Karaoke Forums

I know i am new here but after years of singing at karaoke clubs in Portland Oregon I decided to go out on the road with my Karaoke library from home (all on disc over 450 discs) all original and a decent sound system. After taking to over 28 clubs no one will pay over $75.00 for five hours and to compete on a commercial level it seems like I need a minimum of 80,000 songs. Am I missing something or is there a new system available on the maket for cheap karaoke music. i have over $12,000.00 invested in music but it just doesn't pencil out at $75.00 a night. Please help me newbie.

Do you have a professional sound system as well, or are you looking to be a "house KJ"? Without your own sound system, it might be hard to get the money you're looking for.

As far as song selection, if you have a good mix of stuff, and it's decent quality, you don't need 80,000 songs. You could do a good show with only a few thousand, if you have the right ones. Others here can definately vouch for that.

Sorry, missed the part where you said you DID have a sound system.

sounds like you got some pirates in your area

it seems like evebody has the same library of karaoke music on computer, di I need to change?

They are illegal, do you want to join them?

If you can somehow prove you can be better than them with your show and fill the bars with people you stand a chance. We all face the same thing.

I just can't see working for $75.00 a night. I heard most karaoke people were making $150.00 - $200.00 a night but most clubs I went to were way cheaper. Am I thinking wrong or am i over priced?

This is what happens when people buy illegal hard drives and flood the market place. They can't get jobs because they aren't any good. So they work for whatever they can get. Then bar owners think every KJ is only worth $75. Good KJs can get higher prices but only after they have a reputation for being good. It's not going to be easy for you as a newcomer.

Any suggestions

If you can't beat them join them. If you actually want to do this you will have to start at the bottom. That will mean working for $75 until you can prove that you are worth more. Building a good crowd will be the only thing the bar owners are going to use to judge your ability. You need some experience and working cheap is going to give it to you. The faster you want to make more money the faster you will learn what works and what doesn't. Frankly your situation sucks. How far are you willing to drive?

Is it saturated out of town? You are going to have to be better than all or most of your competition. What will that take? More time, money, equipment, songs? The singers will have to sound better, be treated better and have more fun than at the other shows. Your bar owners will have to make more money with you than with the other KJs.

It's all up hill.

First of all you can't assume that KJ's with large libraries are illegal.
Secondly, I'm not sure what the "going rate" in Portland is but someone here should be able to advise.

From what you said you just don't like the MONEY being offered ? Do you t hink if you had 80,000 songs the pay would be MORE ?

When interviewing for a club, don't mention the size of your selection, you can just say THOUSANDS of WELL SELECTED songs. PUSH the other aspects of you show..SOUND SYSTEM - KJ personality - etc.

If I understand correctly you are a NEW KJ which sometimes mean you'll have to pay your dues with less than market pay. ( hint #2 don't mention you are NEW )
I would never suggest someone LIE to get a JOB but you can streeeeetch the truth as much as possible ..choose your words correctly and sell yourself and your show with CONFIDENCE.

And -- going to a computer will give the impression that your show is UP TO DATE
(no dis to cdg based kj's ) It's the truth ---unknowing bar owners willl prefer a COMPUTER BASED KJ. just sounds better when deciding which KJ you want for your bar.

I did find this one place in Silverton that wanted to hire me even though the kj there had over 100,000 songs they don't like him but I can't drive down from Portland for $75.00 a night and set up and year down. After gas expense I'm making less then min wage. Is this the same all over?

Why don't they like him? Use that to your advantage. Don't be like him. Start at that price and increase it over time. But you have to cut that deal with the bar owner from day one. Down the road you won't get more money unless you are really doing a great job. If you suggest you will do the job for $75 a night for a month month and a half and then you want X amount. But that will depend on how good the night is going. If it's dead you won't get your raise. Then you could decide on a nightly basis. Bar owners generally don't volunteer to give any extra money out. You're gonna have to pay your dues and it's not easy and really not fun when you aren't making much money. Find out how you can be better than the last KJ.

I only have about 12,000 songs and I'm kind of nervous about patrons asking for songs I don't have. If I add a computer to my system is there a easy download site for karaoke music. I have seen some clubs with computer systems that downloads songs instantainously from the internet, do you know where to go on the internet for this?

oops.

Are the 12,000 songs you have --personal favorites from your home collection?

If so you may have to invest in something like the FOUNDATION and the bricks from Soundchoice or a similiar STARTER SET. Don't worry about not having everything

I have about 14,000 unique songs and it has never been a problem. I would just suggest two things (and tell the bar owners these things as well):

#1: EVERYTIME someone asks for a song you don't have, write it down and tell them that you'll have it within a week, then go get it. Older songs, especially, you can usually find on $2-$3 discs on karaoke.com.

#2: Update your library at least QUARTERLY (every 3 months) with new stuff. I never buy new music RIGHT when it comes out, but I do buy complilation discs every 3 months. If you buy the new stuff right away, I find that you end up paying a premium ($20+ per disc) for lots of songs that don't have any staying power. If you wait until the quarterly compilation discs come out (like the CB Best of Summer 2009, Big Hitz, etc.), then you end up with a better selection of new songs that DO have staying power, and you end up spending about $7-8 a disc instead of $20+. I pick up a few of these compilation sets every 3 months, and always have the latest music that anyone is interested in singing for about $60-70 every 3 months.

Tell your prosepective bars that you will reinvest your earnings into new discs and everyone's requests. I'd also stress the fact that your library is 100% legal, and many computer-based KJs are not, and that part of the liability for illegal libraries, if caught, falls on the bar owner, so they should always be sure their KJ has licensed discs of the songs they use in their commercial shows!!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Are you trying to get jobs at places that already have karaoke?

Starting new is hard if they market is saturated. I don't think the amount of songs is necessarily the problem. It sounds like you need to find a place that has never had karaoke before and work out a deal with them to get them to hire you. Maybe offer a free night to get your feet in the door to prove yourself.

Have you tried advertising? What have you done to get jobs? What kind of equipment do you have? How are you presenting yourself to them?

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I love your avatar by the way.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

PortlandVancouver/Gresham is one of the MOST OVERSATURATED Karaoke markets you will find ANYWHERE. It has one of the highest per capita karaoke bar concentrations you will find. It is FULL OF multi-riggers and laptop operators with the huge illegal hardrives. $75 OR LESS is the going rate for a KJ. ( OR LESS). It is EXCEEDINGLY CUTHROAT here. Barowners regard KJ's as little more than dime-a-dozen hourly employees. Many here also have there own systems installed(primarly CAVS) that allow them NOT TO HIRE INDEPENDENT KJ's---just hourly people.

There are a VERY FEW KJ's that make decent money--but they have been in those gigs for MANY YEARS and have been there from the start with those bars and have buillt strong loyal followings within those bars over MANY YEARS.

Most simply come and go and dont last very long at any one place.

Alot of places simply force the WAITRESSES to become the KJ's/DJ's.

It really is a BLEAK SITUATION.

Perhaps the best route to gain actual expereince would be to work at one of the karaoke bars with its own equipment, or with a multi-rigger to get actual field expereicne.

The real money is with weddings, private partys or corporate events. Bars only pay peanuts around here.

Sorry to sound so BLEAK---but thats what it is around the Portland/Vancouver metro area.

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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