Karaoke Forums

I believe that the more diversified you are as a "mobile " entertainer the better off you will be financially. All businesses have their "nich" mine is Karaoke.
Of course I DJ parties and Weddings and will throw dance sets in at my Karaoke gig.
(if the crowd warrants it).  I try to PLEASE as many as possible.  The basics skills of being a succesful KJ have not changed over the years , technolgy has and if you can keep up your equipment and overall sound you're halfway there.

I thought of recording "on the fly" at my show (no recording studio) just mixer to recorder and then to cdg for purchase ( I know the legaility issue).  I thought of
selling KAROKE related items at my shows (cdgs / shirts / etc. ).  

Karaoke is certainly NOT dead but evolving.  If you're a decent singer and can DJ you can offer much more that JUST A DJ.

good luck to all

Not from the forum Bab's...

{although it's quite evident from here that most that do KJ, aren't getting enough hours to put their kid's thru four years of college and assuming they did, MOST of us that are veteran entertainers in the bar, or lounge scene KNOW that you aren't usually going to be able to carve a career doing what you like to do at any ONE particular bar, entertainment has ALWAYS be transient, change is going to happen at some point.. You aren't selling shoes at Thom McAnn's..or working at Radio Shack... If lucky enough to get 4 nights a week for a year, don't assume you can add this income to long-term projected earnings when the kids are college age in 5 years, that'd be foolish if you are going to stay local}


I don't believe the concept can or will ever totally die.  It's too convienient a form of entertainment, and folks like myself will ALWAYS use the concept as a musical session trainer. It's also fun at birthday parties for kids, and little get-togethers.. Yet I believe the need for the pro KJ wide-scale given the times is dwindling VERY fast.  As the Karaoke novelty phase is behind us, it's not exciting enough to "draw" proportionally today, as it did 10 years past...NOT just because it's no longer as exciting or novel, but other "crap" factors burn the candle from the other end as well for bars as businesses, given the times it plays it's hand, and isn't mutually exclusive... ENtertainers are getting fired, over-qualified, just not needed...and for the patron, the experiences just aren't as pleasant at bars for numerous reasons, even if it has to do with tighter pocketbooks, fear of drinking and driving, fear of wasting gas money which is now an issue, not being able to relax (smoke) if you so choose, etc etc !  I've felt from the beginning any activity of this type will ALWAYS fall into "fad", not really unlike "disco", and even "Sports bars" in time need a "pick me up". I mentioned it a year ago when I was a newbie, and I was talking about it when I first went to a bar that had it... While it's fun, like all "fun activities" (with a few sexceptions) people eventually seek out change, and something different, novelty wears thin in time, and fads fall hard.  Unfortuneately I don't think there will be a replacement :fad: we'll see that will hit the surviving bars however, I don't think another "fad" or form will replace this, mainly,  because I think our culture is slowly going "anti-alcohol", and without revenue, bars aren't go to rely on creative means of having live entertainers furnish recreational activities in bar venues. Things are becoming tenuous for bars, and as this happens demand for entertainers decreases..  The trend will go to HDTV or large-screen plasma sets, occassional karaoke, live bands, cards, back to pool, jukeboxes, and perhaps "do-it-yourself" 50 cents per song CAVS type jukebox in the corner of the bar someplace... So, while it's not "dying" per-se, fads have a life-span, and when things slow down beyond a certain point,  bars just can't afford to fork money out (especially during tough economic times)..  Karaoke will always be around to a degree in interactive venues such as this, or others sites that supply backing that "singers" wish to join...People will all have machines at home and they will be VERY affordable, and loaded with backing... In bars across the country in general, I am speculating that given what's going on in the country today, rural and suburban bars are not going to be paying KJ's much longer.. No fault of Karaoke itself, I think the KJ is rapidly falling into the "over-qualified" pay scale, for many bars that have survived the squeezes put on them, I don't think in many cases having a KJ more than once or twice a week will be advantageous for bars...Many of which might just end up opening thursday-friday-saturday-sunday, assuming they don't fold, or just decide to close shop after the last dinner table leaves around 10:30 and has had a few drinks and watched TV in the lounge..... The bars that can afford you today are fewer and further between than in 1996, and Karaoke isn't a novel "different/ exciting" concept. Kid's today have grown up with it, adults that enjoyed it 15 years ago are a bit to old to frequent bars for the most part, and have passed into a different phase of life...Many of us are here, and DON'T go to bars... As computers became affordable, and kids got Nintendo, Sega, X-box, and computer modules and software to play games at home,  arcades around here started suffering, Kids were not only playing at home, but playing interactively online with their friends in another state, and meeting new friends, and ranking in a larger genre.... Interactive game playing via modem HURT arcade business as entertainment.  They shut down...  Home Karaoke, and interactive means like this WILL keep karaoke alive, but certainly won't help you KJ's in time...

