Karaoke Forums

Hi all, I've been a country music singer all my life, well since I was 14 am now 68. I do play guitar and had my own band for many years, years ago, but still play with local bands. I met a lady who introduced me to Karaoke and I struggled with learning to do it, that was almost 3 years ago. I have known folks like myself, used to live bands, who can't do Karaoke. But I overcame it and do as well with Karaoke as with a guitar and a band. My questions are if I were to take my disc machine out with my disc's and do a show, am I in violation of the law. Most of my discs are custom from Chartbuster but I do have Zoom, All Star Karaoke, Pocket Songs, Party Tyme Karaoke, and a set of 27 disc's that we bought on eBay, Karaoke Hits (maybe pirate, don't know) but were cheap, just comparing with more popular disc's. I have downloaded all the songs on a laptop and I am using Siglo's and dowloaded them using PowerKaraoke Burner. I only have maybe 1,000 songs. Do I have to take the disc's with me if I were to do a show to prove something, we all know how much easier it is to just bring the laptop. I surely don't want to get in trouble with downloading any kind of software, especially music, that I may be violating the law. My Chartbuster disc's say "licensed to" but with their downfall infrigement lawsuits and out of business, but I'm still buying them. I just bought a Chartbuster Christmas Essential package. Is it legal to still use Chartbuster in public. I also have downloaded songs with grafics from a download sight Karaoke CC from PowerKaraoke site. Do I need some sort of KJ license to run a show. The shows that we will be doing are in private settings, but still open to the public, VFW, American Legion, Senior Center, etc. Please steer me in the right direction to avoid trouble. No contracts involved, no fee, we are doing this for enjoyment but will accept contributions. I have been lurking on this forum for about a year, and don't understand all things, but I don't want to be a scab, or be known as a hijacker or thief by using disc's or downloading music that's pirated or get in trouble with the laws.

If you legally purchased the original discs or the burned custom disc from the original manufacturer, that gives you license to use those tracks in public performance.

There's aren't really any "karaoke police," that have a satellite uplink to all venues and enforce any of the laws, either, so just use common sense. The manufacturers will sue you if they find out you are using downloads of their music that you didn't pay for, but beyond that you are in the clear either way. I live in a beach town and there are tons of one man bands using karaoke backing tracks in MIDI systems.

Good luck!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

You are required to have purchased legal music for your show. The venue is required to have the proper licensing for public performance. The legal purchase is the gray area. Cheap doesn't mean pirated but it doesn't mean it isn't. If you have to question whether it was pirated (by the look on the discs) it probably is.

There is also an opinion by some manufactures that you can not copy (rip) the discs to a computer. You'll find plenty of info here on the site about that and can make up your own mind as to what you think is best. I'd offer my opinion but it's worth the paper this post is written on.

Hey thanks for the info. Common sense seems to make the most sense! Now we're gonna go and have some fun! Jim