Karaoke Forums

Bad idea. No KJ should ever commit to a percentage. I've seen KJs walk out of the bar with $25 for a 5 hour show. That's crazy. Now that I'm really thinking about it, it might not be so awful if the percentages were based on an average of sales over a period of time. Because the bar business fluctuates so much from night to night, it would be unfair to pay based on sales from one particular night. If I did that, I wouldn't make diddly in the winter. (I am at the beach.) I just haven't seen the percentage thing work out well.

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It's called Karaoke Therapy...

As I said our Tuesday is 20% of the net. It averages out to $170/night. For a Tuesday that's not bad and pays a few bills. Better than sitting home making nothing.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Timberlea, how do they figure 20% of the net?

I've promoted events at bars where I get 20% of the gross. At the end of th enight does your bar know what each drink cost them and calculates the net on the fly to figure your share?

KJs should be getting $300-400 a night depending on how good you are.

If a bar has a good KJ and the till is $1000-2000 or more is that better than making $400 without karaoke? Does that make the KJ worth something?

stlmusician, i don't get smoke breaks and coffee breaks during the show. How many do you get a day?

I don't have a $100 tool belt. I need thousands of dollars worth of tools for each show.

It's not my fault you are an unskilled laborer. Should have paid more attention in school. You get what you are worth. PERIOD

If you get paid more than your employer can afford to pay you, they will go out of business and you will lose your job. They need to make a profit to continue to pay you. I bring in a profit so the bar owner can pay me big bucks.

I get paid to make lots of money for bar owners. You get paid to make money for your boss. It's no secret that business owners are in business to make money. They pay people to work for them to help make the money.

I'll agree that corporate greed is a major problem ruining the country. KJ pay isn't in that catagory.

You have one job. I have two and have for over 15 years. Get another job if you need to make more money. Stop getting my blouse wet with your blubbering. If you were worth more, then they would be paying you more.

KJs rule the world.

My system sits idle right now. I am concentrating on parties. However I cant do shows and keep up on maintenance and take into account all other factors such as gas wear and tear etc for less than $150. It will stay idle unless I get a halfway decent fee.

I have a system that is paid for and I still cant justify lower prices. I made all the sacrifices and have put much into it. They havnt.. why should they get less than scale prices. Iyt will stay in storage.

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This is slightly off topic, but am I the only one that stlmusician private messaged with a rude obnoxious message full of insulting foul language because of my reply to this thread?

So far.

Even his posts are colored by foul language. Report such pm to Phill.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Can you tell me how to do that please?

Go to:

http://karaoke-forum.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3

Hit button that says Private Message.

Paste copy of offending PM into to show Phill. With a note of your own of course!

--Tad

wow you guys made this personal to me. I made a general statement and singled no one out. As far as me being unskilled you have lost your mind and know jack about the business i am in. I am a very skilled technician and i am fine making what i do make. I also have several years experience working mixing boards,handling huge crowds, hosting, and performing on stage. I think that people as a whole are so greedy because we have all been taught that way.
I pmed the one guy because he was the first to single me out for attack. then he posts a PRIVATE MESSAGE in this thread? And thats ok?
I will say it again on my way out the door.
I believe the unions and their manipulation of companies has help significantly destroy this country.
I believe that everyone demands too much for goods and services. It is a chain reaction effect that has harmed the world. (somewhere in there people decided that more and more trades were expendable)Hence the trash talker that HAD a 34$ an hour job doesnt have one anymore. I am in a specialized trade also and all the companies in my city are going out of business. You people made this personal and attacked me. not people like me but ME! For that you dont have to worry about banning me.
I watched one of you regs attack a man that just died in an appreciation thread.
I dont care if any of you like me or not. I am entitled to my opinion as well as all of you. I can also say what i want about how hard you think your job is since i spent decades working in pro sound as well as being a musician . You all collectively made anything out of your greedy mouths null.
Hate to break it to you but a kj is more or less a music store clerk or a gas station worker. (now do you feel insulted? You are not rockstars .
I wont post here anymore .

Read again. I was NOT the first to take issue with what you said. Also, it was not an attack, but a point I was trying to make. You either missed it completely or took it far too much to heart. You think we weren't all flabbergasted to see you say that what we do, any buffoon could do? Our jobs ARE skilled, just as yours is as you pointed out. You should know that if you have so many years under your belt. Someone can't just walk in off the street and do our job as sound tech. Also, there are people skills involved. Any idea what it can take sometimes just to keep the drunks from going ballistic? That takes SKILL as well. For you to waltz in here and say our jobs are worthless, not to mention that the money we've invested in our equipment is meaningless is an absolute insult. You got the response you deserved.


Once again, read again.
I did NOT post the private message you sent me. I posted that you HAD sent me one.
Had I really posted what you wrote, I probably would have been banned for foul language and you would have had a whole lot of others on your back than just me.
What you wrote was un-called for, unjustified, and just plain disturbing. You attacked our business and way of life and I speak up to make a point and you can't take the heat.
All I have to say is this: If you can't take the heat stay out of the fire.
I am done with this sidetrack. Sorry guys.

