Karaoke Forums

Just Curious. How many singers do you average during your show and how many songs do they get in during the night?

We are in a rural area on the border of Oregon and Idaho. When we were going to our Friends show they would bring in 25 to 35 singers during the night. The singers would get a chance to sing 3 to 5 songs.

So far we our best night was 30 singsers with 22 singing in rotation. There were some singers able to sing 6 songs that night. We go to closing but the bar will empty at 1a.m. Our normal nights have been 20 singers in rotation.

I was talking to a KJ form Boise and He was saying that his crowd is mostly Collage kids and he will run 80 + singers a night only singing 1 song.

25-35 is pretty average for me on weekend nights with singers getting anywhere from 3-4 songs if they are there start to finish. Had 35 singer rotation Friday night & 32 last night. 15-25 is about average on weeknights. My "best" - if you can call it that - night had 72 singers with everyone singing 1 song - 2 if they were extremely lucky. Gladly that don't happen often.

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

Anywhere from one or two to over 40 in a rotation. It all depends on the night though we average 17-20 on weekends. The important thing regardless is running a fair rotation.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

OUrs is also a small rural town. About 5000. We also have other venues who have dances and other stuff going on at the same time...

We average bout 12-15 singers a night. And since my hubby and i do it together, if one takes a break, the other just continues. They usually get all their songs in. About 7.

The biggest night we've ever had...was 25 singers. We got about 4 songs in a piece...and we always do ONE group goodnight song at the end...for whomever wants to get up and join.

Remember though....we have 2 of us doing this.

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Break? What's that?? No breaks for me in a night. How long does your show run>?

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

I've been to some where the KJ takes a 15 minute breaks
Ours is from 9;30 pm to 1am, although the owner will come ask for abit more if we have more than usual...and they always pay us for that. I like where i work.

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I've done shows anywhwere from 10 people up to 150 depending if it's a special event (like Karaoke Hall of Fame, Bartending competition, Freestyle street dance competition) or maybe a New Years Eve Party. Halloween I had about 120. One night(a Wednesday) I had 80 District Attorneys come in for a fund-raising party to raise money for a new child care at the main city jail--the city DA even showed up. Regular weeknights thogh--a decent crowd is 20-25. Weekends get packed. On the busy nights-a person will sing maybe twice. Slow nights they sing lots of times. Numbers of singing will vary depending on how much dancing is going on. If they get up and fill the floor--the dance set WILL keep rolling till they start sitting down-then it's back to Karaoke. Crowds are typically 40% singers and the rest people who just want to hangout or dance.

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"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

KJ's that take 15 minute breaks are just lazy. There is no need for it in a 4 hour show. I run from 9-1 on weeknights, 9-1:30 on weekends, the only "break" I take is walking to the restroom between songs, but only after I have cued up the next singer.

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

Do you advertise your show as karaoke & dance night or just karaoke? I go into a place that says karaoke, that's what I expect to see - you start throwing dance songs in & keeping them going, me & my paying group will go find the next "karaoke" place. If I see it advertised with dance music thrown in, then that is what i'd expect & wouldn't plan on singing as much - provided we go in the first place.

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

Taking a break or not could be a whole new discussion, but calling a KJ lazy for taking a break is not a very nice thing to say, even if it's your personal opinion.

ps
This means there is no break in the show. There are 2 KJ's running the show, and it is always manned by one of them.

I call it as I see it. You have a house of singers, show rolling along & kj says - "Hey i'm taking a 15 minute break." This drops the energy level of the show, people may start leaving - I know I would if there are singers & the kj stops the show to take a break - he just aced 3-5 singers out of a turn for one thing, that's borderline selfish as well, putting himself above the customers. Maybe he puts up dance music, well then this show had better be billed as such & not JUST karaoke.
Why would a kj need a break in the first place? If you are that tired from loading up discs & getting people to the stage, grab a chair & sit down between songs, otherwise keep the show going - it's your job & don't bring in the argument that "real" jobs get breaks, this kind of a job over say a 9-5 office job or wharehouse job is completely different! When you are hosting, you CAN sit down between songs or bring a stool to your equipment & sit while doing the show if you aren't feeling up to it - i've done this on occasion.
There is absolutely no reason to take a "break" in a 4 hour period, i'm sorry. Yes these kj's are lazy & yes this is my opinion.
If you are tag teaming with someone, like Melly, then this is not a break since the show doesn't stop. One keeps the show going, while the other works the crowd & vice versa.

