Karaoke Forums

Phoenix Entertainment Partners Acquires Sound Choice Marks, Other Assets

https://pep.rocks/relaunch.php

All I what to know is how frigen much! Nothing from the web site, I'm done. I don't and never will have SC.

I didn't look at PEP's website, but, if you go to www.sounndchoice.com, you will find your answer.

http://www.sounndchoice.com for all or any purpose isn't anymore.

Just for the record I plan on quitting the Karaoke hosting this year. No one will care but me.

The standard monthly license fee is $199 per system for the HELP Operator License and $299 for the HELP Venue License or the HELP Blanket License. We are currently offering $70 off each license type as an introductory special with a 6-month commitment. We are offering an additional $20 per month discount off the HELP Operator License if the license is prepaid for one year, or $30 per month off if prepaid for two years. HELP Operator Licenses for additional rigs receive a $10 per month discount. A HELP Single-Show License costs $69 for each 24-hour period. From the web site.

More of the same o same o. Just another nail in the karaoke coffin.

The single most important point that all of these greedy corporations seem to miss completely is that they (the corporations) have killed off middle class and lower middle class America.

Joe six pack can now only afford one six pack a week and that six pack won't pay the overhead for all the mom & pop bar rooms and halls to run Karaoke.

If I could still charge 250-500 a night per gig like in the old days and run 4 or 5 nights a week a subscription rate like this might be doable. At a 100 a night 2 nights a week it's a bit unrealistic.

I believe the Karaoke Cloud and the HELP program are targeted at full time karaoke hosts. Five plus nights a week and at a decent rate. I like the rate this high because it is a barrier to entry to all but the most serious hosts. There certainly won't be a glut of karaoke hosts because of this program.

_________________
-Chris

It will reroute you to https://pep.rocks/

From your previous post tho, I see you found your answer after all.

I think anyone who pays Sound Choice or karaoke cloud a monthly fee is crazy. We do still live in a world where the venue's BMI and ASCAP fees do cover ALL live material including karaoke, and where you can still purchase songs you own without any monthly fees.

Sound choice is the only company that is using their copyrights as a means to extract more money than we normally used to pay. They have made great music, but they are completely screwing up with their business model, which, seems to get even worse with each new reincarnation. They are so lost. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you can get all of your music from sources outside of the U.S. and never pay any monthly fees and completely own all your music. Just because they've fooled a few people into this whole monthly fee thing, doesn't mean they'll ever get enough people to stay afloat. It hasn't worked so far for anyone, and the fact that they can't see that is surely spelling certain doom for both Sound Choice and the Karaoke Cloud.

Both of these companies fall into Einstein's definition of insanity which is "doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results".

Karaoke Cloud has at least 178 monthly subscribers. That may not seem like a lot, but 178 @ $99/mo = $17,622 per month = $211,464 per year. That doesn't include the music that people buy outright without a subscription. So even though their service isn't right for me or perhaps you, it seems to be working just fine for others, and they are (presumably) profiting.

PEP is still selling GEM's. PEP will get some subscribers and in fact, I am reviewing my numbers to see what impact this would have on me for new systems.

Plus, it's easy to say that all the music is available, but actually acquiring it and the costs involved, make services like attractive to some people.

Think about it.....

Brand new KJ with zero music decides to start up a show and just download on the fly. Let's pretend for a moment that he is also psychic and knows EXACTLY which songs will be performed every night for the first year. From what we have seen from Lonnie's history as well as anecdotal evidence from others, the new KJ will have to buy ~1000 tracks to support his show for the first year. If every one of those tracks are available from Tricerasoft, they can buy them using the 200 unit credit packs.

5 X 280 = $1400 for 1000 tracks. Spread out over a year and that is $116 per month. That is only $13/mo less than the PEP deal (which also gives you access to 16500 tracks - BUT there would be additional costs to fill in songs from 2009 and later).

The very next year, the cost of acquiring music SHOULD go down because they already own a bunch of music that will get re-used.

BUT, acquiring the music up front means paying $1400 up front. *OR* they could just download on the fly as needed which creates a LOT of extra work, especially during the first few months when they are fulfilling requests every night for music they don't have yet.

If they use Karaoke Cloud or PEP, they can get their foot in the door at a much lower up front cost by using a subscription. And lets not beat around the bush here....people that come into this business these days try to do it as cheaply as possible.

These services aren't really for the long time karaoke host. These services are much better suited for the new players coming online. But they may actually be viable for long term hosts as well depending on what their business model is.

Oh Yeah......(and I have been saying this for a few years now). The world is changing. The new generation cares less about ownership and more about ease of use and access to content anytime, anywhere, from any device. You don't own any of the Spotify or Pandora content you listen to and the moment you stop paying for those, you lose access (or have to tolerate ads). Both services are wildly successful.

Time will tell if PEP can keep their head above water.....they just need to get the word out.

_________________
-Chris

Small warning -- there has been some talk of licensing and legalities already. If you want to continue in that vein, create a new topic in Legalities & Piracy (or post in the one that's already there). Otherwise, stick to the plan and its merits.

_________________
[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Where did it say that PEP gives access to 16,500 tracks? Did I miss something? This is all I saw:

Read from other thread:

...Here's another one for ya:
"Simply register for HELP, promise to meet a few quality standards, and pay a monthly fee based on the number of karaoke hard drives you use that have Sound Choice-branded tracks on them.

No disc audits. No certifications. No hassles."

@ Bazza and MadMusicOne...

And I will ask again.... WHERE does it say that PEP gives you access to those tracks. All I am reading here is that PEP doesn't care where you obtained the tracks from. They say that if you didn't obtain them from original discs, you are at risk of being sued for copyright infringement. They may be willing to turn a blind eye towards this (as long as you pay them their monthly fee), but I still don't see the words "PEP WILL GIVE YOU access to all of those tracks.

Cueball wrote:

@ Bazza and MadMusicOne...

And I will ask again.... WHERE does it say that PEP gives you access to those tracks. All I am reading here is that PEP doesn't care where you obtained the tracks from. They say that if you didn't obtain them from original discs, you are at risk of being sued for copyright infringement. They may be willing to turn a blind eye towards this (as long as you pay them their monthly fee), but I still don't see the words "PEP WILL GIVE YOU access to all of those tracks.[/quote]

...Cue, I'm not sure where you found the following line, "WHERE does it say that PEP gives you access to those tracks?
...My answer and no disrespect because currently I'm all over the place right now but I can only assume that they mean "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Say No Evil." I haven't seen anywhere, on their website, that states PEP gives you access to 16,500 tracks... But, I just don't know?

Yes. It appears to be a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" type policy. They say with a PEP license, all your red-label tracks are licensed, without an audit or having to show discs, "no matter where you got them".

So. Can you seriously not read between the lines here? Geez man. It's no secret whats happening. It's legitimatizing & licensing (and SC finally getting paid) for pirate hard drives.

I haven't seen anything on their website that states such a thing either. I am asking that question based on what I quoted from Chris Avis's post....


Yes... I can read between the lines, and that is exactly how I am reading it too. That's just NOT the way Chris put it, and that's why I was calling him out on it.

https://pep.rocks/licensing.php

"Through the HELP program, you get a license that allows you to use the Sound Choice marks on tracks stored on non-original media, no matter how many of the more than 16,500 unique "red logo"* Sound Choice tracks you have, no matter where you got them."

_________________
-Chris