Karaoke Forums

Just thinking out loud here,

This is on the subject generally about what would be considered as current. I am just generalizing so just bear with me.

I like LonMan's method of having a clipboard for customers to fill out what they would like to see added to the collection. I will have to try that soon.

I got a really good deal, I couldn't pass up on for the 2007 and 2008 POP Hits Essential Plus Packs from Chartbusters thats 200 songs. So I figured why not, it was a good deal. Since I am not the owner of the collection I run, I wanted to make my show a little fresher and this would add some new songs to the list to choose from. I also ended up purchasing the 2009 50 pop hits as well. So far customers have picked at least 5 songs from 2009. The others just came in the mail yesterday. I brought the set to the bar last night and the biggest consensus when I let a groups know that I had new music available: "We're fine just looking through the book, but thanks anyways." And these are Twenty-somethings crowd, I thought for sure they would like to see something more recent that 2006.

We are starting to get somewhere now. I thought I was behind the times, cause I didn't remember the current music by title. Turns out I was about the same as most others, I look at songs from 2004 and say I "know" them, but anything more recent and I might vaguely remember the chorus if I heard it. So I am thinking it takes about three years or more of constantly hearing the songs, until you know them well enough for Karaoke. And that is without purposefully memorizing the song. Just like me, most people will look at the list of recent music with a blank stare. I had to look up half of the songs on I-tunes just to see if I recognized them to begin with. Turns out a lot of them are great current songs, but that doesn't mean you can just pull them off easily. Picking a new song is what I call Karaoke Suicide. Most of the time even when you think you know how the song goes, I have seen people, myself included go thru an entire verse with their jaws wide open because they can't remember how the song goes. Most of the time they keep going but the beat is the only thing heard. Yeah 3 out of 5 went like that.

I spent the afternoon tryng my best to learn two of the songs I previously didn't know, but when it came to perform I choked. I like to do it decently, hasn't happened yet. Only 2 out of 250 I can do easily so far. But there were only about 30 that I might be able to pull off in the future, after I listen to them for a while. Since I bought them so others could sing them I thought someone might choose the others. But I have come to the conclusion if someone wants to sing a new song that badly they will buy it, and have it with them. Most customers stop in for kicks and just want to do a song, usually just one they know. Hence 80's and 90's are popular. Songs they grew up with.

So again is it worth it to get updated music, when at a good price. Yes and no, Yes it looks cool, "yeah we have all the latest hits to choose from" If that is your only pull. But No if 10 Songs are all they choose from out of 250, just causes book Bloat. I wasn't happy with my lack of knowing the new songs, and that should be the big tip off. But it was a fun experiment. Will I end up getting Vol 2 of Chartbusters 2009 50 set in Dec-Jan, probably, but just so I have it and complete the year. Not because I think others are going to want to sing them. Besides I am not happy with Chartbusters quality anyways, I will most likely buy them again when someone comes out with better versions of the "more popular songs" BTW I was paying about $0.45 per song from a clearance store, if anyone cares.

So again ask your patrons, what songs aren't in the book that they would like to perform. You will get more from one song at a picked carefully than blind Mulltiples. Hey I don't advise anybody to do this but if they tip you five dollars to make it happen, that covers the song right there when you do a custom cd later. Yes the days of getting five disks for five songs are over, use a good legally licencsed service and get with the times. And yes for a little more money sound choice does this as well.

Well that is my little escapade, I will keep you informed if it picks up, cause I am keeping my fingers crossed that once they know the song is available people will learn the song and come in to do it another day.

I don't use a clipboard. I have a excel spreadsheet open. I put song suggestions, song screw ups, announcements, and whatever on that.

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

Not a bad idea. better than just having them write down what they want on the back of a song request slip.

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The Line Array Experiment is over. Nothing to see here. Move along.

We keep a request/feedback book but usually I'm the only one who writes in it as most people make their requests personally or ask if we have a song and why not, etc. But at least it keeps things in one place for acting on later.

I bought some new collections and like the OP no one in the room had heard of any of the songs. But I was hoping that if some young people ventured in they would be happy we had new stuff. I don't want to be stuck in just old school karaoke mode.

