. Actually - I've never had anyone ask if I had a different version. It was a lot of work for me to go through all the songs and only pick the high quality tracks. For me it was worth it I no longer have 6 versions of Hound Dog in the style of Elvis.  LMAO Just a personal preference not saying it is right or wrong.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

That's a good arguement Babs.

Sorry, poor choice of words.

Oh man - not an argument just a personal preference  :D

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

As Kurt said Karaoke is very competitive here and there are fewer and fewer KJ's that are true professionals. I can count the good ones on both hands which is really sad.

However my bookings are up and business is good. In the past 8-9 years all of my bar bookings have come by way of referral from other bar owners or customers. My private party bookings have been from referral as well.

I think if you give the customers what they want, treat them good, provide a good selection, and excellent sound you will have an endless stream of bars and or individuals seeking your services because of your reputation in your marketplace.

Our market is by far less densely populated as many Midwest or East Coast cities so getting referrals is much easier as our market is much smaller.

One of the primary reasons for going to computer was not to be different than the rest of my competition, it was to solve the disc handling problems, damage etc. and to speed up my rotation due to less downtime.  I have always accepted the customers personal discs as my software allows for importing and including their song in the rotation without the use of an external player.

I agree with Knightshow regarding being computerized and not offering a way to play your customers discs....I think this is a dis-service to them. However if it is normally not an issue in the places that you play then...no big deal.  I have always had alot of customers that have custom discs and so it is a big deal for me.

Many folks get into using a computer for karaoke that never should have gone that route in the first place. Many times the cannot adapt to the problems when the occur due to limited knowledge or lack of troubleshooting skills. This is where staying with discs and a player make sense.

One thing is for sure....when I go out to karaoke here in portland I'm prepared to invest plenty of time in trying new spots to find one or two that are up to my standards. Seems like when I do find one...it does not last more than 6-8 months and then it's history. The KJ quits due to being treated or paid unfairly. Bar owners here can be real boneheads.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

I guess I must consider myself luck for the state oif karaoke in my area.  I have 3 regular re-occuring gigs (30 mile radius) and get from $175 to $250 per night.  @ of the place, we don't do gigs in the summer, but that allows me to do a lot of weddings and private parties.

In my town, about 6,000 people, there are 3 bars.  Each bar has karaoke.  The first, where I gig at, has it Thrs & Fri nites.  The 2nd, has it every Saturday nite, and the 3rd has it about once a month.  My gig and the Saturday one, usualy draws a decent crowd, at least more people than on an off karaoke night.  ANd we all get paid around the same, within $50.

So again, I guess I should consider myself VERY lucky.

Karaoke in Pittsburgh PA is absolutely Depressing! My friends and I have been singing for about 15 years together and not to be egotistic but it's a talented bunch of people,who know GOOD SOUND. We are 40ish +50ish and sing alot of R&B and Oldies. 99-Percent of the venues the KJs use underpowered Powered Mixers that they turn up so loud that it's nothing but a distorted mess,It sounds like you are singing into a empty toilet paper roll! or are full of twentysomething screamers that wouldn't know if it sounds good or not. Its Hard to find a decent place to sing around here! I have more and better equipment in my Basement than these people that do this for a living. There is only one karaoke company here that I Would Consider to be truly Professional, this guy lives and breathes karaoke and is a singer himself. We look foward to his Oldies Only karaoke on Sunday nights. we sing alot of harmonies and he uses 3 good cordless mics,good effects, compressors, and Powerful amplifiers and speakers. Most Of these KJs Would'nt know a compressor if it hit them on the head! SAD SAD SAD  :bawling:

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Man Must Know His Limitations -Clint Eastwood

Good point about compressors Tommy Tunes. Most of the KJs around here don't use compressors. You can imagine what kind of problems that creates.

Karaoke in our club is starting to die off after 14 years.  Part of our allure was that we are kind of tucked in the middle of nowhere, now because of gas prices & high DUI laws, it's becoming a major drawback.  We already lost Sunday night - they think bands will draw better - they should know better, they used to have bands before karaoke years ago & the band nights were always dead then which is why they opted for karaoke in the first place.  Our weekends still slam, but the weeknights are very sporadic anymore.  Some of the regs i've talked to say they are settling for venues closer to home even with crappier systems & selections or not going out at all as often.

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

I can easily see that happening at the T-Bird---it is kinda way out there. And gas is what gas is. I even saw some of that when I was there last--it was a Friday night and it wasnt SRO that evening. Not like when i stopped in there the time before. As to the bands---I agree with good luck on sunday night drawing a crowd to pay a band.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

I think it is definitely a form of entertainment if not a social phenomenon that is taking over this country and getting more popular. That said, I have been to karaoke places locally that have switched to computer and can't play my own cdg disk, or don't want to. One of them said I have to give it to them in advance so they can copy the whole thing to their disk before I can use one of the songs off the disk. Others don't seem to know how to switch been the computer and the player. I've also had some give me a bit of trouble if I bring in a copy of a disk. I've had to show the original first, before they would use a copy for fear of copyright liability.

Bill

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The Truth Is Out There

Karaoke in my area isn't quite as popular as it was 4 years ago. A few nights have been cut out, but business in general is a little slower all around.  I really think Karaoke will hang in, but I believe we are heading into a transitional period.  What we are transitioning to, I haven't a clue though. Once something new is discovered, only at that point can we know what will come of Karaoke.

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

And will Laura EVER figure out what the heck is going on here???? (Probably not!   )

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I love being a mom!

   I was just dreaming about these exact things !




