Karaoke Forums

And anybody whether lurker or poster that has the patience to sift through all the BS and glean karaoke information world wide from those here that have experienced and know and apply those concepts and tech tips will be a cut above their competition...This I know because I have done it and again I am not sitting here guessing...

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Also many people that don't post are looking for shows to go & the ones that actually can give a location are the ones people seeking karaoke are going to visit.  
BD has blown enough smoke around here, although he has offered some valid points, without anything to back up claims, his points are basically useless because nobody believes a word he says...pretty sad when you come to think of it.  
"I'm the best, but you can't see me!"  You keep claiming that we should all run shows the way you do, well I for 1 would need to see it in action first because I do NOT believe you run your show exactly as you claim.  But since you won't post a location, you can never prove me wrong!

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

It is pretty evident that I don't do karaoke like the majority on here.    I don't play dance music and my show is non stop karaoke music.     I know most of you don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about and how to do it, the way I have described it.    It is how I taught myself how to do it.    It is how I taught my employees and how I would teach you, should you desire to learn it.     There is nothing that can keep a bunch of people (especially singers) more entertained and happy than nonstop karaoke music.

My competition knows me and they know what I have and what I do.   Yet they think they have it all figured out.     No need for them to change.      Don't work as much, but they see nothing wrong with what they are doing.

Tonight, I watched a KJ that comes to my show frequently.   He looked at my full calender, in awe.   I watched him discretely talking to the girls he was with, about my steady employment.    I know why I work so much.   He can't figure it out.   He thinks he has it all figured out already.     He's too busy not working, to figure out the reason he's not working, is because of the way he does it.    And I'm sure it has something to do with his system or lack of it.    

I am here to give all I know and have learned about doing a very successful show.   You can keep doing what you do and that's OK.   But if you want to ramp your income up a knotch, open your ears and shut your mouth.     God designed us that way.     Two ears, to hear twice as much as we speak.     Listening is how you learn.

I know another KJ very well.   Keeps asking everyone what he's doing wrong.    That is in reference to his lack of steady gigs and me blowing him out of the water.   I have never heard his system. (Too Busy Working, He comes to mine pretty often.)   I am told it's not mine, but it isn't bad.    

1. He plays favorites
2. He screws with the way people sound.
3. He can't sing, sounds absolutely horrible.
4. He sucks.
5. He manages to chase away more people than he can draw.

He has been around me for at least 12 years.     Been to many of my shows.   Asks lots of questions.  Looks over every inch of my system.     Has helped set up my systems, on gigs, wire by wire.    Has copied every one of my jokes and props and the way I say and do every little thing.     He could be my clone.      

Now looking at the 5 mentioned items, he did not copy the most important parts of me or my show.   The best part is, he doesn't think he needs to change anything.    But he should still work as much as I do.

Not to be mean, but this is how I veiw many of you.   By the things you say and do.     I can tell the ones that will make it or are making it.     I can tell the ones that won't.     You sound just like my clone.     Knows it all, but knows nothing.    I predict that within 1 year from now, my clone will be out of business or he will commit suicide.     It's just a feeling that I have been getting about him.     He is very unhappy with his lack of karaoke success.   He is a DJ that turned KJ, when he couldn't get enough work from DJing.      He is a nice guy and I like him.   But we are not friends, friends.   We don't go to dinner.    He just doesn't get it.     He can not see that the reason, he can't keep jobs, is because of him.    

What would you call that?  How do you get someone to do a serious self evaluation of themselves and their situation?    How do you tell them they need to change?     What will make them undertstand?     It doesn't take me long to figure out if something I am doing isn't the right thing to do.    I can self evaluate and change whatever it is that needs to be changed.    Is it denial?    Is he denying his lack of success?    Does he think he is a success already?   Why is he asking "What am I doing wrong?"   He is never going to admit he's a jerk.

I also see the ones that do the most finger pointing at me, do not work 5 nights a week.     How come?  :wave:  :hug:

I know that most of us that don't work 5 days a week it is because karaoke is a part-time second job for us.

I for one have a master's degree in English Literature and make about $50,000 a year in corporate communications for a Fortune 500 company. 11 hours a week of karaoke augments my yearly salary to the tune of about $18K more a year and lets me live high on the hog as a single guy. I do not and would not rely on karaoke for my livlihood, mostly because I don't have to and because I enjoy things like my 401ks, paid vacation, stock options, yearly bonuses, and subsidized health insurance. I would never dream of even attempting to work 5 days a week even if it fell into my lap because my career path at my day job is far more secure and lucrative than karaoke will ever be, so I would never jepordize that.

I would venture to say that 85% of the KJs in the world don't do it full-time. There is nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with doing it full time, but there are certainly an good number of us on this board that could be working 5-7 days a week if that is what we put all of our professional effort into!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

I do karaoke 3 nights a week sometimes more with a full time job and
it is murder sometimes. I'd say if you have a full time job 2 nights a week is
plenty. It doesn't mean you are not a good karaoke host just because you don't do more.

