Karaoke Forums

What if you didn't need to bring your sound system to your show only your player (or computer ) and tv ? would it be worth it to cut your price in half ?
A friend of mine recently bought a bar and set up his sound system in it . he was been playing in a local band for years and his system is by far better than mine or any other kj in the area
I played there for the second time last night and it was fun but I'm not sure it was worth cutting my pay in half

I would sort of think it depends on half of what? And how far you have to go.

If I could walk next door and make $25 per hour, I'd probably do it.

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

it's about 4 miles from my house and it's no where near $25 hour more like $60 for the night ( the average around here is $125 a night )

Nope!

I have one gig where I bring my DJ Coffin case which contains all everything including wireless mics, laptop, mixer etc. and I plug into the bars System. It is all pre-wired to go to the LCD Monitors located on either end of the bar and my setup takes exactly 5-10 minutes.

My price is the same as other bars however I have not raised my prices in 5 years as it is a major blessing for me not to have to haul my equipment around.

It's up to you but you are giving money away that you don't need to if you do. Also you are now lowering the bar for yourself and other KJ's (my opinion)

Just remember whatever you do you are going to have to live with that lower price for a long time and getting more down the road will be tough.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

For two consecutive nights I will give a discount. At the most $25 per night. If it is a trial session maybe more. I do have a setup fee of $125 per for hours less than 4.

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no I'm not trying to undercut anyone else in fact just the opposite i had to lower my price to get the job . i have a few more bookings there than I'm going to tell him if he can't give me more money I'm outta there

Let's just say you typically charge 100 dollars a night (just a good round number folks, maybe or maybe not realistic). What does it save your to mark down your fee? Certainly not 50 of 100. In all fairness, yes you should probably mark it down because it saves you time, but only if it was pre-arranged as so. Say, thats an extra 15 minutes setup and takedown it save you plus your labor.

4 hr job (@ $100) = $25 per hour = $6.25 per 15 min. Plus your labor.

So I might offer, a 10 percent discount (maybe 15). You're looking at 90 bucks on a 100 show. 135 bucks on a 150 show, etc. Certainly not half!!!!!!!!!

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Just depends on how much less not supplying your own equipment deducts from the cost of doing business.

Personally It's not worth my time for less than $100 no matter how much or little setup/breakdown time there is especially if you're supplying all the music and all the personality to run it.

You could always break your rates out into a setup fee and an hourly fee to make sure you get paid when you run over/start early. Business is business and it needs to be fair to you and the Venue. The more of a shark the owner/manager is the more strict you need to be with your fee schedule.

True, it should also be said that the owner is buying "you" and not your library or equipment.

Would I offer a ten dollar discount though if it saved me trouble. Sure I would! But by the same respect, I recently would have had a mark up for inflation to 110. Be smart.

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we are pretty much all on the same page i was hoping that I was and not just being greedy at first i told him that I would do it for $75 seeing as how I didn't have to run my speakers and amp and he said that I was still about $30 higher than the other kj's he had talked to so I said ok to $60 wich he agreed to but when you add a few drinks for me and my wife I didn't make enough to waste my time
thanks for reassuring me that that was WAY TOO CHEAP

Give him a counter offer like..........60 bucks, and all you can drink, eat and f@#k(what's his ol' lady look like?)...............seriously dude.........

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if i'd cut in half, but would definitely discount the price as I would not be doing anything but hooking into their sound system (which I hate doing 99 percent of the time) and being a host. I would probably charge what I pay my hosts plus a percentage for supplying the music. TV I would just hook into the bars & maybe a monitor for the singer.

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the main problem with hooking up to someone else's system.... the customers blame you for the crappy sound.

There's more to the show than just a good KJ. When it comes right down to it, selection is hardly half of the battle.

A good mix for a great show is good sound, good mix of music, good KJ. You eliminate one of those, chances are it's going to make a heckuva bad night.

But I WILL say having a good KJ at the wheel WILL soften the experience...

I just don't get it though. Bring in a pro to do the show, but handcuff them to the house equipment. There's more often a REASON why the pro's show is good. He or she has handpicked the speakers, mixer, done all the connections correctly (replacing suspect wires, cleaning ports, etc.), made certain the music and books are up to date, good mics, and even knowing that the venue is set up with cleaned tables and sharp servers...

Again, ask me why I wouldn't do this thing you ask! !

Takeing everything that into account, the main cost of legal karaoke is usually in the songs not the PA. Most of the labor costs is not the setup of the pa it is the time involved in actually running the show.

Unless there are other reasons (like the bar owner is a friend) it does not sound like a good deal to me.

But every job has it's advantages/disadvantages and what makes a job acceptable really depends on the details about the individual gig.

I'm with most everyone else on this subject. It's not worth the effort to do it for less than $100. In fact, I won't even THINK about leaving my house for that, much less, less than that.
The most I would knock off is $25 and even then, I think that's too much.
The effort is not in setting up the gear. That takes me 15 minutes, tops. It's running the show, maintaining the library and books, etc.
So, no, I wouldn't do it.
I currently have a show close to home that I don't have to haul my speakers to. I still charge the same price, though.
They are paying more for the SHOW, rather than the gear.
The show includes the speakers, but if they want me to use their house system, the so be it. The cost of the SHOW is still the same.
I still need to update my library and maintain my books, mic cables and mics.

I've got news for you, your "friend" is a liar. 30 cheaper? 45 dollars? You shouldve held firm. If he had someone half the quality of you who'd do it for 45 dollars, he'd have hired them.
My beliefs:
1) Loose fun show.
2) Firm prices.

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