Karaoke Forums

OK, the time has come. Let's take a vote! Would you use the Cloud or do you like things just the way they are? Personally, I want nothing to do with it.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

It's a little early for a poll Alan, we don't know all of the particulars yet, nor the pricing, any one of which could swing a vote one way or the other.
I'll take a wait and see with interest if everything falls into place as I would like.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

Another way to ask this is:

If you could store and play all of your karaoke files remotely over a fast, reliable connection, with 100% legality, a VAST reduction in piracy, lower cost karaoke files (longterm) and NO computer to buy, would you.

YES!

If you say that there is no way you'd use the cloud, then you have no idea what it is! Pretty much all computer software and even a good chunk ofb the actual computer hardware will all be cloud based in the near future, so I guess those of you that say NO to this are going to stop using computers altogether.

Good luck with that!

You WILL no longer own your own computer. You WILL do all personal computing through the cloud network on your TV and phone. Your hard drive, all your software, and everything will be based in the cloud, and accessed remotely. This will cut down on software and hardware costs, as well as software piracy. Internet connections will be faster, more reliable, and cheaper.

This will all happen in the next 3-5 years. It is ready to go RIGHT NOW, and the only thing holding it back is the ISPs, which stand to lose quite a bit of margin.

You better be ready to use the cloud!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Most of you guys, for some reason, refuse to trust the internet. I've relied on the internet for 3+ years now. The only problems I have had in those 3+ years is when I am out of the service area, which is rare.

That being said, I would not go with the cloud based soley on the prices that Chris posted in a different thread. The only way I would go with it is if it were <$40 per month. Anything higher than that is not cost effective for any KJ with a legal library of 10,000+ songs. (probably many fewer songs)

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

Exactly. It's all about the price. The technology is fantastic and nothing to be afraid of.

You better be ready to hold on to your freedom and your rights and not let companies control you and dictate what you WILL be using in order for their benifit and profit by you.

I am very happy using my system. I love using my laptop and my hosting software (CompuHost) of choice. I wouldn't want to use Cloud based software to run a show any more then I would want to use a bar sound system over my own.

The Cloud may be fine for home use but certainly not for the professional KJ. Especially at the crazy prices that were thrown out. If they offer an alternative like the KJ HD Media Pro, then I'm in. That way, you could continue to use your own hardware, software, own your music and only buy what you need when you need it. But I realize that would be too simple and Cloud based companies wouldn't make money. It's a total rip off. You people need to wake up and see what's going on here.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

The determining factor will be: How will new music be released? If the manufacturers band together, which looks like a certainty, and only release new music via the cloud application, you will be on the cloud or be out of business. Because the singers will flock to the places with the new music, did you folks miss the "Death of Plastic" Summit. There will be no more discs being released. As for price, they can charge whatever they want to and you'll have to pay the rate or not have new music. You decide.

This is antiquated thinking. You are running a business and the goal should be to maximize profits.

"Nothing to show for it"?! Show to WHO?

Karaoke music is not an investment. Karaoke music is not something you will someday retire and live on. This is not real estate that will hopefully increase in value in the future. It's Karaoke music to use in your business that will be obsolete in less than 10 years. To spend 3x, 4x or 5x MORE just so you can "have something to show for it" is just plain foolish when you can USE those same songs and thousands more for hundreds or thousands of dollars LESS.

I guess it comes down to this. Are you running a real business? Or building a personal karaoke collection. I am doing the former.

Internet reliability/affordability depends on the area. To use it as a way to instantly update an existing library would be of use if it was affordable (so far not as far as wages out here) but we don't have the type of internet that would support a show, even if we could afford that extra addition. We have lived with satellite internet for 7 years and while "web acceleration error" and "problem with terminal, please retry page" or a tempermental modem are just little blips for home use they would take down a show. We are right on the borderline of cell service so even that is not the solution even if there was an option that didn't ration bandwidth/downloads.

It is an interesting concept as we are still disc and on the one hand it might allow us to just jump past the whole ripping thing. On the other hand this is not a computer oriented area as far as the venues installing internet. Having to pay for it ourselves would be yet another chunk out of already low profits.

The thing is, as hosts owning their own business, many want to control as many aspects of their show as possible in order to put on the quality of show they desire. Having to rely on an outside service for yet another aspect will be a psychological hurdle to overcome.

