Karaoke Forums

Here's a link to an on-going rant/discussion about ASCAP liscensing of clubs on the Portland Craigs List for Musicians.

There are multiple entries on the Portland Craigs List Musician forum but this on seemed most cogent and applicable to those we have had here on the subject.

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/muc/1226625543.html

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Visit the "WOODPECKER" link on the article. It makes an interesting historic read.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Which shows it's better to pay a couple of thousand in fees or whatever than being fined of tens of thousands. Venues are only hurting themselves by avoiding. Sort of like taxes. It's the cost of doing business.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

I have an brother_in_law in Kansas City you might want to talk to. I am tired of this crap about legalities. Give me a real name and address. My attorney will contact you..

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Shoot - I clicked on the link and it seems it's been removed. I would have liked to print it out for my bar owner.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Here's where it came from:

http://www.woodpecker.com/writing/essay ... itics.html

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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.

Shoot seems like the karaoke nark is here replying again!

My new Thurs gig got a letter from ASCAP out of the blue...paid their fee. No idea how they determined to require ASCAP licensing. Oh well. Nice to work with a place that sticks to the rules - no unexpected issues.

Thanks Mcky

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

If you think it is fair for a small bar to pay 2 grand to BMI and ASCAP then I wonder just whom you do represent. They take all this money do not pay taxes on it are not audited and seem to have every politician in their pocket.

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A small bar won't be paying $2K a year. Hell our bar holds 200 & has karaoke 7 nights & pays less than that, about $1200 per year.

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You must have good negotiators, or they don't think they can get as much from Native Americans. I helped a small bar bargain down their annual rate to something approaching that for 5 nights a month. It ended up being about $20.00 per night. Seating capacity 40. Originally each of ASCAP and BMI wanted $1300.

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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.

As I stated in a post about 2 months ago, my venue got the letter from ASCAP. My previous gigs were at places that had Karaoke and/or live bands playing their venues, so I never had to deal with ASCAP before.

My current venue did pay the fees. For 4 nights a week, their minimum, and a venue capacity of 70, for jukebox and karaoke it came out to less than $400 a year for ASCAP. That is about $7 a night, doing it only once a week. Way worth it to be legal. Haven't been visited by the other two, but from what I have heard to get the other two also would probably only cost about $12 a night, doing it once a week. Obviously this price goes down if we were to do it more nights a week there.

Felix the KJ

Kurt, I've seen that over the last few days..... problem is, as soon as someone posts a reply, someone else flags it and has it removed.

They need to separate the CL musicians section a bit into categories, I get sick of all the bullcrap you have to wade through there.

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Here is their link and phone number. Ask for KT or Brenda ans ask them You will get an earful.. ASCAP $1250 and BMI $800. Their restaruant seats maybe 75-100 and dance floor area maybe 50-75. Bands Fri nights and karaoke sat nights. You might want hold the phone away from your ear. I flat guarantee you dont want to walk in there and tell KT he has to pay that amount or there is anything fair about it.



T-Bar

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At the place I dj at I saw the letter from the attorney to ASCAP and it was negotiated and settled for around 800 a year karaoke 7 nights, occasional bands and salsa DJ downstairs.

Yes Charm u are right about stuff getting flagged and people FLAMING on craigslist-Musicians. On all kinds of "ISSUES".

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

Just called Brenda at the T-Bar and trying to get her on this forum and contribute to this thread. People I am not guesssing 0or spreading rumors These bar owners I have known over 30 years. From various other professions I know a lot of bar owners in this area. My current experience is not from one or a few bars but several I still talk to AMOA operators. They are the ones who contract for jukeboxes. They complain how ASCAP has changed and is greedy and out of control.

I am fighting for friends who are trying to stay alive in small bars. There are bars closing down daily. Ten years ago there were twice as many bars and clubs as there is now. They can not survive with over regulations and local crap. And the big corps could care less as demonstrated in the other thread. They would hustle their own mother.

Frankly I do not understand some attitudes on this forum. You seem to be totally on the greedy corps side and do not support the very people you work for.

IT IS A PROBLEM PEOPLE and IF WE DONT START BANDING TOGETHER AND FORM ASSOCIATIONS WE WILL LOSE MORE BARS. I have emailed and phoned local TV stations to investigate. As soon as I mention ASCAP they turn cold and wont touch them with a ten foot pole.

Either you can roll over like peasants or you can develop some balls. As a former VET when I challenge somebody It is all or nothing and I will die for my beliefs so keep on trying to shove these rules and abused laws down my throat.

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I see nothing wrong with paying the fees to these organizations personally. I think every bar should that provides any entertainment.

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I no longer have this opinion as do thousands of struggling musicians. Google struggling musicians ascap. Most of the struggling musicians do not want anything to do with their mafia tactics and greed. It is nothing more than thieves using an antiquated law to collect money and not even pay taxes on it. They realize their clout is short lived so they are getting more aggressive to get it while they can. They are killing the music industry. RIIA just committed suicide.

Public opinion and outrage will eventually prompt the legislatures to get them out of their back pockets and revise the laws for real musicians that just want to make an honest living.

Real musicians do not do it to get rich. I have sang to many audiences and never charged a dime. I do it for the pure pleasure it gives me and my listeners. There is nothing wrong with a band charging a fair price to entertain for an evening. But when they make a million dollars a month in concerts and expect my venues to pay more so that my singers can sing their songs it is pure crap. They are a detriment to our business. All karaoke singers should contacting their state and federal reps.

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I've seen the figures before, maybe even on this site, but I don't recall the breakdown. A very small percentage of the money they collect goes to the artists. The vast majority goes for operating costs, which are probably mostly lawers, and salaries....just from what I've read, which makes this my opinion....kinda like a Republican plan, void of any figures....