Karaoke Forums

Some folks have stated that they would not play a homemade karaoke track that a customer brought into their show. I was wondering if there really is something for them to be worrying about and what are the odds that someone or some company would be interested in stopping someone from using a CD+G file that they had made at home?

Lonman has stated that he has made some homemade karaoke files. Do you use these tracks in any of your shows, Lonnie? Do you think that you are doing anything wrong if you are using them in your shows? Has anyone ever brought a home made track to one of your shows? Was he or she allowed to sing their song or did they get a big NO from the KJ?

I made something like 15 or 16 tracks, but KV eventually produced the video versions for most which I did replace with, still waiting on a few. I wasn't comfortable using them, but they weren't done much to begin with - mostly songs I wanted to sing.
No one has ever actually brought in a home made track for regular music - at least graphics, on occasion someone will bring in an instrumental. I have had several bands bring in their own originals with & without words on screen.

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Well, it doesn't look like anyone has had any legal problems for playing a homemade disc. Is it because no one will play them or because no one ever brings them in? It would seem to me that companies that produce these backing tracks wouldn't stay in business for very long if people weren't buying their products and making karaoke tracks from them. Same thing for companies like Karaoke Builder Studio. Why would people go through the trouble of making homemade karaoke tracks if they couldn't use them at karaoke bars? Isn't that the entire point of it all? It seems to be the logical step for people who like to sing their favorites songs. People used to buy discs with their favorite songs if the local KJ didn't have them. Now if the local KJ doesn't have them and the karaoke manufacturers don't have them; you just make it yourself for your own personal use. Problem solved. But now with KJs afraid that they can be sued for anything and everything, some KJs, here anyway, are balking at the idea of playing a customer's disc for fear of being taken to court.

It's kind of like Harley Davidson threatening to file a law suit against me because I built my own motorcycle.

Again the people I know that bring in discs with graphics they built themselves are people in bands swiping their own original songs. Never had anyone bring in a homemade track.
I'm sure people are using the programs for their own use, but I have yet to see one.

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...So, if you didn't know the customer, would you play their "Homemade-Burnt CDG?" Not trying to instigate anything here by asking you, just curious...

Most likely!

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Booking my flight to Seattle.

.....what would be cause/causes......for rejections?...

Condition of disc - my player don't play scratched discs very well anymore

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So it's safe to say that you aren't worried about any legal issues when it comes to playing a homemade haraoke track, right?

Again, not really going to worry about it. The club pays their PRO fees, that would be whom i'd be most worried about coming in. Now if I was playing in a club that wasn't paying them (first I wouldn't be there if I knew it), then i'd probably have a more taut policy against playing them.

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So what you're really saying is if the club isn't paying their PRO fees; you would be in pretty much the same trouble for playing a Sound Choice original disc as you'd be in for playing someone's homemade disc, right?

No karaoke manufacturer like Sound Choice or Stellar could come into your venue and have a reason to take you to court for playing somene's homemade karaoke tracks, right?

I honestly do not know the answer. Only my assumptions. I would only play a homemade track knowing that the club is paying their fees. Whether that covers it or not remains to be seen - this is speculation on anyones part.
I know clubs that have been busted for NOT paying these fees and the kj was swept along with them for NOT having licensed music - whether it be burns/hard drive or if they were original discs from the manu that did not have licensing for those tracks to begin with which would include any home made tracks.
I haven't heard of any of the manus reporting anything to publishers either way, so I wouldn't worry about that - at least at this time. If publishers start to nail kj's for music, then I will refrain from playing any customer disc - find out EXACTLY what is licensed through who and delete anything else - however i'll probably end up quitting karaoke altogether if that becomes the case.

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Don't think I would have a problem with it under certain circumstances, none of which would be legal worries.

Disc condition is important, but so is content. I would prefer to do it for someone I know, with a guarantee that it contained no bias-based lyrics, and at least a warning of explicit lyrics so propriety judgement can be made based on the venue. Other than that, no problem.

I attempted to make a home-made track once- a parody- using Karaoke Master software. The only thing that I succeeded in doing was proving that either the software or I wasn't up to the task. Kept screwing up the lyrics display. I finally just played the audio and sang by memory..

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Ok. I agree if 'lyrics' came into factor, it would be at my discretion according to club rules - regardless of it being a homemade track or not.

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Assuming it is illegal to play homemade tracks....
Who is going to sue you?
I would assume the copyright holder of the original music.
What are the odds that they (original copyright holder) will find ya???
My assumption would be that you could only get sued for the lyric sync, as long as the venue has paid there BMI/ASCAP fees.

A little lost here. By home made karaoke tracks, I was assuming that lyrics and music were written my the maker...?

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

When I refer to homemade karaoke I'm talking about a popular song that is not available on a regular karaoke disc or download but a backing track is available to which someone creates a CD+G file to go along with the backing track.

Interesting..... puts a different spin on it. However, as long as it meets my previous conditions I still don't think I would would work myself into a lather about it. I would ( and do) have a much bigger problem with recording performances, which I stopped doing years ago.

I'm not saying that there may not be an opening for liability, but I think the chances of anyone getting upset about it are probably near non-existent, and even if they did I don't know how liable I am for playing a customer's disc.

I'd play it, as the chance of making a customer happy far exceed the chance of any negative possibilities...

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."