Karaoke Forums

Buy a good base of classic songs.  Most singers will sing the classics over and over. I built my set around chartbuster and then I added the DK set. Having said this the sound choice foundation and bricks are the top quality out there.  If you go with the chartbusters you can add all essential sets of 450 without getting doubles.  I prefer to add yearly updates to my base set. This keeps you from only buying songs that you yourself like.  You can always fill with songs as you need them.  For example SC 8147 Let's get drunk and sing is an excellent disc of Jimmy Buffett songs. That disc gets regular use at my shows. I would recommend quality songs over just blindly buying monthly sets.  In my experience they just don't get played much.

Most SC discs go for around $17 these days in most internet retailers, however, being that yours actually still have it - I found out it's been discontinued - is probably why they priced it higher.  However it IS available on SC custom disc site.

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If she's fabulous, why do you want us to think of Amanda?  Amanda is god awful!

, i've had this one for quite sometime & not once have I heard it yet.  Complete dud.  Also heard the same thing about Umbrella (same disc), not once has it been done - these 2 songs were primarily what I got this disc for.  Only songs on that particular disc that get sung that weren't even requested was Rehab - Amy Winehouse, The Bird & The Worm - The Used, Beautiful Girls - Sean Kingston.

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OK I was just checking my supplier website this morning.

Since December I've spent close to $60 in monthlies in order to get just three songs- Apologize, Low, and Sorry.

Big Hitz just released their first in the 2008 series.

They are so street-wise. It contains all three, as well as You Know I'm No Good (I've got that one on a Winehouse specific disc and next to Rehab it's the most sung), Like You'll Never See Me Again (requested but not purchased yet) and several other things I've had people ask about but just haven't picked up.

I wish all manufacturers packaged their product as intelligently as this. I'll get it even though I've got some songs covered already because of what's there that I don't have.

Just a heads-up for those like me... part timers who need to cover the bases as efficiently as possible. Big Hitz quality in the past has been fine in my book, and it often is the best rendition I have of the particular track. IMO...

That's surprising considering the sheer number of singers that go through your place. Umbrella... that was sung a bit when it was out last summer but my gals have dropped it since. I think it was a one shot thing. At least in my room. But Big Girls... that's sung more now than when it was new. By just about every female in my room that can carry a tune. And some that can't. I may be totally wrong but I still think you'll be glad you have it eventually. But who knows... I'm really isolated in my own room to the point that it may be affecting my judgement.

Well like I sadi the disc wasn't a total loss, 3 other songs on it get done pretty regular right now.
But yes being in 1 room can cloud judgement as to what is hot - it's all club/location/types of crowd etc subjective - would your current selection be able to satisfy a rock & country crowd if the pop stuff didn't interest them.  The particular song kind of proves that.  HOT HOT HOT in your place in your area, FLOP FLOP FLOP in mine (many songs go this route, what's hot here is not there), maybe that will turn around after time when the song gains a little longevity - honestly I listened to it & didn't think it that great of a song personally, she sounds like she imitating someone almost verbatim, i'll think of the song later.  
But then you also state that you get more rap/hip hop down there as well, we get extremely little rap/hip hop, r&b is even very rare most nights.  Classic rock from the 70's-90's occasional new rock song & country is the standard in our club and again avg age group 20's-40's is the norm.

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Actually from looking over your two nights of songs our rooms are very similar about 2/3- 3/4 of the time. Particularly tonight. Saturdays are more conventional... at least the first half.

The most common raps done in my place are the ones everyone knows... Baby Got Back, Ice Ice Baby, Humpty Dance gets done quite a bit, Beasties... all were on your list.

My Siglos player has the ability to save the night's playlist too I believe. Once I get more comfortable with all it's settings I'll put a couple of mine up. I'd like to see other's as well. If anyone reading this wants to take the time to do so it would give me a bigger picture of things beyond my own room.

WOuldn't mind seeing that myself.  I will start a new thread with my list & maybe people will add to it.

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I was thinking about this tonight.  If i were starting a karaoke business today, i wouldn't go out with less than 4000 songs.

And now you see why the younger kids that want to be KJs  are buying illegal harddrives.   Nobody can afford to go into the karaoke business today on a shoe string budget.