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

I agree with Lonman, although the word "lazy" may have been a bit strong. It is true. I don't think you need a break for a four hour show. There's plenty of time during many songs to do your business and get back on the stage for the next song and I can see no other reason to take a break and spoil the momentum. I also have issues with KJ's who play dance sets. I don't go to dance I got o sing. If I feel like dancing I dance while someone is singing or go to a dance club. That's just my preference.

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Too soon old......too late smart.

I totally agree...why would a KJ need such a long break??? I run two shows a week, and on a REALLY good night I can squeeze 40-50 songs in (running a show from 9-1:30)...although I usually get more like 35-40 because I like to interact with the crowd, etc...if I've ever had to take a break THAT long, I had somebody else running the show while I was away...you just can't break the momentum of the show, especially when you have a full house waiting to sing...

It reminds me of KJs who sit behind their equipment and al they do in put in and take out discs. No life at all for the party. Snoozefest. A host has to keep a party going and sitting on your duff ain't gonna cut it.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

I agree there is no reason I see for a break during a show. We ran from 7pm to 2am friday and the only break that I had was when someone was singing and my next cd was in and ready.

But back to subject. Looks like the average is 30 +/- singers. I personally think this is a good number. This allows the singers to sing from 4 - 6 songs during the night. I can't see our wedsday night doing this but I would like to see our friday's keep this average.

Do the math.

Figure on 5 minutes per song (3.5 minutes for actual singing, plus intro and applause) which is 12 songs per hour.

Multiply that times the length of your show and you get the number of songs per show.

Divide that by the number of singers and you get songs per singer.

SOOOO... for my 4 and a half hour show, I'll play roughly 54 songs. 25 singers at the show? About 2 songs each. 15-18 singers will each get 3 songs.

Of course this is assuming that all singers sing in each rotation.

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Spreading the karaoke gospel

my break is at the end of the show! And I agree with the thought behind a host that sits down, putting one disc in after another.

I NEVER sit down. I did when I first started... never again!

Hey Guys and Gals, I am new to this site, but I have owned my Karaoke Business for 3 years, I run it in a town of 120,000 people, and I will have to say that on a weekday night I average 15-20 singers, on the weekends, 25-30. The problem I run into is that owners of the bars always want MORE people at their establishment, but fail to see that if the rotation gets to LARGE people will just jump to another bar were the rotation is lighter. I have 2 rigs working right and I see alot of folks jumping from gig to gig looking for the one with the least amount of singers so they can sing more. . And the bar owners are like..........I wanna make more money!!! and I tell them this......I can stay till 2, but it will cost you more, and if thats not enough, build an addition, and we can run 2 rigs at your bar, then more people can sing. haha.


Also, Myself and none of my contractors sit behind the equipment, I actually set my equipment behind me, and run the show from the carpeted area/stage. I hate KJ's that sit behind the equipment and just call names all night, go mingle with your crowd, let them know you appreciate them, and feel you are one of them.

Now we agree. To sum it up
#1 A KJ doesn't need a break in a 4 hour show
#2 Unless your have health problems, please do not sit behind your equipment
#3 Mingle with the crowd
#4 And PLEASE do not play your dance music. That's not why I came
#5 KJ, please don't smoke next to me when I sing
#6 And for the love of God, take that look of extreme boredom of your face!

Allstar - Great post. I would add #7 - If someone comes up to talk to the host, please take a few steps away from the singer first.

As for my show, the bar holds around 60 people comfortably, and on Fridays I usually have 50-60 people from 10-12 (show runs from 9-at least 1), rotations usually peak at around 15, but varies greatly. Only show in a town of 3000.