Karaoke Forums

Now honestly, I'm not trying to stir up any trouble here. I'm just curious and trying to get a little more of an accurate consensus if possible. How would you prefer to pay for the cost of karaoke entertainment in a bar?  No fighting please!  LOL What you would consider to be a reasonable cover charge, drink price increase or song fee.

Personally my preference would be none of the above. If the bar has entertainment, then that's part of running the business. I know some places charge a cover for live bands, which is understandable since live bands generally want to charge more.  
But bumping up the price under any circumstances for Karaoke is more or less penalizing the customers for wanting to come out and sing. Think how many people you would turn away by charging for Karaoke, because the average mindset is still, 'Hey it's just Karaoke, and if I'm not gonna sing, why should I have to pay for it', see what I'm saying. Karaoke actually requires audience participation, whereas a live band is more or less background noise for folks just wanting to go out and have a good time.
Granted more folks get up and dance to a live band, but it's not necessary that you even have to pay attention to them, they're just kinda there unless it's a show band or a concert type bar.
Now on the other hand, if I went to a Karaoke bar that had a good Host that I was familiar with, yeah I'd pay a couple of bucks to participate. But when folks pay for Karaoke, there's a presumed obligation, and some folks would try to use that as leverage when they felt they weren't getting their fair share of the spotlight.
By not charging, you keep everything on neutral ground, and everyone gets treated fairly, provided you have an adequate host running the show.
Just my two cents.

_________________
I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

I agree in part James.  However, there is a cost attached to all forms of entertainment in any establishment.  Jukeboxes, pool tables and electronic dart boards have the cost built-in.  Bands and karaoke do not.  A slight increase in drink prices easily covers the cost.  Live bands pretty much went out of style here due to the cost of having 4+ people, their gear, etc. and you have to pay union scale.  KJs don't have a union and the bar owner is only having to cover 1 person with gear.  Or, you can simply put in satellite and become a sports bar.

These days when there is greater pressure on the bar owner to be responsible for how much he/she serves to a customer the reduced cost of a KJ and the fact you don't have to remodel the bar to get rid of the stage should be cost effective unless other factors are reducing the clientelle.

I agree with James.  None of the above.  Good karaoke will bring in the customers.  You don't need to raise drink prices to make karaoke pay for itself.   A band cover charge, yes .  A charge for karaoke to the customer in any fashion,...NO.

Kelly

You know, as I sit here thinking about all of this, I'm almost about to contradict myself from my earlier statement. I have been to a bar that did have a dollar cover charge for Karaoke. What it did, was separate the dedicated individuals from the riffraff that's too cheap to pay any kind of cover. I mean if somebody's too cheap to pay a buck, do you really think you're going to make that much off of them anyway. I don't even drink anymore, but when I order a soda which runs a buck in most bars around here, I still tip a buck. Just because it's not a beer or something doesn't mean that it's any less service to the individual. You wait your turn, you get your drink just like everyone else, you leave a tip. I mean it's just a buck, but that one dollar can make a difference to the bartender or barmaid who serve you, remember a tip is a tip and those who tip regardless of what they're drinking will always get served faster.

So I can see where a cover charge might be acceptable, but I'm still kinda out to jury on this one. Perhaps some other folks have been to a place that charges a cover for Karaoke. Interesting topic just the same.

James

_________________
I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

Raising the drink prices a freakin' quarter on entertainment night isn't going to break anyone.   The Bar owner has to shell out his hard earned money to pay a quality KJ, like myself.     I'm worth more than he pays me.     So to get the quality that I provide you should be grateful to pay an extra quarter.    Had some singers in tonight that went to check out a new KJ.    Ended up coming to me to tell the tale of woe.   Cheap speakers total feedback.   Never sang a song, just turned around and left.    Not a good business builder.  

Doesn't matter what the bar onwer charges if nobody wants to stay.....



No free ride, pay for your entertainment.     It doesn't even make sense that this would be such a hard topic to rectify.    What are your reasons for not wanting to support the entertainment?    You don't work for free.  So why should anyone else?    Your boss can not afford to pay you more money than he makes.   You will not have a job in a few weeks, tops.    The business needs to make a profit, period.   Paying out for quality entertainment takes cash.      Maybe I just answered my own question.    Most of the hacks aren't worth paying for.    :O

That said, I wouldn't go to a place that charged a cover for karaoke.    I would pay the extra quarter for my one drink, that I would carefully nurse, until closing time.

I'm starting to think that a flat, not too steep cover charge would work the best. That may be the most equal across the board way to handle it.

