Karaoke Forums

Looks like the only worldwide source for Sound Choice individual songs right now is theKaraokeChannel.com! They only offer huge WMV or MP4 downloads - 15MB and 30MB approximately, respectively - not happy with that!

And not sure what percentage of the songs are available in audio only vs. video format, but so far have got one song I needed without having to wait for mykaraokecdg.com or the others to come back to life...

Anyone else have any info of this topic... like when and where can we get good old cdg's again?
Steve

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PCDJ has downloads that are in MP3+G format. I believe they are actually karaoke channel songs.

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

Unfortunately, they only sell for 'personal 'non' commercial' use only per their TOS. So it could become a sticky situation down the road.

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The sound choice site has an active link back up to Sound Choice Australia that makes custom sound choice disks.

It was down for a while, but I just checked it is now active.

Of course they only have a partial (but substantial) list of the songs that sound choice has made avalible for custom disks.

Yeah they said they were discontinuing everything over 2 years old. Except if you notice, there are no Sound Choice songs available. All UK brands.

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Correction. They list a lot of soundchoice on their (apparently outdated songlist) but they dont have them on the list for selecting what you can buy.

Where were you looking? Clicking the link from the home page takes you to an Australian affiliate which offers no SC songs.

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Thanks for the updates and info guys!

Yeah, I see PCDJ is distributing the KaraokeChannel catalog. I couldn't find any legal disclaimer about personal vs. professional use on the PCDJ site - PCDJ actually takes you to another site to sell you karaoke files - called venuevj.com

Hmm, on THAT site, I found the following legal notice:

"Venue VJ is a DRM compliant (as defined by the copyright holders of this material) music video promotion and distribution service for professional DJ/VJ's, nightclubs, restaurants and other hospitality venue owners, and other non-broadcast professionals who utilize music video within their presentations within the US and its territories for public performances as defined by US Copyright Law..ONLY. These materials are not available for sale to or use by the general public."

Unfortunately, even though it would seem that this should apply to the karaoke files they sell, and allow us to use them legally as professional VJ's, it doesn't appear that the karaoke part of their business is actually set up in the way this legal statement suggests. I think in order to buy their other video products, you have to demonstrate your professional status and they place DRM restrictions on the products, but it looks like the karaoke products are unprotected and available to anyone, though I didn't actually complete a purchase to verify this...

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At the australian site is a pdf listing all of the songs they HAD for custom disks including SC (as it was a few months ago).

When you actually go to make a cd the SC songs are not there.

I just went to the site and looked at the PDF and not the actual disk fabrication.

I have quite a few requests for songs that are only available on Sound Choice. I got a custom disc a few months ago prior to them closing the site. After checking for about a month, I saw their custom disc site was up and running again, but no Sound Choice selections. This is very disappointing. I don't see how Sound Choice can remain in business with this strategy.

The ironic thing about this is their songs are out there on the sites that people use to practice at home but we can't get them. Had a singer last week who had practiced on SingSnap with a Sound Choice version of a song tell us our SBI version was in the wrong key. He wasn't drunk so was probably different enough to give him trouble.

I'm wondering about the 'not for professional use' disclaimer on The Karaoke Channel. Who would enforce it? Would Stingray Music come around and say "you can't play this"? Perhaps the warning is there because it has to be the local ASCAP / SESAC / BMI / PRS collecting the dues for public performance. As for the other 'professional' use, rerecording, again the performer would have to be licensed as chartbuster details on their website.

Anyone else out there using Karaoke Channel downloads? How about Amazon mp3 or iTunes downloads... all saying not for professional use!

- Jonn

If you get caught using them, you could be in big do-do. It would be akin to buying a DVD labeled "not for public performance" and then using it to show in a theatre or other venue where the general public is invited.
Not sure who would enforce it, though. Then again, we're not sure who's actually "enforcing" (lawsuits aside) the karaoke pirating going on everywhere, either.

Then all comercial karaoke shows run illegally. I believe that ascap and bmi and the other licensing agency fees would cover you.

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

Supposedly the home use downloads will have some sort of ID on the opening screen to make it immediately clear where they came from if someone tries to use them for commercial purposes.

It's willy nilly at best. Kind of like a reverse lottery.

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Reverse lottery!
Darn near peed myself when I saw that!

I've emailed the karaoke channel to get their definition on 'professional use' and how it applies to KJs - still waiting on a response. I also did a test download from venuevj (pcdjs 'legal download site') and got a nice mp3+g file and mp4 file in a zip. I certainly feel that if Sound Choice complained about use of a karaokechannel track that I purchased from pcdj's venuevj I would have a reasonable leg to stand on since it was them who linked me to pcdj in the first place. (Or at least could have been).

Similarly venuevj as we have said states it is for professional use so if we were acted against then we would have a reasonable cause to go after venuevj and pcdj.

Again, if all this is legally purchased, from a US company, registered on a US website and used in the US.....

Maybe, perhaps maybe Kurt Slep would have an answer to this one. It is not unauthorised duplication, copying, format shifting or anything. Where is the copyright infraction here? Aaarrrgg (no, no piracy involved!) His website links directly to a company selling mp3+g karaoke in the US.

Jonn

Well since SC promotes PCDJ KJ Pro with this statement
PCDJ KJ PRO
Enhance your show with this simple yet powerful karaoke player that sets the standard in karaoke performance for the 21st Century!»

I would be under the assumption since the manu directed me to the computer program that any of the downloads bought from the site they themselves link to on their home page would be legal for use in a 'show' since I would be trying to 'enhance my SHOW' with computer karaoke. This implies 'commercial' use since most people that aren't kj's don't have 'shows'.

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I do belive that when you sign up for Venue DJ you are signing up as a Professional DJ/KJ in the industry. The Karaoke channel does not make this designation.

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