PS: the one "guy" is a GAL

Should be and what the market will bear are two different things. You quote that price to the clubs around here & you'll have a garage full of equipment never making a dime. Private parties - yes, then you can make that, however private parties aren't always a steady gig.

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stlmusician don't go, what you posted originally about what KJ's "demand" was interesting, the reason people jumped was because once we've taken out our costs, the actual profit is a lot lower. What we forgot, is your view is what most people think. I was chatting to two friends, who using their home rig, were offered a two hour gig for £50 (about $82) they were over the moon. . . until I pointed out just a few basic cost. . . insurance, books, cable replacements and discs. That money quickly dwindles, especially when only working one gig a week.

On the surface it does look like we make a lot of money, which is why we might need to re-evaluate our marketing techniques, people don't see our hidden costs. . . they just see how much we earn for what appears to be a few hours work.

I can see why people jumped on your post, I charge slightly above the average in my area £100 ($165) for a regular Friday and / or Saturday. Including all the hours i actually work (testing equipment / loading cars / setting up / researching / buying more equipment/ paper work / taking calls / sending emails) , I make £7 ($11.50) an hour before costs. £3 ($5) after costs .

I assume that most KJ's run their karaoke as a business, and limit their out goings slightly more than me, (I can never resist buying CD's and new CD+G's. . . amazon is my kryptonite)

I'm lucky in a sense because after living costs, everything I spend my money on is a business cost. I also love my job and am happy to spend hours making sure everything is perfect for the next gig, I will research the clients music tastes, comical news stories for the mic, make sure the equipment is set up with time to spare etc. Thats why I can charge above average and justify it.

Your comment was a valid perception, and I'm sure we have all fallen into the same trap of assuming we are being to charged too much when employing an electrician etc. In any industry their are bad eggs who overcharge for the service they supply, though I suspect in entertainment, most are being underpaid for a job done well.

Dan here where I am there is an add 13% tax added. So the net is about 13% less than the gross.So if the gorss is $1,130 - 13% is aabout $1,000 and we would get 20% of that.

Stl as I said before a host may charge $50/hr but that is not what they bring home after taking out expenses. An employee makes what they make without expenses. The company has expenses to pay for. It is simple economics. Don't believe me? What does you company charge to install alarms and what do you make out of that?

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Why leave the forum.
We did not agree with you.
Conflict happens.
Not the first or the last time.

Your worth as much as someone is willing to pay you.

Mojo

There is a problem in generalizing pay. The venues around here vary fom very small beer and shot BARS to bigger clubs etc. The average Karaoke show around here for a "small to medium" bar type gig would be between a low of $100 to a high of $200 for a Fri/Sat night. SURE you may find a KJ willing to work for $75 on a house system and there is nothing wrong with that. But it doesn't make much sense to use your own set up and work 4 hours for $50/$75.

But the solution is not to sit and worry about these KJ's but to bring the level of ALL PRO SHOWS up a notch. Obviously the KJ and singers here have a passion for karaoke. If all KJ's provided BETTER shows and singers DEMANDED and SUPPORTED better SHOWS ...the managers and owners will have to take notice or LOSE the business.

Years ago when I was repairing tv's many wanted me to work on their tv on a personal basis. I finally started telling them I wont take the back off for less than $150. It wasnt very long I was swamped with sidework.

I have no qualms about bidding jobs or proposals demanding what my experience and abilities are worth. If you cant afford my services then hire somebody off the street. When you want a pro then I am here. I do not know why people think hosting is different than any other profession.

Any profession that requires expensive tools or a huge inventory can not supply services at reduced rates unless they dont care if their services gradually degenerate to a lesser quality. This is business 101 for petes sake.

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I think what is left out of this equation is that all of us have not only skills related to karaoke but to a lot of other skills, which in my mind we should be paid for. I am a photographer, for example; I am able to take very good shots of my shows and allow the venue to use them in their marketing. I am also a quasi professional singer (I get paid to sing when I seek it out); I do marketing and PR for my husband's band. I also have research and writing skills. I have a lot of years of experience in the business as well. I have professional grade equipment which I know how to use, and a very complete song library. So, in reality when I am being paid to host, all my other skills aside from the actual sound mixing come into play with a venue. If they choose to use all those other skills/talents I have, yes, they should pay me more and they do. If, on the other hand, I didn't have those skills but ONLY knew how to mix sound, I would be worth far less.

Before we quote a price, we need to personally establish our own worth as a host or a hosting company vis-a-vis our other assets and ability to work with the hosting establishment to increase their bottom line.

Let me put this way another way: If you go to the doctor and the doctor walks in the room and spends 5 minutes with you and checks your reflexes and stares into your eyes, you still have to pay them $125 for that 5-minute visit -- based on among other costs, the knowledge and education they have acquired, and the fact that you KNOW that knowledge will allow them to determine if you're in need of medical attention based on a lot of other things he/she may notice about your physical appearance.