Karaoke Forums

I just found out "All the sudden" and Ron and Karaoke Diva may want to pay peticular attention to this Especially!!! Not Just this weekend But Lately there has been some proble3ms with Clubs Replacing Karaoke shows with Live bands here..

Now Don't Get your Panties in a bunch yet "Karaoke Sucks.com" folks because I haven't finished what I'm going to say yet..

This has been a long time coming.. and finally the Licensing agencies (BMI, ASCAP, & SESAC) Finally have done something that I have suspected they would do but was afraid to talk about.

In Albuquerque, NM there has been many clubs trying to skate by without paying the appropriate Licensing fees, or even licensing the clubs at all, or being too cheap to deal the appropriate fees to do Karaoke. so they believe that a live band is going to solve thier problem..

Have I got sad news for those KJ's, DJ's and Clubs... This weekend 3 KJ's & DJ's lost thier venues' & jobs perminantly. 1 KJ lost 4 venues cutting his 6 shows down to 2 a week. and one club cut 4 DJ's off it's staff. just to bring back low dollar live bands.

In my opinion it will not last.

One the bands I talked to they had to undercut the KJ's to get in which nearly enraged me to the point of verbally engaging one of the players in one of the bands.

As Ron knows I don't get that mad very often.

So I would definately start looking at weddings and Corperate shows if you start seeing that sign in your market..

and work on marketing your show.. because the bands here have been making an assault on karaoke..

this was not a joke.. it really has been happpening!!!!

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Brian D.
(BHB)

A Friend of mine owns a bar here in FL and he delt with that problem too. I'll get back with you on that subject later to tell you how they resolved that incedent.I'm sure they are watching this forum ( the royalty diplomats).

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Where do we go, where do we go now?- GNR

Even here in the backwoods...BMI has reared it's money suckin' head....pesterin' small venues about these issues.....the places I am talkin' about don't draw large crowds....some of these places couldn't even handle over 50 people without crowdin' in.....they can't afford the cost and are doing away with DJ's and Karaoke.....sad cause in our area there are only a few large clubs....

personally I think the whole thing sucks.....is BMI that desperate?.....the small owners are pointin' the FINGER at the few large establishments, cause they think they turned them in, so as to get there business....

I understand the concept, but as I've said so many times before, I think that these issues are never going away....actually there isn't much difference between copyin' CDG's...downloadin' free music.....and this latest attach....

where there is a will there is a way, and small business owners will find a way arround it....maybe the problem is the cost involved.....I've heard the starvin' artist bull before and there are a lot of grubby little hands out there stealin' their money, way before it gets to this level.....

Music is big busniess, gone are the days of an artist takin' their own music to independent radio stations to sell their music....music mogals control what we hear and play, and it's their greed that causes these issues...

personally I think they blew up the wrong building...they should have targeted the BMI headquaters....

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[glow=blue]Tequila & A Song
KKid[/glow]

I have a friend in Nashville who is one of the "Money Sucking BMI guys" He is actually in charge of going after guys like us and clubs that do not pay royalties. Personally I think that it is very important that they do. The money the collect for the artists is kinda like a retirement fund for those acts who are no longer making new music or performing. In most cases they will work with the bar and club owners as well. It's not their goal to bankrupt the clubs because they cannot collect fees from a bar that goes out of business.

I used to play in bar bands and still have many friends that do. At or worse yet, below, karaoke prices, I'd rather be off for the night. I can't imagine routinely playing for $150-$200 a night and splitting that with the other players, sound tech and the "equipment fund".

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Sounds Great! Entertainment
Bartlett, Illinois

PK & Marty,
I see both of your Points.. because I hold Current membership as a songwriter in ASCAP and still to find this action happening I can see some option too where thaer has to be "SOME'" sort of way they come to an agreement on royalties and licensing. Now as for the coverbands.. I say nail 'em to the wall!!! That's if they are not paying the Licensing fees per song. That will fix the $150.00 to $250.00 night gigs.

If they want low priced entertainment.. i'd rather see original bands that can't sing on key no people in it... or a suprizing original band that came out of nowhere that is tomorrow's next big superstar with 5 thousand people in the club, than to see a karaoke show so down on politics and undercutting and BS!!

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Brian D.
(BHB)