Yeah,  but like Sand thru the hourglass,  so are the days of our lives

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

Morning Kappy hope you slept well I am just thinking of falling into the sack

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

From what I can see here in NJ is that Karaoke is still a viable form of entertainment for many small to medium venues.  There are plenty of "karaoke" bars usually small with a halfway decent KJ .  The BIGGER clubs type venues usually down the Jersey Shore for the summer all have a karaoke NIGHT ...never  on the weekend always on an off night and usually mixed with a lot of regular Dance Music etc etc . almost like a COMBO night. These medium size clubs usually have BANDS on the weekends as in this area there is no shortage of cover and orginal music bands.

My steady Saturday gig is at a bar located at the marina and as Lonnie said
due to  GAS and DWI laws etc .I get a LOT of locals in the place.
Karoke is good there and I usually get a handful of regulars who come down each and every week.  I work full time so one day a week for ME right now is okay.
I would love to get anotehr HIGHER paying gig and be able to offer MORE if an entertainment value .

twansenne,

What kinda business do you do on an average night at the place where you pull down $250?? I was thinking about asking for a $25 a night raise from $175 to $200 on my Saturday nights. I consistently pull 150-200 people each and every Saturday for the past 2 years. I know the waitresses pull down about $300 each on my Saturday nights, and I feel that I am the one getting those people there!!

The main thing is that my bar owner cut my Wednesday night take from $175 to $125 about 4 months ago because they were very inconsistent (through still about 30-40 people on a BAD night, probably average around 50-60, had 100+ last Wed.) AND he stopped covering my bar tab, which I NEVER abused and was always only $12 each night. I'll give him the slower business rationale, but by the same token I should get paid more on nights when I draw in tons of business, like 95% of Saturdays.


Another peave of mine is that the guy down the street makes the same amount of $$ as I do to work BETTER hours (he works 7-11), less hours (I work 11 a week, he works 8 ), and better days (Thursdays and Sundays). He probably averages about 30 people a night on Thursdays and about 20 people a night on Sundays. I can only ASSUME that the bar is making $$$ while paying him that amount, so does that mean that I am underpaid??

So, I guess I want to know basically if I am putting 150+ people in the place, what is a reasonable amount for him to pay for my services where he still makes a great profit??

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C Mc
KJ, FL

If you do ask for an increase in pay let me know how it goes in a pm. I have been thinking about doing the same. It is such a touchy subject with these penny pinching bar owners. I feel like I need to have a back up replacement gig just in case I tick him off. I know I have every right to ask, I've just been a big chicken about it. Sometimes i think I should just be glad I have a steady gig 3 nights a week and be happy. The pay has been the same for 8 yrs. I get paid $50 less for Saturday nights than Fridays nights for the same hours of work. Don't ask me why, it was like that when I took over for another guy. I just would like to get the same pay on Sat. as I do as Fridays and maybe $25 more for my wednesdays. It sounds reasonable to me, but I know he'll through a fit. Just as a side note, my gig is very close to my home and I leave my equipment there. It is very convenient and I don't want to go any where else.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

In the 3 bars previously metionened, the max capacity of the ars is probably about 100 (give or take).  There is usualy anywhere from 20-50 people at the bar, with a singing rotation from 5 to 20 depending on the time of night.  

On the Thrs/Fri gig we get $175, since we can leave the equipment setup, and are booked till the end of time.

The 2nd gig, is at a bar a freind of mine owns, so I charge him $200

The last gig I get my full $250.

I know there are KJs in the area that charge less, some charge a LOT less.  I guess I get the price becasue I can.  I have the best equipment in the area.  I don't have the biggest song selection in the area, but I keep it updated with monthly additions of "new release" songs (Pop Hits Monthly).

SOme of the compeating bars in the are change KJ eveytime a new one comes along.  I always hear that they can guarantee they will draw a crowd, but always fail.  Whenever I look for a new gig, I always tell the owner/mgr that I can't draw the crowd, but if they do come I will keep em there.

Champaign and Urbana combined (twin cities) have just over 100,000 people.  It's a college town so we have more than our fair share of pubs and taverns.  As far as I know there are no places specifically designated "karaoke bars," but between all the different places in town you can find at least one show pretty much any night of the week, and on some nights you'll have a selection of places to choose from.

There are so many factors that go into the experience that I hesitate to say which shows are really first-rate and which ones suck because so much is out of the KJ's control.  There's one KJ I know who does shows at three different places on a regular basis and sometimes does one-time shows at others.  Sometimes I think his shows are really good and sometimes they're really flat, depending on where he's operating.  He has a regular show at a bar near my house which I go to a lot because of the location, but to be honest the place is a dump and the crowd, while enthusiastic, isn't really my type of crowd.  Besides that, there have been a number of fights there (though not while I was there) and one guy got hit with a baseball bat and his car stolen from the parking lot.

Another place has a crowd where I don't really fit in, but the KJ is good and most importantly, it starts early enough that I'm not already in bed by the time the show is supposed to start.

One of the basic problems with karaoke from the singer's perspective (mine, at least) is that I like to have a nice supportive crowd there (otherwise I'd just sing on my home machine) but the bigger the crowd, generally the bigger the rotation and the longer the wait.  The best bars with the best shows tend to have the most people, and I hate to wait an hour or more to sing.   So sometimes I'll go to smaller places with mediocre shows so that I can sing more.

Generally I'm happy that there's enough interest that I even have a choice.  I'd say the karaoke community in our town is pretty vibrant.

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Reward: nine yen in drawer.