Karaoke Forums

With so many people going to computerized karaoke, do you think that karaoke disks will become outdated, and lose their value. I've got almost 20 years of disks in a box in the closet, and I worry that in years to come, they will have no value at all. Already on ebay, disks bring next to nothing. What 'cha think ?

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My first choice IS Sound Choice.

Oh heck no!!! It's not the disks themselves that are valuable but the license to play them that goes with the disk.

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Okay, who took my pants?

I think with more kj's going computerized & downloads become more readily available - even Sound Choice & Chartbuster are working with providing legal downloads. Pop Hits Monthly provides mp3g versions of their newer discs now and there are less reliable disc players to be purchased these days, eventually cdg's will become a thing of the past - like cassettes, lp's and other media formats. I still use laserkaraoke discs & when I used to see them used for sale for around $50-60, I now see them run anywhere from $5-15.
If you are computerized, I wouldn't give up your discs, you still need them for proof that you have the original discs that you transferred to computer.

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

There are still customers out there with their own collections of discs so we, at least, will be playing them for some time to come. But I am guessing the death knell will be when the companies make it easier for the customers to download karaoke and more of them get the MP3 karaoke players for home use. Once they get the convenience of downloading just the tracks they want and instantly to boot, then CDGs will probably go by the wayside.

In the meantime, male singers are still getting pleasantly tripped up on the lyrics by the antics of the females in the laser disc karaoke videos. Which brings me to the DVD thing where I notice they are advertising getting songs with the original artist's video included. And the hybrid things. And Taylor Swift including a combo CDG/DVD video on her discs. Wonder if any of that will prolong the jump to MP3s for a bit.

[quote="Lonman @ Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:04 pm]
- even Sound Choice & Chartbuster are working with providing legal downloads..[/quote]

No, actually they are not. No licensing going on there, nor are they THEY licensed to download- at least in the U.S. As far as SC is concerned, if it's downloaded, it's not legal. I don't care what site is used.

Before Lon jumps on me, I realize he posted only that they were WORKING on it. Both SC and CB have pulled away from downloads.


As for the OP, I would guess not anymore than vinyl- in other words they may become MORE valuable.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Joe, Joe, Joe. Business is business, and there is money to be made. If SC and CB want to remain relevent the WILL offer downloads (eventually) OR THEY WILL GO AWAY, period, the end. Why? Because that is the way the market is moving, and it is what customers are DEMANDING.

Karaoke Version offer legal ORIGINAL downloads... read their website info. They are paying the fees to do so, and I can tell you that their recordings are as good as SC if not better. I am completely pleased with everything I've gotten from them.

Its not a matter of want. In business you either move forward or die. I don't care if the president of the company made a public statement tomorrow that they will never do it.... doesn't matter.

A company that doesn't market to the wants and needs of its customers while their competition does, will die.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Well Joe actually they are. CB has their download site up with a couple free samples to show what formats they will offer in, & SC has stated on their forums of lately that this is going to be offered in the future. They do not offer any downloads on any site (with graphics) as of yet, but hope to soon.
They already conceded that they would not go after any computer user that has a disc to back up their hard drive.

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

CB and SC aside, are the Zoom et al songs on Selectatrak legally sanctioned downloads? I was thinking that if they have already started in that direction and the singers discover how easy it is to get just the songs they want on MP3 than the others will have to follow to become competitive.

Personally, I don't see how CDG discs can have much of a future. CD's have already largely given way to iTunes, Amazon, Walmart and other similar downloads. The demand for electronic distribution is huge and growing with each passing day. All it takes is for one manufacturer to license their stuff for online sale and the rest will follow suit. Someone else mentioned vinyl and it's value, somehow I don't think CDG discs will have quite the same nostalgia.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I can see CDs being PURCHASED for quite a while, but I don't see using them. I buy them so I have a physical copy, it gets ripped and then put away for safekeeping. I NEVER use CDs. I play other peoples' CDs when I host, other than that I don't use them at all.

Certainly it's going that way... why wait 3 weeks for Sunfly to press the discs, another couple of weeks for it to get to TX from the UK when Tricerasoft has all the songs available as soon as the discs are announced. I contacted them directly to check how their licensing works out and they do what they need to for being Canadian based.

Currently I'm probably going to buy the discs as well as downloads so I have multiple legal copies for multiple legal rigs.

