Karaoke Forums

I read a comment somewhere else where the guy said when he was hosting in bars he had to replace a book every month. I've never heard of such a thing even if you were hosting 5 nights a week. That seems like an outrageous comment and I wanted to find out from you folks who have been doing this for a while.

I might replace a binder every now and then - they suffer with being dropped off tables (breaks the spines) but I pick up used ones at the Goodwill for $1.99 - even those $8 ones you find at Staples. I don't actually replace the pages -- only add to them, though a complete overhaul is looming...too many of those added sheets at the front, and nobody seems to have the wherewithal to read through them to find the stuff they want. Thankfully we're computer based and they'll ask if I have something, I'll check real quick and tell them yes or no...

I think those replacing may be using spiral bound, non-plastic pages? Not sure...I sure don't replace a book a month. (Even when our books were getting used 5-6 nights a week I didn't do that.)

I got the idea of doing rolling replacements from Sevarin and yeah - I run one updated book off every four to six weeks. Beats doing them all once a year I think.

Its a good fit for my situation. I've only been seriously hosting for three years, currently have fewer than seven thousand titles, and am building my library.

And my room is really hard on books!

Once a month - no way. I used to redo all my books once a yr. I don't really keep track of time though. I use a very complicated method called "Crappy Looking Books". When the books are starting to look beat up it's time to replace them.

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I agree with the 'crappy looking book' methodology for replacement. In my company, we paid a lot of money to create a logo, design shirts, print materials, etc. to represent our company. I'm not saying that makes us better than anybody, but it makes us different that MOST companies or KJs that do their own hosting in my area (Central Illinois). So since we are kinda particular about a logo, and look, and how our hosts run the show (We have a cookie cutter design for training our hosts, too)....we are kinda particular about our books.

Keeping in mind that we try our best to run a good show, and interact with as many people as possible (Our shows always have 2 hosts present...one to run the sound equipment, another to 'work the crowd' and do roaming sound checks to make sure people sound ok). On busier nights In some places, our books are our first interaction we have with new singers. I think we all can recognize people who are our "regular singers", but some may find it awkward/difficult to approach new people in your bars/establishments to ask them if they are interested in singing. In some cases, someone who may not look like a typical karaoke singer, might sit and drink for a while, and then just go grab a book out of the blue. SO, remembering that an organized book that is in good repair to some, might tip them off to how well you run your show or your company.(remember the phrase DON"T JUDGE A BOOK By it's cover...but some might judge you by your book)...we make sure our books look sharp and are kept up to date as often as it dictates. (We are a new company, so we are scooping up as many disks as we can to build a comprehensive library, and thus, makes it kinda crazy at update time.)

Our folks are hard on our books, and we host at 4 different venues 5 nights in one week, and at 5 different venues 6 nights a week the next week on a 2 week calendar, and I'm finding that we replace at least one book every 3 or 4 months. And we use what I would consider to be mid-level quality 2" 3-ring binders. our typical protocol is to put out 3 of these books at each show, and we have a total of 7 binders in our library.

Being a new guy to the site, (i've been visiting the site for 2 years, just finally decided to sign up)...I want you to know that your posts have been helpful during our startup time to help me avoid some of the issues that you have talked about and were gracious enough to share....so thanks

I have 6 books, 3 of each type. They are all 3 ring binders with plastic sleeves.

The artist sort has about 200 pages, and the song sort about 150 pages.

I have just created an update in which I have removed dupes and I am down to about 150 pages/100 pages. I run it all off my home laser printer.

When I get updates I put them on colored paper at the front of the books. When the updates get especially long, say more than 10 pages or so, I update the books.

Since I have been on a buying spree lately, it is time for me to update my books. I am rerunning all 6 books with completely new pages. It has been 6 months since I printed the last pages (except for updates, printed every couple of weeks).

So if I print 6 books x 2 per year = 12 books, or 1 per month (technically).

I think the rotating method was more of....taking the worst looking few books out of circulation every month or two and replacing them with a 'completely' update book. Instead of re-doing your entire lineup of books. I hope to try this out, but for now. I will just have an 'update' pamphlet with me with all of the new stuff in it. The only real disadvantage I've seen to the spiral bound or clamp bound books. There is no place to stuff an update sheet or two. I've have a few books loosen up some pages, don't know if it's a fluke or not. I'm off to get the repaired.....MrD[/quote]

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I update once a year on my main books.

I have a small binder that has all my songs added since the books were replaced and reprinted so people can look there.

Whenever I do a complete reprint I change out the sheet protectors (I use the diamond clear Heavy Duty ones) and new binders as well. Occasionally I will replace the binders if they become damaged but I use the extra heavy duty ones as well so that does not happen all that often.

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I might replace a couple binders per year, but never full books. I do have a couple now & need to replace some sheet protector pages in due to them being pulled out. I usually do a full book replacement like once a year.

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I have 6 binders that I have filled with the songs inside of sheet protectors. They generally get messed up for me in about 4-6 months. I have only been doing this for less than 2 years and I usually want to replace them at that point for updated listings.

I did make a couple of listings that were just bound together without the sheet protectors as extra books, but they did not last the night at a particularly wild special event party. 2 of the 3 were totally beer soaked, while the 3rd had several torn pages. I think for my regular show they probably would have lasted a month or two as people tend to be much better behaved. The covered binders survived the special party with few problems.

Zero. Zip. Zilch.

Nada.

I don't do the binder and plastic sheet protector thing. Have had too many disappear!

Instead I have them spiral bound at Kinko's. Replace them about 2-3 times a year.

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