Karaoke Forums

Sort of a catch 22, the way you develop a following is exposure, what I call play time. That is why getting the first job is always difficult, you have no experience and the novice host doesn't know what is going to happen the first time. Like anything else you have to crawl before you can walk and eventually run with it. The main thing is not to get discouraged whatever happens. there are just too many variables in dealing with karaoke hosting. The main thing is not to shoot yourself in the foot, self inflicted wounds are always the most destructive since they indicate bad habits, or a weakness the host may have. You always have to expect outside forces trying to undermine your business, but then we are in a very competitive business. I'm just glad I don't have to do canvassing anymore most of my accounts are long term satisfied customers. Have a nice day.

Thanks Lone Ranger. I have a little experience in another market, but I'm still shaking the rust off and don't have any real following just yet where I'm at.

I've been fortunate enough to find a bar owner who is really willing to be patient and a bar tender who really believes in karaoke and enjoys it and that helps a lot. It seems like I am starting to get a few people who are starting to come back on a more regular basis, but still not nearly as many as I'd like. One week the show does pretty well, the next it's kind of slow.

An older lady I'd never seen before came by the show last Friday and asked for my card -- the bartender told me later she just bought a new bar a few blocks from where I'm playing and wants to hire me, but I haven't had that discussion with the prospective owner just yet...

I'd love to hear more about how you're targeting your market -- the demographics sound a lot like the people who've been stopping by the bar I play at. It's clean, but it's a bit of a dive and it's definitely not the place where the hipsters are going to hang out so appealing to an older crowd seems like the ticket at that venue.

When I started over 18 years ago karaoke was a hobby I didn't quit my day job, and when I fully retired from Federal service, I started hosting full time to give me something to do. Karaoke is not my sole source of income, it provides roughly one third and since I will be pushing 70 I plan on giving up hosting in 2-3 years. As far a target market, since I identify with Baby Boomers that is where I concentrated. I do a Golden Oldies show geared toward family entertainment. You don't really need the latest releases and I specialize in hard to find old songs, which people of my era want to perform. Demographically this group is the largest single one, the egg going through the snake, and they have the most disposable income. Sometimes I turn down gigs which I feel do not mesh with what I do. In cases like that I recommend younger hosts that would better fit the venues needs. I work six days a week, with Sunday off, except for two months I take off in Nov and Dec. I have a gig I do for New Year's and then work for another 10 months. I don't view other hosts as threats, I try to network with them, quite often we throw each other work. In fact an old friend of mine who only wants to work during the holidays is currently covering my gigs now. We have had this arrangement for several years now. He likes the extra money for Christmas and is happy for me to resume after vacation is over. Have a nice day.

P.S. It is always a big plus when the venue owner and especially the bartender is on your side, especially when first starting out. A good bartender can make you or break you until you learn the ropes. Even the experienced host will have difficulty if the venue does not support you, and sets you out there to sink or swim. That is why as a host you need to listen and work with the owner, make them feel you are a team working toward the same goal success. If the bartender is savvy they will know your success, will mean more money in their pockets as well. That is why I'm glad I have the money monkey off my back, and I can spend the time to develop a top show in a venue. When you build from the ground up it is always a stronger operation. Many of the shows I have started are still going strong today, even though I no longer do them. I guess I like the challenge of doing something others think is impossible, if someone tells me karaoke won't work here, that is like waving a red flag at a bull, I just have to prove them wrong. The few times I have been unsuccessful is the venue itself didn't want it to work, strange as that might be.

I don't believe that the definition of "a following" is the same as it used to be. IMO customers aren't as likely to be as loyal as they used to be. Before piracy, you had many different ways to cultivate a following (and they still hold true to this day). But, the results seem to be harder to come by. I believe that this is due to the proliferation and saturation of karaoke, as well as the average number of songs per KJ having increased dramatically in recent years.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

I only do 1 night a week (all I intend to do at this time) and few people there even know what SC, DK, or CB are. There are only a couple who know and/or ask for songs that I only have SC versions of. I rarely get any complains on the versions, except maybe if the words are wrong (and SC is guilty of that, not just the "lesser" manus).

To me it is all about specializing much like a doctor. I know most hosts want to be in general practice and be able to handle any gig. Let's face it sometimes things change even in gigs you have had for a long time. For year's I did the Catholic Church's Valentines Day Dance, not this year. Last year I noticed more members wanted music geared to the increasing Latino tastes of the church. This year I turned down the gig even though I had done it for years. I recommended someone who would fit their needs better. It is possible to develop a following by doing a few simple things, define your target market, develop your show to meet the needs of that market, then the crowd will follow you. Despite all of the tech advances in the industry some patrons want an old fashioned show done in a manner they are familiar with and comfortable in participating in. I get more work since many hosts that have adopted the laptop cannot play a patron's disc. I am more than happy to have these unhappy customers come to my show, where I will play any disc they have. It isn't important to have every karaoke song ever made, just the ability to meet the needs of the audience you are playing to. Play to the crowd, you can never go wrong. Have a nice day.