- Jonn

Yes, CD+G's and CD's in general will fade away. What the karaoke manufactures have yet to realize is that they can make a lot more profit by NOT having to press disks, print inserts and buy jewel cases or sleeves. Not mention the overhead saved by NOT having to maintain inventory and then pay the manpower/time/postage to package, box, ship, etc. You eliminate a tremendous amount of hard costs by having a digital delivery system. Sure, there will be piracy, but there is piracy NOW with discs.

The problem is it's a new, scary change to the entire way they do business. Just like the record labels, some will roll with the changes and prosper, others will staunchly stand firm, watch their business die and then blame everyone but themselves.

In the beginning, the record industry scoffed at iTunes. Time has proved them wrong. The record industry is finally figuring it all out...the karaoke industry will as well, eventually.

Anyone want to start up "kTunes"? I'd be first in line!

I for one am more than willing to pay for quality legal downloads for the songs I want, rather than wasted money on disks that are 90% duplicates of things I already have.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

If you are mostly rock and newer stuff, life is good with downloads. You can get the latest Zoom and Sunfly.

For those of us with lots of country singers, it is not so good. There are no good download songs available of the latest stuff. I am pretty much buying the Chartbuster disks as they come out, because there isn't much option if I want to be current.

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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.

Oh, I believe they will move forward, but probably with a new type of hard media hard media. Those who go to digital downloads will eventually hit the crapper. Why? There really is no such thing as a secure site, and there really is no such thing as a way to keep track of download licensing.

The result: More music stolen than paid for, just like straight DJ music is now, and more costly lawsuits against mfrs. and download sites for either no licensing or no proof of it. SC and CB are aware of this, while many of the others are not. So if you have been downloading "legally" from,say, Tricerasoft, you have unlicensed music in your book..,,

There have been some ideas out there for a new hard media- secure, and recorded directly like CDs so the "sell" will be sound, but the perk for the Mfrs. is security.

Before you ask, I do NOT know what the new media is. I've heard everything from another laser media, to a type of PROM, to another magnetic media that is non-contact read. I have no idea which or what, but I'm sure it will happen. The mfrs. HAVE to secure their product and their liability or they are history.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I couldn't agree more. Karaoke manufacturers are tiny compared to major record labels and even they are struggling to cope with the pirates. Any manufacturer who makes all their catalogue available in unprotected mp3G is digging his own grave imo. Sure, the good & legit KJs will be happy about it, but far happier will be those who simply go & download it for free and there will only be more & more of them.

If illegal downloads put the manufacturers out of business, it will pretty much kill karaoke as an industry. How long into the future will bars & clubs want a KJ who's most recent song choices are 5-10 years old?

Lets do the math. I borrowed on of the bigi HDD from a friend I copied all the SC and I I am sitting here with 13,555 Sc tracks whch I could transfer to ny show HDD . A 15 songs per cd and a rough guess of $20/per cd thats about 18 grand. I am using a renamer and creating a PDF file It looks like about 1/3rd are dups so about 6 grand are wasted.

As a small time businessman I am expected to invest 18 grand which 6 grand is wasted. About 5 % will we used so for 18 grand I am getting about 1200 dollers worth which I will use. THAT IS A POOR INVESTMENT!!!

So when we quit buying so many cd's per month and bitched we were threatened by every mafia crime boss involved with huge lawsuits. Are they outdated? IT IS OVER MY FRIENDS!!. If I cant download it at a reasonable price my singers will buy it I can not afford this crap for the rest of my life It is worse than drugs..

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Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

Digital will take over. Secure methods will be invented. Maybe you have to have a dongle or something attached to your machine to download that tracks what you have and without it, songs are scrambled or only play halfway. It will happen, technology is just a natural progression. It will NOT go backwards!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Got to love KJ's who only think as KJ's. There are hundreds of thousands of people who buy Karaoke CD+G's who are not KJ's. They want to play CD+G's on their home karaoke players, and not go through the process of digitizing their library. They even may want to bring them to their favorite show.

CD+G's are going nowhere. Most people don't care about the concerns of a KJ.

Felix the KJ

Got to love DJ's who only think as DJ's. There are hundreds of thousands of people who buy albums who are not DJ's. They want to play their albums on their home record players, and not go through the process of digitizing their library to an iPod.

Vinyl is going nowhere. Most people don't care about the concerns of a DJ.