THere are many factors I believe that are accelerating the demise of you folks receiving decent pay for what you provide on a wide-scale. One aspect is "fad" that's no longer novel,  Many other aspects are extraneous, and cause you to get hit quite hard...

Picture bars being put in a vice... and "powers that be" on the outside keep tightening the vice... beit economy, laws, the con's outweight the pro's.... and the first thing to drop when you squeeze tightly enough is the entertaiment.....Since Karaoke isn't as important to many bars that aren't raking in money, the quality of KJ also isn't as important... Bar's are scaling back...  "Good KJ" is only important to places that feel "Good KJ" is important... Since so many already know what karaoke is, those that have gone to bars for years, just want someone to hand them the microphone, get them up fairly, and know how to put their song in a CD player,,, Karaoke is ld hat: everyone knows how to do it now,,,, The ship will still run if the KJ fall's overboard (so-to-speak), the dishwasher in the kitchen knows how to operate a machine sufficiently enough for todays needs..  "At 300 a night" MANY are despensible in alot of bars... These bars just don't get a return on money paid out. A few of course do.  But not as many as last decade, and the second part of the 1980's, "Good KJ" isn't as necessary any longer.. Not when Karaoke is beyond it's prime in terms of bar entertainment, and fewer people are going to bars......


Drinking age raised to 21 around the time Karaoke first made the scene, yet it still survived with 21 as youngest age. Naturally kids at 18-19-20 would've been HUGE supporters of the :you too can sing on stage: game !

DUI was instated shortly before this time, but over time affects more and more people,  it's a SLOW but sure killer for businesses that require a patron drive to their establishment which relies on them drinking once they get there...Noone wants to lose a license, and go thru the indignant aspects of being "tagged" the professional busted for "Drunk" driving, or potential killer on the road.. There's also a stigma to getting handcuffed, fingerprinted, and being on camera when you are on the toilet, with "bars" in the camera forground..."Go figure".... Atty's, Dr's, MANY fear this today, will NOT take rediculous chances... They've tried too hard to get where they are, DUI is UGLY on a persons file, REALLY ugly in many circles ! It puts a person into the category of "weak slovenly troubled, irresponsible", singly this is the BIGGEST slow killer of alcohol serving establishments people need to commute to, but it harms over the LONG haul..

People can drink, but not smoke- (now this is a drag, If I want rules I'll go to Jr high)..  Another bummer for bars... Yet another restriction that's not justifiable to many.. you lose a percentage of patrons who don't like this law... quiet protest, and home becomes more comfortable....

In addition to all of the above, people have to pay alot to fill up to commute too and from work, and go shopping, etc...  Tuesday night at the bar aint nothing special in lieu of what's going on... not only that but you leave the bar on a quiet night, you are a more visible target for the cops

result:  Fewer people supporting bars, fewer bars supporting higher end entertainment. BARS ARE NOT as much fun for many ! What's the real draw now
when weighing pro's of going out, with mounting con's ?

I think we need to be realistic about something Bab's.... In the beginning, Karaoke machines weren't "home units" like CD players...  Fewer knew what to do with one, they weren't Walmart consumer items..They were specialty items.  Today, any teenager as a birthday gift can get a small machine, small PA... learn how to operate it for a few of his friends, and think he can "KJ" at the bar.... People just have alot more exposure to Karaoke apparatus today... They didn't in the late 80's, and decent machines weren't affordable to most. But the real problem is the double-edged sword bar businesses face... Tougher laws-fewer customers at this stage makes it tougher for them to consider and afford "New and exciting" innovative entertainment... Bars are suffering.... NOTHING is the same today as in the past.....  It's a bad outlook for bar businesses.... Legislature is descriminating against them....JMO

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

The trend here is people buying land here in northern co even if they have to buy 80 acres.  They then commute to Denver and other places of employment. Most are 1/4 to half a mile from the main road and keep their entry gate locked.  Most have little "bunk house" bars setup and it is like the old old days You can relax and totally unwind One of the rules is nobody drives away after drinking. This eliminates all the public nuisances of public or city bars.