Actually, ONE company can do that. But when multiple companies get together and do that, it may be grounds for a lawsuit. Trust me, how they act collectively will come under federal scrutiny - should someone push it.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

Yes, I'm running a real business. And I want to have the control to run it the way I see fit, and NOT have someone else dictate or tell me how to run it.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Well, up until now, I have already spent those thousands of dollars you speak of to accumulate 14,000 songs. Since I am ODB, and I only do this as a hobby, what do you suggest I do with my 1,000 plus discs?... just throw them out and start all over again with this new Cloud service???

I'm only making $1,500 a year doing this (if that much, because there have been several times that I was asked not to do a show, due to it being very slow at the Bar). Do you really think it's worth it for me to start making/taking all the time and energy I have, into converting my songs into files to store on a HD... and then also have to pay (a monthly cost of even $20-40) to store them in the Cloud for the use of their services as wel???... And what about those months that I'm not doing a show? To keep my stuff available on the Cloud, would require that I continue to pay for their service (even if I'm not doing a show). Now why should I have to pay $60-120 (for a three month period), when I know I won't be doing any shows during that time? And if I discontinue that service for that time period??? I have to start all over again... and again... and again... and again.... and again....

Will the Cloud service be beneficial to you? Probably so. Will it be beneficial to me? I don't think so.

I haven't seen the folks flocking to new places just because the KJ didn't have all the new music. In fact, I have been to places where the selection was lousy, and yet the place was ALWAYS jam-packed with Karaoke Singers (on a regular basis).

Lots of topics in this thread - but to be clear again on this, with the pro service you can tether (cache) all the karaoke files locally on your drive. You will not need an active internet connection for playback. You simply need to connect once a month to verify your subscription (of course, you would want to connect to check for updated catalog items as well from time to time). So area's without internet = not a concern.

We ALL use cloud services now and have for decades.

But in the context of this....

I will *NOT* use the Digitrax service as it is being positioned in the demo from the summit.

-Chris

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-Chris

Uh you wouldn't need to store anything you already have, this would be the new delivery system for new music only (or songs you don't have). I do believe you have the wrong idea about that from what has been explained and demonstrated.
Also you have to have an internet connection to initially download, once on your computer, if you subscription is active for the month, you will not even have to be on the internet - until you have to renew, then you renew & unplug for another 30 days.

Never got a movie on demand? Or have HBO (or the equivalent)?

If this was the only medium available back in the day, you wouldn't have thought anything of it. You are just used to a certain way. Unfortunately I also believe this is the future - like it or not. The prices do have to get considerably better though.

It has been stated the manus of the karaoke software would need to adapt their program to interface with the Clouds encryption so you would be able to continue to use Compuhost, i'd be able to continue using MTU, PCDJ is already adapted. It has been stated, the Cloud is just a delivery system, they won't have software to use.

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

Internet connection actually is a concern because of the way the satellite/wifi internets work. You still have to download the songs to use them later and downloads on most of the wireless services are rationed. In our case, there is a "free" period between 11 pm and 3 am or something like that so it all would have to be done then. Otherwise, watch just a few You Tubes, even and you are slowed down for 24 hours. Also, in low internet areas where venues don't see the need for it, the host might end up paying for the internet connection just to stay competitive which is one more company getting a piece of our tiny pie.

For me, the simple solution is legal downloads. The cloud may have alot of good features but it is more complicated than what a host needs.

Well that isn't always the case that singers 'flock' to new releases. I could probably continue to run a very successful show for the next 10 years if I never bought another new song from this point on. Most of the music that gets sung is from the 70's-early 2000's. Not ALOT of newer tracks get sung - there are exceptions, but certainly not anything that would drive people away if I didn't have it.

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

You are extremely paranoid & emotional about this. Who on earth is dictating anything or telling you how to run your business? Nobody. This is about access to more music for your business for a MUCH lower price. Nothing more.



Of course not. Nobody is saying that. I understand your pain, it probably stings to spend tens of thousands on music, just to have someone like me come along later and have MORE music for 1/20 the price you paid. But that doesn't make today's modern distribution methods bad, sinister or shady.



Agreed. It sounds like you don't have a business, but primarily a hobby that makes a little cash every once in awhile. In your case, you are correct that it probably isn't for you.

So will these files remain on the drive and can be activated say I have a gig in June, but know nothing is booked again until August, I could go through July without paying, and then activate back up in AUgust and not need to re-download everything again, just re-subscribe?
I also have to ask, I do not put my show computer online (except for updates - or subscription renewals), I have a separate computer for that, would I be able to download from the other computer & flash drive it to the show computer that will actually play the file.

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