Karaoke Forums

1) There is approx 20 million dollars worth of recordings offered in the Sound Choice brand.
2) There is a "Help" license available to those that may have acquired these tracks on Hard drive or other storage devices "IN GOOD FAITH"
3) There is also a "Certification program in place for those that acquire SC CDG DISKS and choose to "rip" them on to a Hard drive or other storage device "IN GOOD FAITH"
4) Some people are saying that the prices should be higher.
5) There is currently 5% of those in the karaoke industry that are actually licensed.

But let's get real for a moment. Higher pricing will steer away the other 95% I think a more positive approach would be to embrace the 95% and place them on a program that will benefit BOTH SIDES. when I say 95% I'm referring to approx "10,000 users" if not more. You can't just throw that away... why not Create a USER License for the 95% (10,000 x $500/year = $5 million/year) It sounds like a losing on the bananas approach but still benefits all of us because that $5 million can pay for new tracks. and also can offer an affiliate program within those 95% allowing each licensee to earn "FREE Credits" towards new music... from referrals. Throwing this opportunity away would just crumble the TOP DOG in the industry. Again TOP DOGS can not survive on just the 5%... I believe if a "Paid Membership was offered on the SoundChoice.com website similar to what is mentioned in this post would bring the company back in the game and EVERYONE wins!!!! Maybe Kurt Jon Slep will see this post and either laugh his (@$%&#!) off and enjoy the rest of his day or Embrace it and get that website going "ASAP"

(Keep in mind the $500/yr is just used as an example and may not be the actual pricing on a live site.)

Keep in mind that Paid members are also affiliates and in knowing they also have an opportunity to Earn free credits will motivate the 95% to tell their friends so EVERYBODY WINS

Any thought's would be greatly appreciated.

I am laughing it off because there's no way that Gem Series lincensers or those already certified are going to want to spend more than they already have to. What you are proposing is basically put everyone on the help license and no legal host wants that stigma. Anyone who uses the help license, except for maybe someone who wants to put together a second system without having to go out and try and hunt for the exact discs to back that system up, are considered pirates who either got caught or want to pre-emptively avoid a lawsuit before being investigated. Sorry but I personally don't want to be lumped in with the latter two. I am perfectly fine with paying the three year fee for the GEM Series since I have already paid for the five year fee. I actually believe that my next payment is due this November. I could be wrong.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

I appreciate your input. I also have a Gem set in place... this proposal was more directed to the 95% NON-Licensed KJ hosts.

Personally I'm trying to get the "Help" program and "Certification" out of the picture.

I'm referring more to a paid membership for the SoundChoice.com website.

If you have to pay to use the website, I am out too. I refuse to pay to use a website.
And again that is lumping in the technical infringers with real pirates.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Certification out? That would be stupid!! IF that happens then I would sell all my Sound Choice stuff - no point in keeping it! I have another 500 cdg's I bought for my 2nd system that I will need to certify before I put it into actual use, if that isn't an option, then I can sell and buy tracks from elsewhere.
But on your proposal - NAY!

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Again I appreciate your input GOOD or BAD... just want to iron out what's what.

So "CDG Certification is good" i get it you bought the cdg disks, you got them certified, you rip the disks to your new media device... all is good.

Now the million dollar question, you just spent at least 20 minutes ripping each disk to your hard drive x 500 = 166 hrs of your time.

DID YOU AT LEAST MAKE A BACKUP OF THE NEW MEDIA DEVICE? (It would be pretty dumb to have to re-rip every disk in case of a hard drive failure)

Certification allows 1:1 (One disk to one Media device) therefore if you created a backup and 99% of us DO... guess what, you need to license that too...

This is what I am fighting SC about... because IT SHOULD BE FREE....

And what is my (or anyones) time ripping of any concern to you? If we are willing to spend the yime needed yo rip rhe discs, that just shows a little more dedication than a kj that would rather buy everything a thousand times over just yo claim $.50 cents a track. My time ripping took almost 4 months to complete (not including laserdiscs). So what does that matter to You? I was completely willing to do the task.
And yes my show computer has a mirrored drive in case one dies, the other takes over.

