Karaoke Forums

I have been hosting my show for 5 years. I began with Winamp and the appropriate plug-ins, just because I was taught that way. My show has now expanded and I think it's time I use a hosting software. I am apprehensive about having to re-name all the files I already have, and I'm not sure which programs are reliable and easy to manage. I think I like Compuhost, but I don't like the key. My kids are notorious for destroying flash drives. I am scared I would forget the key. It's just inevitable that something would happen with that key. Does anyone have any suggestions from experience with different softwares?? Thank you in advance for your help.

pcdj kjpro . is an awsome program for running shows specs at their site

MTU Hoster is another option.

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I was also afraid about the key. But I have found it to be no problem. Easier to deal with than the limited-number-of-install approach of MTU Hoster, for me. I can put it on a system without fear of problems. Just plug in the key.

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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.

compuhost, compuhost, compuhost. There is no finer, feature packed reliable program. download the demo, and see for yourself. I run 5 nights a week. Whenever I show this program to a dj/ kj they almost wet their pants

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

So, basically, if you've used MTU for several years, and in that time, you've upgraded your computer several times, you finally have to buy it again? Seems like a rip-off to me. Once you buy it, it should be yours forever. But I'm not MTU trying to force KJs to spend more money either...

No, they let you install it again. I did it twice, which was allowed. But then I upgraded my computer and needed to install it again. But you have to call and wait for them to allow you to -- it took them two weeks to get around to me.

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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.

ClubdjPro works well for my pro needs. Don't get me wrong, I'm still winamp based, but the one thing I couldn't do with winamp was key adjust my lasers that were ripped to mpeg.

Clubdjpro isn't for everyone. I don't NEED the hoster part of a program like that. Just play the smeggin' file, dammit! !

Right now, my files are named by numbers. How hard would it be to switch to Compuhost? Would my files be able to retain their numerical names or would I have to change all of them?

What do the numbers mean, that's the question?

There isn't much point in doing it that way, as you can't search for songs and display which songs are being queued up. What would be ideal is having the numbers in a database whereby you could rename all of the number files to something like

SPC032-01 - Cline, Patsy - Crazy.zip

That is the most common naming scheme from everything I have seen. It is the default for both MTU and CompuHost when importing from disk.

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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.

exactly. Although compuhost will recognize: Artist name - Song, or Song - Artist name. compressed zip or uncompressed.

How have you been naming your files?

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

My father-in-law set up the computer system for me about 5 years ago, when I decided to start a show. I didn't want to haul all my disks around, and didn't want to damage them, so he ripped them and put them on the computer. At the time, I had no idea how to do this. The reason he gave them numbers is beyond me, but he took the first disk, which was DKK, and he gave the files a starting number of 001. Then, he assigned a track number to each song on the disk, so they were DK 001-01, DK001-02, DK 001-03, etc. The tracks on the second disk he ripped became DK 002-01, DK 002-02, etc. Ever since, when I rip a disk, I have continued his format for consistency. Now, I am in the thousands as the first number. Like it may be SC 1023-03, etc. I can search for them, though, but you are going to laugh. After I import them into Winamp, I put the manufacturer name in the "Genre" bar. That way I know which manufacturer it is. Then, I type the information into EXCEL to make my books. I am aware that I am working myself to death following his method. That's why I need a new system that is not so difficult and time-consuming. I have gotten rid of most of my disks now, because after I rip them and make back-ups I don't need them anymore. So I don't even know which exact disks some of my stuff came from. And now, I don't always keep all of the tracks on a disk if I don't need them. That's why I fear converting to a software is going to be a worse nightmare than what I am doing now. If I had only known 5 years ago what I know now.

YOU SAID A NO NO!!!!

yep, congratulations...

the thought that you don't need the discs anymore is false. You've now become a pirate. You no longer have the rights to the discs, the tracks on the discs. You effectively sold those rights when you sold the discs.

You have either unknowingly or with full knowledge become a pirate.

Say after me.... "Y'aARRRRRrrrrr!"

Yo ho ho, A pirate's life *is not* for me.

\This is BAD BAD BAD...So now I need to re-buy the songs I don't have? A Lot of my tracks have been purchased through sites where you pay per song. Would I need to download receipts for those tracks?

Most unfortunate that you didn't know this before. The so-called requirement for remaining legal once you are computer based is that you maintain a HARD COPY of every song that you have on your computer; yes, I would begin collecting receipts for every track you have purchased that is NOT on a CDG.

I am computer based and have all of the CDGs to back up the song files on my computer. I haven't really taken advantage of downloading a track at a time but would certainly require a receipt. Fact is, some of the download sites are not licensed to sell downloads, either, so as far as being 100% legal, the question arises as to whether the music you have purchased is actually legal. Grey area, always brings lots of conversations here.

Ok...I'm not going to panic. At least a select few of my singers have the majority of my disks. They wanted to use them to practice at home, so I'm sure I can get them back. I read another thread where individually purchased tracks were being discussed, and someone said you needed to print the license for the songs. Guess I'll be a busy girl today. PM4877 could have told me last night. NO NO wasn't very helpful.

A pirate's life is not for me either. I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to get rid of the disks, as long as I had receipts for them. The only thing saving me is that my friends have them. THANK GOD!!! It just goes to show that I need to get a better understanding of this kind of thing. I guess I had never really thought about that before, because I'm not a theif. I bought them, so to me, I didn't steal them. I know another KJ who had been doing this longer than me, and she used to complain about KJs pirating, and I always agreed with her. I feel really smart now. But I don't think she knew it either or she would have said something. She just told me never to copy disks from other people, which I already knew.

Karen, would you happen to know if karaokedownloads.com is legal? I'm almost scared to ask. That would be worse than my disks. I can collect those back. I would have to pay for all those songs individually if they aren't legal. I just got to a point that most of the songs I wanted came on disks packed with a bunch of things I didn't need. So I started buying them individually. Oh no...

Unfortunately to remain legal (which computer users are still on the border at this time anyway since it has never been really defined as far as copyright laws). Most of the manus have stated as long as you own all the original discs to coincide with everything on your hard drive 1:1 ratio (not 1 set of discs for multiple computers - 1 individual set of original discs PER computer), then they would not pursue any legal action. You getting rid of the discs changed your legal stature!

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