Not even just younger kids - we have a lot of 35-50 y.o. pirates in this area. And I'll tell you, after spending the money I did to upgrade computer, buying MTU Hoster software, and spending over a month putting songs into it, the thought DID cross my mind ... just kidding ... But the illegal harddrive is a simple solution for someone who doesn't take this biz very seriously - harddrive, laptop, couple of speakers, mixing board, cheap mics ... PRESTO! Drinking themselves into oblivion and collecting $100 at the end of the night.  Probably more than they make at their day jobs!

Hi Karen!  :)

That makes me sick that people are getting gigs with pirated songs. I've spent over $2000 and have less than 140 discs, a laptop, and no show yet.

I'm working on it... got the re-mastered DK Millenium, SAV country, and few misc other discs (SC, ASK, ...) still debating about Foundation and Bricks vs. other manus.

When I go to find a gig, one of my selling points will be "fully legal" library and business licence. Dunno if it will make a difference to the venue owner or not, but I plan to show my discs as proof anyway.

THANK YOU to the kind people who have shared their words of wisdom on the various threads and PMs.

 :)   -Randy

I seriously don't think owners care - even when you advise them that one of the ramifications of having an illegal hosting company is not only confiscation and fine for the provider, but a fine for them also. Seems like these pirates are very creative in their approach.  I think a better way to emphasize that you're serious is to give them an actually 'cost of your investment' rather than how many songs... But who knows...I think these guys that are running under the radar are giving away their services...and in this biz especially you get what you pay for.

k

You are probably right in saying they don't care.   If they are willing to hire someone cheap to begin with.    I get my jobs from other people telling the bar owners how good i am.   Word of mouth is the best form of advertising.

If the bar owners are willing to serve underage drinkers, you won't stand a chance of getting the job because you showed them your discs.   He wants to see your bottom...line   How much are you, when i can get it cheaper from him?

This is where the word of mouth recommendation comes in.  Send your friends and singers in, to rave about the good KJ.

Do you need a business license to work in your state?   If not they won't care about that either.  In fact they may not hire you because you will be calling unwanted attention to the bar from the tax collectors.  

If you don't need the license don't get it.   Now you are on the radar screen.

I have YET to work in a bar that served underaged patrons.

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I guess the dreaded liquor board swooped into our little town not too long ago on a weekend (not karaoke night in most placese) and 4 of them (there's only 5 or 6 places in town anyway that serve alcohol) got ticketed for overserving and serving underage - doesn't happen often because Wa State's liquor board are omnipresent usually.

k

How many have illegal poker machines?

If he's a little illegal, he's a lot illegal.    Leave the discs at home, safe.

Karen

great idea about using bumper music to promote new songs, or even other songs people might want to think about singing.

Getting to work on this immediately; love the idea I just downloaded 12 new songs yesterday

I thought EVERYONE was already doing this for Y-E-A-R-S now!!!!!
...sorry. Upselling had always been a specialty of mine.
Welcome aboard Eric- it's a great tool when you want to mix things up at your show.

When i tire of modern rock songs- i'll play oldies-FILLER MUSIC (what's bumper?) and next thing ya know everyone's singing Elvis or Beatles songs!

Play a Temptations Motown song and the closet "soul singers" come up with Sam Cooke, Aretha, 4 Tops, and Marvin Gaye tunes.

Too many sappy slow requests? Play recent hip hop and the young ones will want to try 50 cent, Ludacris, Chris Brown, Jay Z, or Older Snoop/Dre/Biggie songs.

It's worked for me almost 10 years now- but then again, the karaoke has taken back-seat to djing for most of those years.

Corporate $$$ supercedes karaoke gas money anyday!

Eric- if you want/need dj music, don't waste your money. I can give you discs- originals- of old and new. I think i have nearly EVERY promo-only disc every genre ever made since '98. I'm semi-retired so i don't dj much anymore. I have thousands of original discs, including NOW and Grammy discs, several copies of each for the djs that work/worked for me. PM me if you're interested. I need to clean house anyways...the wife says...

p.s. karaoke discs too- PHM and THM originals that sit and collect dust. Too many copies of each.