The thing I have to disagree about BD is most of these people aren't asking you how to be exactly like you because they have found what works for them. You are trying to change what they are doing when it is already working for them. Most of the people who are disagreeing with you are people who are successful Karaoke hosts and don't have the need to be told they are doing it wrong.

I am pure karaoke as you call it. We probably have more in common than the rest.
There are things we do differently, but that is because our crowd and venues may differ. My people like a stage. My people don't use the expensive cordless mic. I give them the choice and they pick the stage and the wired mics. You get attacked because you tell everyone do it this way or you will not be successful. Now I find myself fairly successful at my job, but don't tell you because you don't do it my way you will fail. Do you understand where I am coming from?

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

You will actually tell someone where you play if they are looking  :wave:  :yes:

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[shadow=deepskyblue]I'm impressed, I've never met such a small mind inside such a big head before.[/shadow]

It's not my way or the highway.    I see people talking about how much they are doing things right.     Then wonder why they have no jobs or can't keep the ones they stumble in to.   I offer proven suggestions and methods to change and improve the odds of being successful.   So we don't have to compete with undercutters.    If we didn't have the undercutters screwing things up, we could work 2 nights a week and make as much as 6 nights now.


1.  Some people have a 2-3 drawer machine and still load one at a time.     Breaks in the music.   Wasting singers time, when it is absolutely unneccessary.

2.  Waiting for people to come to the stage.     Killing more singing time.    The dead air is the excuse to play filler music.

3.  You can not start a McDonalds Franchise with half of the equipment and investment needed.    They won't let you and it won't work.   But I see lots of people talking about starting their karaoke business on a shoestring.   Failure is just a matter of time.     Any successful business needs to have the right startup investment.    A halfa**ed investment gives you a halfa**ed chance at success.

4.  This leads to the main reason so many have to be undercutters.    They didn't plan for success.    :no:    

5.  Maybe they just thought it would be a nice little, fun job.    It is most of the time.   But any business is always more business than fun.   Especially when you are not making as much money as you thought or what you need, to pay the bills.    You still need a firm financial foundation to start out.

6.  I have seen way too many that thought they could do it, fall by the wayside.     They lay in BIGDOG pooh now.    Shoestringers fade away quickly.

7.  Even when I had my full time job, I worked karaoke 5 nights a week.   It's not fun and certainly not easy.     I also had 3 systems going at one point.    In my 14 years of doing karaoke, the karaoke money has always been better than my full time job.    As much as 2-3 times better.     I'm making almost twice the money right now.

8.  Call it what you want, but playing dance music is taking you farther away from karaoke with every nonkaraoke note.     IMO longterm, this will lead to the end of your "karaoke" business.     Not next week or next month, but in a year or two.      Time will tell.      Oh..... you'll still be a DJ, that does some karaoke.    And you may have to undercut that.

How much do you want to succeed?   Are you willing to make the proper startup investment.    When the time comes to do the honest evaluation of you and your business, will you be ready to fix what's broke?     Will you know what broke it?   Will there be time to correct it, before it's too late?    

I would rather see all of you succeed,  :hug: than turn in to udercutters to survive and screw up my chances to make as much as I should be.

Agree with 2 or more players, I have 4 in my rack.



It's already been determined that the majority of singers like a stage, I know ours prefer it.  Again, i've had those come in that think no stage is a joke.



Not true, maybe not as easy today, but you can still get quality (albeit smaller) on a relatively small budget ($5000) & be able to upgrade as you go along.



The undercutters are the ones that don't have any startup costs, pirated hard drives & non-quality systems.



Many take it as a fun way & realize it is actually work then don't take it as serious.



You really need to keep bringing yourself up, it doesn't make you look better.



Jumping on the bandwagon with others - WHERE?



If that's the way crowds dictate the change of karaoke, so be it.  Most of these people are here to work & will do whatever change is neccesary.  I know i'm not locked into any one genre of entertainment, nor do I want to be.  Karaoke is just 1 part, happens to be my main part, but if it dies, then it dies - it's a natural cycle of life & happens with all forms of entertainment eventually, some will always stick around, but not to the extent they once were.  Ever hear of Vaudville?

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That's the whole point.   I got in business to be a KJ to play & sing karaoke music.   I didn't get in to play and do everything but, just to keep working.      Picking pop cans is working too.    In between the little karaoke and big dance music sets, you can go out and clean the parking lot.

I still maintain complete confidence in my KJ abilities.    I don't have to substitute it with anything else.

No time to kill between singers waiting to be called to the stage.    This is not nor has it ever been my idea of a professsional.

When all of the karaoke singers quit coming to the "Dance" shows, will you still call yourself a KJ?

I will still be called a KJ, till I Die.   If my way of doing karaoke would catch on across the country, a lot of you would be out of business.

