Karaoke Forums

Re-inventing the wheel:
Years ago Karaoke was a novelty form of entertainment. Not too many venues had karaoke and not too many DJ’s were offering it as a service. But as its popularity grew there were more and more bars, restaurant and clubs hurrying to be the first one on the block to offer it.  As its demand grew along with the pay being offered $200-$300+ per night so did the need for experienced Karaoke DJ’s …Hence the KJ was born. This was an attractive business for anyone with some singing ability, few karaoke songs and some PA equipment.  As time went on this form of entertainment along with the KJ’S and equipment became more and more sophisticated.
This was a great business to get into, you could work 3, 4, or 5 nights a week and bring home some serious cash.

All that is history, today almost every bar in America is offering Karaoke on one or more nights.
But the novelty is gone along with the $300 pay nights.  Today anyone with a PA system and some form of karaoke music (cgd’s or m3p+g’s) can and is in the business.  Bar owners no longer want to pay $300 per night because the bar down the block has Cousin Barney hosting a karaoke show for $50 bucks and surprisingly doing very well.  It’s not a hard business .really.
Put out some song lists, and when someone submits a slip – load it up and let them sing.

So what can be done in this industry to bring back the NOVELETY, THE MAGIC, THE DEMAND and the well deserved $300 night?   What will make SINGERS want to go to one show instead of another? (Forget the obvious SOUND SELECTION ROTATION etc.)  

What additional services can be offered to make YOUR show the novelty one everyone is talking about?
Some Ideas: (ignore some obvious legality issues for now and we can discuss later)  
Video Taped performances: VHS or DVD
Still Pictures of performances
Recorded Performance/s on CD ( Could be  put on an interactive website for individual downloads )  - Tied in with KS showcase? – Why should people have to sing at home to be recorded and heard ?
MORE Contests
MORE interactive Games
Tie-in with local radio ( maybe college)  or Public Cable or Satellite TV Stations for later broadcasts ?

Whatdaya THINK?  SINGERS WHAT DO YOU WANT ?

Kill the following:
the KJ boot-leggers
the KJ's smoking while running a show
the KJ's abusing alcohol while running a show
the KJ's that have no idea how to mix a decent sound

and then we can start talking again.


ps JAMKARAOKE, good question.

What is your issue with people that smoke and drink?

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Absolutely nothing. I have an issue with KJ's standing there with the sigarette dangling out of their mouths while actively working behind their boards, and I have an issue with a KJ that is drunk behind his board, screwing around while on the job.

Most karaoke bars here in MO allow smoking, which is perfectly fine, and even though we don't smoke, we still go there without complaints. I just think it looks very un-professional when the KJ is there, sigarette hanging out of his/her mouth.

Let me get this back on topic -
Besides the obvious of a Good Host who isn't stinky drunk

What can be done to bring back the magic and novelty of a karaoke Show?
What can be done or added to a Karaoke show that would make singers and non singers say . I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SATURDAY NIGHT  to go to Allstars karaoke because I had SO MUCH FUN and it was SO ENTERTAINING ?

Skip the obvious of GREAT KJ , GREAT SOUND , GREAT SELECTION AND ROTATAION.  these are a given HERE.

Fantasic Lightshow ?
60" PLASMA SCREENS ? with videos ?

Sorry JAMKARAOKE  Got of track there for a sec.

Anyhow, here's what is bad (imho)
dead air kills a show for me
bad or no lighting
dance music being played

Here's what makes us go back (boring but true)
We go to a specific karaoke bar time after time for a good reason: We want to be  stars for 4 minutes. Make me one with good light effects and great sound! and I'll return the favor by coming back.

Good question....... Karaoke should have evolved into a more expansive market but KJ's concentrated on small bars, were concerned with trying to bring in a crowd which should be the owners responsibility, and the major clubs already had a clientele and didnt need to chance a new product... It is hard to expand a karaoke show in small venues unless they are established karaoke bars from several years and one has the room to put in big lighting systems etc...

This last year I have done a few birthday parties for all ages of kids sometimes just renting the system and they sing all night... They dont want the hassle of dealing with formalties, rules, or some of the petty stuff like discussed here...They just want to sing and party...

I have pondered too on how to take karaoke to the next level and I think with the bar situation like it is we might have to do other venues that allow kids and provide more of a family atmosphere.. When the KJ'S in a certain area start working together and coming up with some logical organized planning instead of crap like on the unscrupulous kj thread then they will prosper.. But the way it is right now it is in a dog eat dog shortsighted rut...

 I will watch this thread with interest and hope come good ideas are spawned and if you kids want to bicker about petty stuff start your own thread....This forum needs an adult  bullshit forum like home studio recording that allows any topic or petty peeve.....

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Obviously, according karyoker we're not allowed to voice our opinions.


If this is meant the way I read it then....
Bite Me!



Now THAT's an idea I think is very good!

Did I point any fingers or use quotes?   If the shoe fits wear it....

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Now now you two --


You have great points - People sing Karaoke OUT because they do want to be a star for a couple minutes each night . The more the karaoke host and VENUE can make them feel like a star the better time they will have and the more likely they will  come back time and time again.    I think the venues that we as KJ's have chosen to host are shows in are part of the problem. Instead of smaller local bars we should be hosting at the BIGGER clubs usually reserved for the local areas TOP LIVE BANDS.  These clubs have STAGES , HOUSE LIGHTS, BIG DANCE,  FLOORS and generally a cover charge to help pay for the $1000 bands.   So this could be a start to market to a larger venue willing to pay a little more.  Larger venues would give the singer a bigger exposure and therefore a BETTER KARAOKE EXPERIENCE.