The folks in town have their "garage" bars where friinds party. The same rule above applies with an additional one. The karaoke noise has to kept to a normal level which doesnt bother the neighbors that are not there. They all have their basic karaoke systems and 2 0r 3 kids that sing.  In a typical home everybody has a computer and they are buying cdg's and ripping them to a hard drive. I have setup some home systems The latest one uses  a pair of JBL EON10 G2's and sounds better than most of the bar setups.

The money now is setting up systems or doing gigs when they pool their money for a big party. All bring their songs on flash drives so they sort of buy different and pool  for a decent selection. Most carry their songs on flash drives when coming to our shows or going out of town.

As far as recording we can record several ways but the way I prefer is just recording the vocal into a wav file. There are mixers now such as this one or a beter one such as Cakewalk Home Studio is only about $40 0n Ebay.
There is nothing illegal about recording their vocal What they do with it is not my concern.

Bottom line is the mfg's dont even realize the market shift and when they do they will realize their base is larger than before. This is the overall shift right now but I can see the day when more and more of these kids go off to college become a legal age and will want bars and clubs to sing in. Hopefully by then the social engineers will realize their mistakes and to reduce the frat parties in private neighborhoods noise problems should I go on and encourage the reinstitution of public bars which can be regulated on simpler levels that were used for centuries.

There are other handy skill that may save you money. Like instead of buying expensive mic cables, make it yourself. Same with other cables xrl to tsr,  1/4 to 1/8, trs to rca, etc.

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

Crowds that were around ten years ago went through many changes.

First job, High school, college, New jobs, New car, Married, Buy a house, kids, Mini van, Divorce, get fired, More school, move out of town, new job, move back ten years later.    The crowds will always be turning over.    More young'ns born every day.    There will always be a fresh crop of people that want to sing.    Everyone is a ham at heart.    The biggest ones sing "My Way".    Double applause thing.    LMAO    If you want to stay in the game..... UPGRADE    The Top 10 % will survive....No matter what happens.     Except for nuclear annihalation.    :shock:

kap, the best par tof this is that you cxan claim expemtion from taxes on income since you are a religious entity!  dang!  why didn't I think of that?

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All work and no play make Homer something something

you forgot to finish the cycle....

move back in with mom, have nice private apt in her basement, ask mom to find another place to stay occassionally so you can entertain women you meet at 12 step group.  Ask mom for allowance because it's not your fault that you were born. Sit around watching TV all day.  Call upstairs asking elderly mother why she hasn't cooked dinner, and brought it downstair yet, the football injury makes climbing the steps difficult. Advertise in local personal's.. "Middle-aged, unemployed, bald, overweight male, currently collecting disability and living with mother looking for wealthy woman for meaningful relationship,  How about it gals?"





I agree,  but nowhere near as many will find Bar Karaoke a "novelty".  By the time they are 21, they'll have been doing Karaoke for YEARS.... It's been there ever since they can remember.  At parties, HS and College events, Karaoke contests, and machines will be plentiful..  There will not be the same draw pulling a 21+ crowd into bars for Karaoke, as there was 15 years ago when it was "new" to most of us, and there were few options outside of "bar" karaoke... It wasn't an affordable doable "do it at home" or at a local party concept,  MOST of us had our first exposure to Karaoke at bars.... That's not the case anymore.. Sure many here that are 17 will want to go to bars to sing when 21...But they can also sing online interactively, get home machines, sing at contests away from bars.... Bar's no longer have the market on "Karaoke" as entertainment... They did in the past... You needed the KJ more "in the beginning" to coordinate things.  Now it's become a "do-it-yourself activity..

