Karaoke Forums

cueball I'll try to get out to one of the ones here in Flint and see what the scene is. I'm betting you're on to something with the lack of Host and customer interaction It appears you get less customers. Personally, I feel having a Juke Box Karaoke System in the first place shows a lack of understanding of the Karaoke Crowd. And what it takes to make a successful Show. I'm surprised their Karaoke Expert Didn't chime in on this.

So does anyone know any place that a Juke Box Karaoke System has a following or draws a crowd to a bar?

It's the same concept as the jukebox.

Does a jukebox replace a DJ?

Well....I don't think there is any debating that a jukebox certainly replaces the core functions of a DJ. HOWEVER there are so many small tangibles and big intangibles that a human brings to the table that a machine just can't replicate, most notably, just simple human interaction and flexibility.

No, a jukebox does not suitably replace a DJ, and no, a karaoke jukebox does not suitably replace a KJ.

It's an extremely watered-down version of the real thing. Maybe it makes sense for some bar owners, maybe it doesn't, none of our business there.

Go pitch your services if you think it makes sense for the bar owner in your area! Otherwise, let them have their karaoke jukebox!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

I agree with you Topher. But what if, like in this specific scenario at Dimples, there IS a host utilizing this jukebox for Karaoke? It still comes down to that host making $15 an hour and eventually hurting our side of the business, let's call it the full hearted KJ's with their own equipment and music.

That is correct, Bruce.

Except the way they had it set up in the show, the system was hooked up to a booth off to the side where the DJ / KJ was still mixing the sound for each singer, the lyrics were on a large screen and the host was just calling the names and pumping the crowd up. It didn't look like it was a pay to sing either, although it probably could be set up to be fully automated that way as well.

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Wow, Talk about missing the point! One would have to think about what it actually does for the Bar! How does it affect Customer retention? The entertainment provided by the Bar determines the customer base. Thus Hip Hop Bars attract one group of people, Jazz Clubs attract another, Dance Clubs attract their crowd and Karaoke Attracts theirs.

The Question is will the Karaoke Crowd be willing to show up in Masses to a bar that has Juke Box Karaoke and pay a buck a song to sing? Even Juke Boxes in Bars. Seem to be good for the corner bar or pool Hall. But how many bars have a crowd of people that get on the floor and dance all night to the songs they paid for in the juke box?

Does anyone know of a Bar where people show up to use one of these Karaoke Juke Box systems and the place is packed or even busy? That is the real test. Not what I think, or the Bar owner THINKS? How is it working out. I wouldn't mind going to one where it is? Does anyone know where one is? A place without a host and just a Karaoke Juke box that you pay to sing?

Yeah, even I bybassed that one on my journey from cassettes w/ lyric sheets to laser discs to CD+Gs- mostly from ignorance, not smarts- because I didn't know they existed.

As for the Jukebox, no worries there. They were tried here ( the big red CAVS jobs) late 90's and early 2000's.

No one manages the rotation, no professional sound mix, dead air between songs, no one to motivate the shy, or extol the outgoing, no entertainment extra entertainment value.

Result: Either one or two mic hogs singing all night- which, even if one of the rarely good singers- drove customers away.

OR

A big machine gathering dust due to lack of motivation.

EXCEPTION: Asian style karaoke rooms, where they did OK.

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

Dead air --- lots of it. It took 30 to 45 seconds between singers (when there was a queue of 2 of us) before the next song started. It even gave a countdown.

If the place isn't crowded or busy, I don't think the Mic Hogs you refer to will stay long. Even Mic Hogs get bored if nobody is paying any attention to them.

As for the machine gathering dust, as I just described (from my recent experience), the machine doubles as the Bar's Jukebox. There's always someone at a Bar who is plugging in a few bucks to hear some songs from the Jukebox. I don't think I can recall being at a Bar (where they have a Jukebox (the old ones or the new ones that are hooked up ONLINE)), where somebody didn't get up to play some music.

Seriously?



WOW, TALK ABOUT MISSING THE POINT!

I'll state my point again.



I'll take you to several dozen bars here in my town where the bars do just fine with just a jukebox, yet hosted karaoke/DJ/bands would be a money pit. The best karaoke host in America could be in these bars, and there still wouldn't be any "masses."

A live karaoke host, live bands, DJs, etc. aren't the answer for all bars. Sometimes a low monthly rate jukebox is the answer. I agree it's not the same, but price-wise, it's not designed to be!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Really $15/hr is not a bad pay for someone who does not invest anything who just has to show up. The reason an owner/operator makes more is that he or she has invested a great deal of money in their company.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Don't know what the monthly rate is though. I had submitted an inquiry to Touch Tunes regarding how it worked, updates, song manus, cost, etc. They have yet to respond back.

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I don't think my bar pays any fees (just ancillary BMI/ASCAP dues) for it's Touch Tunes jukebox (no karaoke), they just give the vendor 60% of the take. Last I heard, the revenue on the monthly jukebox was pushing $1,000 a month, so about $600 for the vendor and $400 for the bar - nothing to sneeze at.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

So you have to pay to sing a song??????
Even The Cat's Meow in NOLA doesn't do that, and that is probably the most famous karaoke bar in the USA.

I don't see it lasting long as a "regular" event if you have to pay to sing.
IMHO karaoke singers/addicts will go elsewhere where there is free karaoke.

For a touristy thing, it might work.

Again I didn't see it set up on the show as a pay per sing. I think it does have that option, but looks like it can be used as the source for an actual kj. Now I do not know that. I have an email & now a call in so I can get some answers but so far no one has got back to me yet. Not good for a prospective buyer. It also doesn't look like it would work for mobile shows, in house venues only.

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The one down the street from me has the hosted karaoke contest for 3 hours every Wednesday night where it's free to sing, but the rest of the time the bar's open, it's $1.00 to sing a song and the jukebox is unattended pay to play.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

That I could see - pay to play when off hours, then have set times where it's regular karaoke times.

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I assume someone (the bar) still has to pay even if the karaoke jukebox is in "free" mode. Otherwise how would the karaoke jukebox company make any money?

I don't know. I have messages to the company to try to get answers however they are not responding - which tells me something about their customer service right there. So anything at this point that anyone says is speculation.

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Now, that I could see and accept as well. And, it was obvious to me, that the night I went to this bar, it was not a Karaoke night.

It just appears to me the Bar would rather make 400 - 600 a month off a junk box than 400 - 1000 a nite off a good Karaoke show.