I pay cover charge....Ten bucks for me and my wife to get in the door....Then spend another 30 to 50 on drinks & food....and only get to sing one song each in a three hour and 30 min period......Not worth it to me....to be honest!

I would not pay a cover charge or a fee per song to sing.  I will pay an extra for a drink.  Having the price built into the drink price more or less makes the cost invisible.  How many people know exactly what all the drink prices are...Probably not many unless you are in the bar day and night 7 days a week.  And those that are may want to take a step back and take a look at themselves.  

Now if charging a per song price such as they do in Hawaii is the way it is done then I would go with that.   Much like if I went to Malaysia and sang with Jian.  Their culture there is much different than it is here in the USA, I would go with it.

But here in the USA I would never go to a place that charges a cover due to if you get inside and you don't like the song selection or it is just not your kind of place you are out that money right up front.  

I frequently tip my Karaoke host because I know they don't get paid enough.

_________________
Will sing or fish for food!!I'm not quite right!!

Not that I don't forget once in a while, but I try to tip a buck for every song I sing.....so if it was mandatory, there would be no change in my expense. I don't do bars anymore, but when I did, I didn't accept tips, though some people would just leave them on my equiptment. Kjs aren't a big expense for an owner, and if karaoke brings in 20 people during the night, it has paid for itself.....no need to do anything different. Raising drink prices will alienate some customers, just like sub par food will keep them from comming back. Here's something I haven't heard mentioned.....too many singers, will cause good singers to find another place to sing.......a rotation of 30 or more, and you might get 2 turns in 4 hours. Some kjs in my area will let a new singer come up sooner, and there are singers that hop from bar to bar with the same song sometimes.........just for this reason.....has anybody seen this guys.....?

Well, I voted for higher drink prices, even though I said in the past that I would not pay more for a drink just because there is karaoke. Now, keep in mind my altered opinion is based on some presumptions.

1. Bar has some type of entertainment every night of the week.
2. Bar has lower "happy hour" prices during the day.

Based on this, I am already paying more to cover karaoke if I am there at night instead of during happy hour. Or the live band.

_________________
[glow=darkorchid]Musica delenit bestiam feram[/glow]

I just go with the flow. If the prices are higher on drinks then so be it.  I just sing for fun. I don't go out very often anyway.  I prefer to stay at home and sing.  No cover. No tipping the KJ.  Unless the KJ is Moe then he just slaps me and I do the curly shuffle.woop, woop, woop.

_________________
Cert Nee...nyuk, nyuk, nyuk

Actually, I'd like to pay for it with s@xual favors.......but I think she's just to proud to accept my gratuities.....

Cover charge - except instead of just paying, you get the cover charge back in the form of a token which is redeemable for the amount paid.  If you choose to not drink or sip 1 all night, you at least paid to play.  If you plan on drinking, then there is no issue as that goes toward your drinks anyway!

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

Bar owner pays the DJ/KJ. No cover. Added surcharge on drinks is ok. No $ per song. Tip the KJ if you feel generous and think he's doing a good job--just like a waitress or bartender.

_________________
"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

Great topic !!
I agree with Isis. The bar I am in now was bought and I inherited a new owner.
When he took over he raised the drink prices 25 cents just on karaoke and band nights. What happened was the regulars who are at the bar 24/7 complained at first.
The people who come in for karaoke never noticed because they think that is the price all the time. Now it is 3 years later and everyone is used to the prices going up on entertainment nights. No one cares.

I personally don't like the cover charge idea for a band or karaoke. I know people who will avoid bars that have a cover for entertainment. I've never seen a bar charge a cover for karaoke, but there are several places in Chicago that will charge cover for a band. I'm under enough pressure to get as many singers into a night as I can without people complaining they paid for a cover charge and never got to sing or only sang once. YIKES !!

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

wow a double post - woops, sorry

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

I think that karaoke should pay for itself by drawing in the customers and entertaining the ones that are already there. If the show is a good one, it will pay for itself easily and the bar should be happy with the deal.

If the bar owner needs to raise the drink prices in order to cover the cost of entertainment then so be it.

_________________
FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

So what a few people seem to be saying is that ideally, karaoke should draw in enough EXTRA business to at least pay for it's self and hopefully make the bar some extra profit. No extra charge of any kind should be required?  Should a bar even bother having karaoke on some weeknights that are consistently slow?

[ I'm under enough pressure to get as many singers into a night as I can without people complaining they paid for a cover charge and never got to sing or only sang once. YIKES !![/quote

Excellent point.....