So I started learning the songs and obviously at 56 I'm not going to do Taylor Swift teenage angst songs but can pull off some Pink, etc. I might still buy some collections but now find it more fruitful to study the top song lists, listen on You Tube for ones that sound like good karaoke prospects (singable) and buy them on customs. It is fun to keep up and it keeps things fresh and exciting to have new songs to conquer. At first people were too unfamiliear with the new stuff to pay attention or clap but now they are starting to expect the unexpected. I think you have to stay fresh or you doom your self to the customers dying off with no replacements.

LL, like you I'm not into Taylor Swift and am a tad on the old side to pull it off (I'm not very far behind you) .... I also listen to new stuff, especially for the stuff that I think will fly at karaoke, learn it, then order it ... and then just sing it until someone else has heard it enough times that they'll try it on their own. I think it's important for those of us that do all age shows (a mixture of all types and ages of singers) to stay current. I don't like to sing anything that is more than about 4-5 years old but will do oldies upon request.

Yep the newer music just isn't very popular half the time. Sure there will always be that handful of 'new' songs that will get done regularly, but in my experience, it just isn't very often. I used to buy everything that came out (back when there were only 3 or 4 different manus, little easier then) but found out soon that these discs often just sat on the shelves and rarely to never got played. That is when I started doing the clipboard & asked people what THEY really wanted. Most of the stuff they ask for - still to this day - is stuff from the 70's-90's with maybe a handful of 'newer' music which is usually in the country genre. I have finally resubscribed to Chartbuster monthly releases if anything just to put something new in the books, but when I do a real disc buy about every 3 months, it's all from the request sheets and get them in custom discs. Our crowds avg age group is low 20's - mid/upper 30's.

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

I keep a .txt file on my desktop for things I need to pay attention to. I call it "Maintenance".

Song mess ups, just bad versions to immediately replace if I can, typos in the songbook, song suggestions, etc.!

Boom Boom pow, sex on fire, something your mouth, love remains the same are ones that get done regularly that come to mind. There are more.

I'm very basic. I have a wordpad document with song requests on it. If I get two requests for the same song, I'll get it. If its a regular singer, I'll usually get it, and if its a song I know I should have but don't, I'll get it.

For this reason I can frequently go through a show without a "miss". I have A LOT of sound choice in my library, from when I started. I got the foundation and brick series from karaoke.com, and then got a bunch of SC from the wife of KJ that had passed away CHEAP! Plus, I had purchased a bunch for years when I was just a singer.

Recently, however, not so much. By the time SC get around to putting stuff out, SBI, Chartbuster, PHM, or karaoke version has already put it out, and I've got the song. Which is why disk format annoys me... when 80% of the songs on the disc I already have, I'm not likely to pay $16 - $20 for just a few new songs that in all likelihood nobody is going to request.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

We purchase new tracks every couple months or so, based on our customer requests. Usually it is no more than half a dozen new songs every few months.

We focus on the FUN factor in Karaoke, something we have found many other local KJs have forgotten about, getting involved in singing competitions and taking things so seriously.

Most of our patrons just sing Karaoke to have fun, remember the older songs, and socialize. Not that they are bad singers, just that it is about having fun, not trying to get a record deal. Singing the older songs allows them to cut up a bit as well, bringing back memories of the mannerisms, clothing styles, of the old days.

With that in mind, we definitely play more older stuff than newer. Often times the newest songs are purchased by myself just because *I* want to try them. I get most of our tracks from selectatrack.com. Although they may run $3 + a piece, we get actual play out of each and every one, vs. paying $15 for a disc and getting only 1 - 2 songs that get played). An exception to this is when we purchase Taylor Swift, High School Musical (1,2,3), and other discs for our kids shows.

I subscribe to Sunfly, CB Pop and Country, PHM Trio AND Sound Choice.

Thant works out to $124 a month. + On demand purchases of maybe $25 a month (including amazon or itunes filllers.) With one show a week that works out to 1 week new music, next week taxes, final two weeks profit. Now with that 1 rig bringing in 4 shows a week the numbers swing a lot more in my favor.