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The key word is BACKUP drive, meaning only used if main library drive fails on you. Even Chip would oppose this IF he used SC but he doesn't so it won't affect him one bit. And if you aren't willing to rip your discs, with the exception of just doing buy on the fly downloads, then you are sounding more pro pirate Everytime you bring something like this up. Personally I would rather have the pirates being forced to delete their SC off their drives and if they choose to use SC products, have to purchase the GEM Series and pick up various Spotlight series discs to fill what the GEM Series doesn't have. I am not opposed to turning a pirate from continuing to go the illegal path.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

I would bet that only a really foolish certified KJ would not have a back up to the drive that is in his show computer. As long as that backup/spare hard drive stays in the closet what would be the harm?

This is exactly the issue I am fighting over with SC. Is because EVERYONE of use as licensed KJ's need all devoted our time to rip the disks... but to do it all over again vs... just making a "cold" backup... SC says.., YOU MUST LICENSE EVERY DEVICE that contains SC content.

So this being said...
1) Everyone who bought disks who choose to make a backup needs also a "Help" License for the backup.
2) Why bother with the disks in the first place if we still need the "Help" license in place.

3) Even those who purchased a hard drive in good faith require one "Help" for the drive and another "Help" for the backup.

ALL of this should be FREE.... Who the hell wants to pay $200/Month x 2 just for the sake of having OLD music from 2010 and continue to pay for the rest of their life and own NOTHING...

Karafun offers 29,000 tracks all updated till 2018 for 129/month. And that includes unlimited installations on multi platform products Utilized by the same owner.

I'm not paying anything more for my back up drive. Again if that ever becomes issue, I will sell off every bit of my SC and never bother with them again - as I think would most any other certified kj. The back up is just that - back up. It's not being used for any other shows than the one i'm certified for and is in the same system i'm certified for already.

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

The majority of the members who are posting don't consider KaraFun professional Karaoke Hosting software for the most part. I know that I won't bother with the software for that reason and because I don't believe in one show having a song available to me and the next one it is gone due to license problems. I want my library to be permanently available to my singers. I look at the backup this way if I have access to my backup hard drive or laptop at the show, I don't have to close the show but just swap out what isn't functioning. I am not going to lose that nights pay if my hard drive or laptop decide to crap out on me. I have only had that happen once and that was my laptop that crapped out on me.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Deleted!!!!!!

Exactly my point too... Many will create a "Cold" backup of their production drive. Some even have a "Fail-Safe" backup on standby at their shows.

It's Pay, Pay, Pay and Pay again. 4 times for a professional to run a Show.

If someday the karaoke cops come and demand all your hard drives, just do what Hillary would do and smash them beyond recognition. If it worked for her .... denying works
too It's guaranteed that you will not be charged with any crimes.

PS Oh, and don't forget to "wipe them with a cloth" first.

maybe if this was a few years ago you might get bites, but it does not need to happen for anyone in
Washington
Oregon
California
Idaho
Nevada
Arizona
Alaska
Utah
New Mexico
Colorado
Wyoming
Kansas
Oklahoma
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska
Minnesota
Iowa
Missouri
Arkansas

transferring to a hard drive is not illegal and needs no permission.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

The only thing certain karaoke Disc Manus were griping about was making an "unauthorized" copy of their Trademark.

I spent 7 months stripping their "precious" Trademarks OFF any song in question.

I PAID for the Discs ONCE AND I WILL NOT, AND NEVER WILL, PAY MORE FOR WHAT I HAVE ALREADY PAID.

GET THAT IN YOUR FEEBLE MINDS.

As much as I appreciate your reply gd123, this is something I prefer not to know. again thank you for sharing your thoughts and input.

What would make someone "not" want to do this gd123?

Maybe lower licensing prices, or?

But just goes to show what people will do to either save a buck or avoid certain things to make their business professional.

You are some kind of stupid.
Removing the trademarks and boasting about it on the net can make you a target for defacing the product. I can spot a Sound Choice song a mile away. The only brands that use close to their tradedress, swipes and the like are Stingray and Sing To The World.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

First of all, every KJ here can run a successful show without using Sound Choice material. Secondly, for the price of a Gem set, you can get yourself a pretty nice library of Zoom Discs. You can rip them for use on your laptop and you don't need to get certified. And they sound just as good as SC.

Those 95% of KJ's operating illegally, should be forced to destroy their hard drives and never be allowed to host karaoke again. And don't give me this "good faith" sh*t. Common sense tells you that music costs money. It always has. Whether it be on albums, cassette tapes or cd's, people know that it isn't free and that you have to buy it. This 95% knows that too. They're just trying to get over. Stop trying to protect them.

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