I refer to the so-called KJs that I personally have known and seen crash and burn.   They thought they were going to put me out of business.  They lay under my feet.   Speaking from my personal experiences.

My biggest karaoke month ever, was over $11,000.   It may have been the way the month fell, week wise.     Many $10,000 months, $9,000 months.    I never made that much at my full time job.     With one system right now, just under $3,000 a month.   $45,000 a year at karaoke.    And not playing one dance song.

TopherM,

Congratulations on your new gig!!  It sure feels great when they hire you based on their personal opinion of your work! Kudos!

Susie

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You do it in the shower,
you do it in the car,
Ccome do it with us,
and be a star!!!!

Karaoke with Full House Entertainment

[scroll]Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean...... [/scroll]

Great, karaoke works for you & your area wherever that may be - who really cares?  The point is, pure karaoke doesn't work for all & the ones that do pure karaoke in an area that don't demand it anymore are going to be the ones that are out of work.  Your area obviously demands pure karaoke.



This is a ludacris statement if i've ever heard one.  HOW can you consider a stage non-professional?  Bands play on stage, you do not see them sitting at their tables!  Performers/entertainers perform on stages - why, to be seen, which the majority of singers like as well - not to be hidden in the crowd, .  But do not call those who use stages unprofessional, it's not.  Slamming another company for doing something you don't like IS unprofessional!



First off, if dance music doesn't get people interested I don't do it, only gets done IF I have enough requestes for it.  Rarely do I do it at all, I try to keep it karaoke as much as possible, but yes on occasion I get requests for dance music - mostly line dance music & YES it is nearly always requested by the singers primarily.  But no if singers quit coming in & continue to work doing dance music I will be back to being a dj, doesn't matter to me, work is work & i'm not going to turn down work just because I am narrow mindedly locking into one kind of entertainment.  But yes I will still consider myself a kj AND a dj AND a live sound engineer AND a recording engineer just as I do now.  Karaoke again happens to be my main gig right now, but I do it all.



Before you make idiodic accusations, you should visit some of the shows on this board, you can find them all!



Yep i've seen this as well.



Pretty hung up on money to keep quoting how much you make.  To many that do the karaoke/dj mix, they actually make more.  My company works 7 nights out of the same place for 14 years - with a stage, with lights, corded mics, an occasional dance song & still people come in without having to do cattle call karaoke.  I run transition music between singers, usually less than 15 seconds.  I'm not going to go into $$ figures here, it doesn't impress anyone except the one that brings it up!  

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Regarding playing hip hop / dance music at karaoke venues, I also believe it depends on your audience.  At a place I go, we sometimes play dance music between 12am - 12:45am.  Only about 3 songs though.  Just to give everyone a chance to boogy.  

If people don't dance much on the first song, then we go right back to karaoke.  If it goes well, then we play about 3 songs, then back to karaoke.

It's pretty much our only break during the night with CD music being played.

Also some people do sing karaoke rap songs at the place I go.  Usually about 3 or 4 a night.  It's usually a hit.

Also when we come out of the dance break, we try and set it up where a faster tempo karaoke song comes on, so the singer won't feel so out of place.

Here are some discs to grab if you guys are looking to get some participation in the rap / hip hop karaoke songs...

Gin & Juice - Snoop Doggy Dogg song is on Sound Choice disc# 8612.
This is the "Can't Stop The Hip-Hop Vol. 1" disc.

Forgot about Dre - Dr. Dre and Eminem rap duet is on Sound Choice disc# 8656.
This is the "Can't Stop The Hip-Hop Vol. 2" disc.

Ice Ice Baby & The Humpty Dance are on Sound Choice disc# 8486.
This is the "Hits Of The 90's Vol. 3" disc.

Without Me & Lose Yourself by Eminem are on Sound Choice disc# 8797.
This is the "Best Of The Hip Hop Nation 2002" disc.

Several Beastie Boys songs are on Sound Choice disc# 2312.
This is the "Hits of Beastie Boys Vol. 1" disc.

In general, the "Can't Stop The Hip-Hop" series by Sound Choice has several songs your singers may like to do.  I believe they have up to Volume 4 out right now.

Some of these are explicit lyrics though, so don't play these songs in a church setting.

I said waiting for people to get to the stage was unprofessional, not the stage.

Re-read it.

Killing the time people could be singing.


Don't make me something I'm not.

A lot of us think you're a big windbag.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

A very successful karaoke business owning, windbag.    Mr. Windbag, to you.

Not if it's done right & the singers know how things work.  I rarely have more than 15 seconds in between any given singer, usually it's closer to a 5 second or so turnaround.  Next song is always cued up so there is no loading time - I call their name when the current song is ending - if there is an outro, that is the transition music to the next singer.  Next singer is up, their song starts while fading out last song.  If there is no outro, transition music goes up for a couple of seconds while I call the next singer, make a quick bar announcement & start their song.

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