Building the second rig is more challenging. After paying my host it'll still take a few months to pay of the equipment and then several more to boost the collection. It took two years of 'hobby hosting' before my first rig really began to turn a profit, excluding the time I had spent on it. On this second rig I doubling up on the CB subs but waiting on the PHM and SC. Sunfly I can download on demand anyway.

I rarely get songs played from PHM Urban but then last night I had 2 girls wanting to do exactly that.

I get compliments from people because I have all the new stuff. It's also a lot harder for me to compete on the older stuff that is out of print.

I order a couple of custom discs a year, have a 'request what we don't have' page on my website as well as taking notes during the show. I also note which CDs need a re-rip.

Everything is set on a ComingSoon page on the website as soon as the track listing is announced, then ripped and added to the song database within a day or two or arrival. It still takes a few weeks to make it into the recently added pages of the physical books, but the touchscreen songbook is updated instantly.

There is still way too much work involved in doing this but I'm constantly trying to find ways to streamline the process.

Jonn

Just out of curiosity how many duplicates do you get every month - even within a month or two of each other? Since most of these try to put out the most anticipated hits, I would think you are getting masses duplication within a month or two release - since not all manus necessarily put out the same 'new' songs the same month but can put them out on the next month or two release.

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

Yes I do get dupes, it is an unfortunate side effect. The positive is that I can work out which is the better version and set that as prime and the others as backup. Preference seem to be Sound Choice first, Charbuster & Sunfly and then PHM. I really don't like PHMs graphics, SC snd SF are the best, followed by CB. Then again I Love College was a PHM so...

When I tried sticking to one manu they would always miss a good song that would come out on another label.

As for a more exact count of dupes, I'll have to come up with a query for the database some day to work out how much money I'm wasting! Don't want to know right now though!

Jonn

I can't see purchasing dupes on purpose. If a song gets used & the version needs to be updated, then I would consider it if it was available on another label. More often than not the songs that get duped don't get used anyway. As for that one elusive song that is out on one manu & not on others, then I would just pick up that disc - now I just order a custom disc. My crowd is not a have to have every new version & I lost the kind of thinking 10 years ago that I need to have every song that comes out. But whatever works!

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

I have to agree with you Lonman. Trying to get every song is really a waste of time. My library reflects where I play.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Library reflects where you play. I agree, it kind of has to. You don't buy a bunch of metal/pop/rock for a typical over 50 crowd, nor on the opposite, you don't buy the Rat Pack tunes for a 20 something crowd. You buy what your crowd wants to sing & newer music isn't always the best thing. I have a library of over 12K individual title songs (out of approx 15.5K total counting dups, note there are not a lot of dups for a library this large - or small compared to loaded hard drive) from 15 years of carefully selecting most of the songs in it. Sure there were times i'd find deals on packages & pick up some discs to fill some holes & gaps, but 90% of the time I buy customer requests, because these are what they actually want.

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

So I shouldn't have done "Know Your Enemy" at the Honky Tonk? Maybe that's why the Pirates keeping getting all the jobs.......

As a singer, do what you want in any place, unless they have strict rules about being only country, anything is fair game - especially if it's listed in the book. That doesn't stop me. As a kj, unless people have asked for or showed interest in a song like that, then no I wouldn't have bought it - although being Green Day, you almost want to get it anyway just to have it as they are typically no go for karaoke.

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

My post was sort of a joke--although I did do the song as the first song of the night (when less people were there) as host--but it was sort of a dare and an "in" joke because the bar maids tend to be younger and driven crazy by too much Ernest Tubb. So every now and then we do a song for them. But there WERE reports that people were loading their guns......

I have some metal/rock/pop in our library just to test the waters, for anyone young who may venture in and because we want to branch out to some other style venues. But it isn't the main part of the song budget.

Lonman,

are these "custom disks" from Chartbuster? Is this that newer thing they are doing with the $5 disk charge and $2 per song, 10 songs max per disk? I'm curious, if this is it, do they print all the titles on the disk like the regular disks? I'm guessing you've had no issues with the tracks?

thanks

Most of my customs are from Sound CHoice & Selectatrack. Havn't gone through CB yet, although I have an order ready to go to fulfill some older requests that I couldn't get anymore due to discontinued discs.

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