So what can we do at the smaller bars to give the BIG BAR feel?  
Maybe lighting should become as standard as the 13"TV monitor?

No doubt about that.

A nicely placed/decorated stage, and not just squeezed into a corner.
Don't let me stumble over your cables.
(I'll come up with some more)

One of the last traditional karaoke bars (an old kj bud of mine) has a regular crowd of non singers that traditionally goes to karaoke bars even if they out of town.  There is a camraderie between the singers and the regulars that span many years...The bar only seats 100 at the most but it is not uncommon to do a $2000 + day.  WE have karaoke Fri Sat Sun nite from 8p till ??

 There is nothing special no stage lights or heavy props  They do drawings for bar tabs occasionally... Other than the obvious things I will try to list the plusses or reasons for success...  The singers stage is in a corner with big screen in middle then 1 pool table which is busy all night.  The bar is horse shoe shaped goes all the way across with a drop down whatch-a may callit...  This provides a sound baffle which attenuates the sound on the other side of the bar for those that dont like loud.... This is a big plus....It took me and Lanny about 3 years to figure that out....

In a small bar the Aphex 104 provides vibs and energy to all and with good sound efx keeps the energy going I have never sang in this bar without getting energy back from the audience (dancers  noise for the singer etc) and I have sang in places and walked out totally drained and tired didnt get anything back....A high energy brings everybody back and sometimes is hard to start but the catalyst can be a knockout performance which ignites the rest of the singers too... A high relaxed informal energy....

 But this karaoke has been there for 7 or 8 years and it is hard to establish a regular crowd of listeners and singers... even with the bar hoppers but the bar hopppers are the best word of mouth advertizers there are....

I guess the biggest plus would be that the best singers around are regulars....And you know what attracts them....All I can say is go to a small place that is established and see what you think is working and why....

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Okay, if you insist. C'mere.  


What makes one karaoke place better than the rest? Hmmmmm........ alot of good things have been pointed out.

*Sound needs to be good- and there's nothing worse IMO than a KJ who wont/can't  adjust the mic per each singer- that's flat laziness. I've had to hold the mic back a foot sometimes, and other times have to literally eat it to be heard.

*You NEED a dance floor area, karaoke is more fun when the crowd can get involved in the songs. So many people wont try karaoke if they're the soul person in the spotlight (like, uh, ME when I first started going)

*You need a good variety of music (NOBODY EVER has bluegrass, I have to tote my own wherever I go.... but I'm cool with that I guess) I just hate when a KJ has mostly just THEIR favorite genre of music. That should be his HOME collection, not his working collection.

*The KJ needs to stay interested, and encouraging. None of that "Next please...." attitude, and nervous newbies need applause- so the KJ should encourage it when the song ends

*Yeah, no drunk dudes/dudettes running karaoke (SINGING karaoke, but not running it)

*GAMES...... we NEED GAMES...... something to make it not be the same-o, same-o every time. Not every night, but once in a while.

That's enough, I'm tired of typing. Ya got my opinion wether you wanted it or not, .

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Tossing in my $0.02

First off I'm just a singer, I have gotten offered to work with some KJs in town, but I refused.  It looks to monotinous and dull for me, No offense to everyone here but what I see in every karaoke place I go to, I experience that same things everytime.  I resort to going to gay bars just to be entertained by the flamboyant singers while heterosexual me just end up singing something from my Scissor Sisters/Darkness cdg.

One thing I've noticed is the KJs give the same intro and outro to every other singer.  There should be some emphasis or various intros.   Maybe even banners with singers names, something to change up the intros and outros.

Another thing is rotations, should the KJs sing everytime?   Slow nights I agree let them sing, but during packed nights, I feel your being paid to play, no need to break the customers to do a song for yourself.  And keep the first couple of singers back to back, they've been there since the beginning of the show, why should a new singer be inserted between singers that have been there longer.

When it's close to closing time, no one should do 5+ minute songs.   I can do without Stairway to Heaven or Paradise By the Dashboard Light and get an extra singer in there.

Are Instrumental to Ends really necesary?  When the singer is done, fade out.  That will save seconds to squeeze in another singer.

And why the dead air?  Get some music between the singers.

What about some comps?  Reward some singers for showing up, be it free drinks, cut in the rotation, back to back, etc

Can someone find any way to ease back the cliched songs?

That's all I can think of right now.  But this is all IMO

The Asian karaoke scene  may be a good example to follow. We are not just talking about KJ here, I hope, but Karaoke as a viable entertainment business.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

So let me summarize so far,

• Stage or dance lighting to enhance the professional singer atmosphere.
• Dance floor areas so everyone can get involved with the singer and songs
• Games and Giveaways to  keep non singers and those waiting to sing involved
• KJ’s with more of a varied routine  and not the same old same old chatter, introductions
Good job! , Way to go! How about a hand for!
• NO DEAD AIR! Keep some type of music going at all times

Another Idea … Most venues nowadays have multiple monitors, some are for TV some are used for additional Karaoke lyrics.  What about showing the singer on ½ of the TV’s.  I think most singers would love to see themselves on the “big screen”   I know there is equipment out there that allows the graphics/lyrics to be shown with a video feed of the singer.  ANYONE USING OR BEEN TO PLACES THAT DO THIS???

Keep ideas flowing!

Three words:

Strip Club Karaoke!!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Strip club karaoke???????????????????????????????????????

While it sounds like a cool and wonderful idea, but aren't
you afraid that some singers might "accidently" grab the wrong
cordless microphone and sing?????

if it's "cordless" you have bigger problems than ya think! !