Karaoke Forums

Much has been made about the legal questions involving piracy. Everyone has their own opinion about the subject and things have been debated back and forth for quite awhile. Has any of this had any real impact on the real world fact of piracy and the competition that results from it? If we accept the figures given us then it would appear that this legal process used by the two manus that choose to employ it is not working that well. Now I know that in a few select areas this might not be true. That being said there are more operating pirates today than when the whole legal process solution was launched. That at most it has been a less than 2% solution. So what is the bottom line? Maybe there is no one bottom line but maybe everyone that is connected to the industry's individual bottom lines.

In my own individual bottom line scenario I had the best outcome that could be expected. I ran my business for over 19 years and was not bothered really by anyone. I did not play in a garage I was out and about, I never used a website to promote, yet I had plenty of work from just word of mouth. I did not have to pay protection money nor was I run out of business by illegal competition. Some say I was just lucky, I like to think that I offered the best product in my market area at a fair price. After all isn't that what American capitalism is all about?

Get rid of the pirates in my area (BFE) and it would only be ME.

I have 2 "competiors" now

#1 is a multi-rigging fu-tard, that drives 50 miles to my area to do a gig that pays $200

#2 is a newbie I havent seen yet, but hast 40K in songs. Some nite if I get REALY bored, and have ABSOUTLY nothing to do, I might go and see what's up with the newbie


SO take away the Pirates and I will be the one and only #1.

OOPS.....I am #1 in my area (pirates or not)....
so I guess....
break to Metallica...
Nothing else matters!

Hell i'd drive 50 miles for $200 gig - when one can hardly find a place to pay more than $100, it's worth the extra gas. But that would be the absolute furthest.

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Only if I have a smaller car. I was offered a $200 paycheck @ 55 miles away (Napa Valley) but turned it down. I’m driving a gmc savana van conversion & that sucker only gets 12 miles to the gallon. With Norcalif gas costing $4.65 per that would be approx $41 back & forth. I’m currently getting that amount which is 15 miles away.

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

Same here. I am ahead of my original 3 and 5 year plans.



Same here. Only 3.5 years in, but no one has bother me to date.



Same here. I don't even have a garage, but I am working on a dedicated website, and most of my work has been picked up due to word of mouth. I have found that anything that can give me a competitive edge though is a good thing. Whether that be advertising in the local karaoke guide, leveraging social media, or being certified. As a case in point, I have picked up several gigs from the Sound Choice listings and from venues looking specifically for legal, certified karaoke hosts. My longest running gig (2 years) was because of the SC site. My second (14 months) and third (9 months) longest gigs were due to venues looking specifically for legal, certified hosts and they found me through word of mouth.



Same here. Never paid a dime in protection money to any karaoke mafia (I don't think one exists). I don't feel threatened by illegal hosts even though they knock on my venues doors every week. They can't compete on anything except price and it is obvious that the venues will be getting what the pay for. but more importantly, I have not just sat idly by doing nothing about the pirates. I have educated venues and singers and helped put a dent in piracy and reduced the number of pirate shows in the area.



Are you saying it isn't possible to offer the best product at a fair price and also be lucky at the same time? I think it is likely also attributed to living in an area where there is less competition. I have said many times that there is a very big difference between competing in a low population, more rural area and trying to run in large population, metropolitan area. That is less about luck and more about where you live.

-Chris

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-Chris

I disagree... The implication in this statement about getting what you pay for does not necessarily mean that a pirate will undercut everyone else and give them less value for the buck. I have seen many pirate KJs out there who charge the average going rate and run a better show than the legit KJ (and I am not referring to having a larger library to accomplish that). But this is talk for a different topic thread, so I am sorry for the quick hijack.

I don't think anyone would say Southern California is a low population rural area. There are plenty of venues and plenty of competition. What I did was specialize Chris and went after a certain target market creating my own niche. The Golden Oldies shows catering to the "Baby Boomers" is still the way to go, in my opinion at least for the next 10 to 20 years. Then you don't have to worry about new material they still want to do the old stuff. Also with the rebound of the Stock Market the once small 401 K's are full of cash, and property values are also up. More and more seniors with reverse mortgages have money in their pockets and they are spending it. Private parties and private clubs were the bulk of my business the last year, with a good amount of weddings, and unfortunately funerals that paid top dollar.

I don't disagree with this at all. There are SOME pirate hosts that have great sound, are great personalities and run great, well attended shows.

But MOST pirates in my area are running low end systems, have mediocre personalities, and maintain their gigs based on low pricing.

For instance, I received a call from a venue last week, went and spoke to the owners, and they loved the pics and videos I showed them of my sound and systems. But they balked at my price. Why? Because their previous host worked for $80/night. I obviously passed on the gig.

-Chris

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-Chris

I don't know how you did them. I have refused requests in the past- no heart for it....

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

" Disc based and loving it..."

Yeah Joe I had the same problem with funerals and memorials after them. My mom passed away about 3 years ago before she died she told me you should always try and honor a last request if it is in your power. She was very Irish and said a wake or party for the departed was an Irish tradition. Sort of a celebration of a person's life. When you look at it that way it sort of turns a sad time into one of appreciation and gratitude for all a person has done in their lives. It would indeed be sad to die alone and nobody thinking any good thoughts about you. After you are gone you only live in the memories of those you leave behind, good or bad. The reason they pay top dollar some easing of the guilt for not doing more with and for the departed when they were alive, I guess. Sort of like Christmas you wonder why people can't be nice to each other the whole year round.

If it did, though, I am totally picturing an off-key rendition of JAl Martino's "I Have But One Heart" as their theme song.

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Co-host of The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly), a karaoke-themed podcast

What else is it but protection money leveraged by the threat of a legal lawsuit? If you pay off the manus in the guise of legal recovery, what you are doing is paying them off to go away. That is the whole purpose of the legal process to demonstrate that the manus are willing to sue a host and that the host needs to protect themselves and their business interests. This is not some law enforcement agency or government doing this, but rather a company that has taken upon themselves the job of the police and the D.A.

Do you get all of your information from Bob Loblaw's Law Blog?

-Chris

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-Chris

Why should YOU go to jail for a crime somebody ELSE noticed?

If someone steals your identity, credit card #...etc....no one cares. You have to fix everything yourself.....the law can't even keep up with violent crime, and we're all on our own, when it comes to this kinda stuff.

That's all well and good to go around trying to deal out your own brand of justice. If you take on the job of the law, I would hope before you start playing cop you at least make sure you are clean. If not then I fail to see how any real justice can be realized.

The Bob Loblaw Law Blog Lobbed a Law Bomb!

-Chris

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-Chris

His wife Yawda Yawda writes one too...

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

I wouldn't know I haven't seen any of their material only yours.