This is why it won't be the novel draw it was in many areas (in addition to revenue constraints on bars to pay the KJ)... I agree, it will ALWAYS be a "do-it-youraself" activity, as in the CAV's JB-199 juke box...No KJ needed.... Soon guys sitting around a bar will just pass the microphone around clockwise assuming they feel like singing weeknights, and read the lyrics off've the screen, and hear themselves and their backing off've some bose type compact system, while programming their song on a handheld remote.. No need to get up on stage, no need for KJ..

Here's a thought Bigdog.  If Texas Hold'en poker came along in 1990, would it have displaced Karaoke like it's doing (these days) with as much prevalence ?

Just speculating, I can't project what the future will, or won't bring.  Yet hasn't there been a steady decline in the available better paying KJ jobs nationally over the past 4 years or-so ? We can't take one or two "good" locations in specific geographic areas to exemplify what the general trend is.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Two thoughts....

First the kids that grew up with karaoke, NEVER had alcohol with it.    Never did it drunk.     Never got to YELL %#$^%&^%%@$%$ on the mike, in front of mom.

Maybe everytime you lose a hand, you have to sing a song?????    Karaoke Hold'em.    Win, lose or sing.

That'd be great !   People would bluff and let me win !     Great idea.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

They just past the no smoking law here may 31st and I'm feeling the effects already. I lost my Tuesday gig which I've had for 7 years now (but the new Doofus owners of the place are driving it into the ground also) and my other gigs are slowing. Friday night usually packed but it was raining out and less than half the regulars showed up. So the smoking ban here so far (only a week and a half in) is feeling kinda spooky. I'm hoping once people get used to it things will get better.

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ROBDOG *WOOF WOOF*

It will get better once everyone realizes that everywhere is in the same boat.  Our law is the toughest one on the books nationwide (supposedly) where not only do they have to go outside, the smoking area HAS to be 25' from ANY window (open or closed) or door (open or closed).  Only 6 months into it, but most of the kj's I talk with say their business fell off the first few weeks-couple months, but started gradually building back up - still not where they were pre law, but getting there.  Some of the smaller bars did fail or are disobeying the ban & allowing smoking, however they are getting nailed with fines as well.

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

Aren't May and June usually the slow bar months in alot of the Northern areas ?  Not sure about Canada Rob,  But bars in my area have always been near dead late spring early summer.  As the weather cools off, and daylight shortens, bars pick up around here.

I suppose part of the problem I see, is the way alcohol acts on the Cortex part of our brain.  It weakens will-power, people are more prone to succumb to temptation. Don't many smokers feel MORE compelled than usual to smoke when they are drinking ?  Assuming they can't, it just becomes another "negative" experience. Bars aren't as relaxing for smokers.  This "Indoor Clean-Air Act" is spreading much more quickly than I anticipated (when I first heard about it 4 years ago).. I never thought ALL the states would enact it.  It appears however, that all states are, and will within a short period. Ct was hit in two separate increments.  The first law wasn't bad, 7 months later it was amended, and the amended law was quite strict. Seems as though the States that are adopting the "Clean Air Act" now are getting hit by the tough law.  Most of you don't have the transition period that NY, and CT had between the first law (reasonably lenient), and the amended act.

Initially "public" restaurants were able to circumvent the smoking ban, by issuing "Private club" or membership cards admitting their bar partrons as private members.   It was only restaurants and retailers that were Public status, that were forced to adhere to the Indoor Clean Air resolution.  Private "clubs" or "after-hours" member type clubs were able to avoid it.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Around here most of the DJs started doing karaoke.   I don't know if they saw EZ money or they needed to do something to keep working.   There are still some DJs around, but not as many as there use to be.   If you want to be a good DJ/KJ then you really have to spend a lot of money on music.   Karaoke people aren't singing dance club music.     Dancing music doesn't sound like most of the karaoke stuff.

That's actually an interesting, and valid point. Either way, it would involve another investment. The 'DJ's library assuming a person started as a DJ (who evolved to Karaoke in order to keep a foot in the door) is now passe.  His music likely from back in the 70-80's "Disco" era. He'd have to buy a new library of what people enjoy "today" which would include certain oldies, however in the years since the bar DJ's were more popular, things have evolved (changed) style-wise.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Nah I would just contract a club to do 'retro' dj'ing!

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