Karaoke Forums

Hi all, another newbie question:

I'm trying to get some opinions on web sites with quick, easy, reliable single downloads. Having only started to do small house parties with a small CD collection, and already being requested to do parties for friends & such, I'm envisioning every single person saying "do you have such-and-such song?"... the answer would most likely be "um, not in my small CD catalog."

I'd much rather say "give me one second and I'll check for you... <types in song name on web site database>... sure enough, I'll add you to the list."

But what is the best site for this, or what are the better sites? I've seen a bunch of site names posted here but I'd rather get some input from the experienced users rather than going through some trial and error with each of them.

Thanks!

Best system I ever saw, regardless of price, was the one that AutoKDJ had -- where they kept a database of Tricerasoft listings and you could search and buy with one click. Downside? It cost an arm and a leg.

If any of the karaoke hosters and stores had a decent API, I would write a program to import a downloaded file quickly. Alas, the only one I have seen that qualifies is WinAmp itself, and it has deficiencies.

Until then, the best I have seen (and the one I use) is Tricerasoft with the gift pack -- you can search for it, claim it, download it, and play it (with WinAmp or Siglos) right away. I later rename it and import it to the hoster.

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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.

buykaraokedownloads.com is pretty decent also. Prices are fair and good selection.

+1.

If you buy the 75 song pack the price per song drops to $1.20 a song. They also have the entire Sunfly & Zoom collection online as far as I can tell.

Just Karaoke just added the song manager which basically does the same thing as the one in AutoKDJ does.

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

At the same $5.00 per song price? At that rate, I'll continue doing it myself.

Now if it was $2.50, I might do it. That's only double what I normally pay.

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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.

I just use www.mp3gmusic.com

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[img]<img%20src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j288/miller2348/myspace/images/Funny_Pics/images/21.gif"[/img]

CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE AT THE DOOR, STICK AROUND YOU JUST MIGHT HAVE SOME FUN

^^^ that is just a dupe of Tricerasoft. Don't forget karaoke-singles.com They show the manus of the stuff they have, but I have occasionally recieved zips that wont open. Less than a 5% issue. For $1-$2 a song, I can deal with that.

I don't believe that is a legal site.

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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.

The same can be argued for ANY pay-per-download site. Can you argue that it is legal in the US to download from the Canadian Tricerasoft or the British Select-A-Track? How about BuyKaraokeDownloads? The way I see it, if you have payed a reasonable amount per song, i.e. at least $1.00 per song, and have the reciepts, you should be covered. Otherwise all of the pay-per-song sites such as iTunes would constantly be under legal fire. But if you choose to continue to pay for a whole disc to get just one or two songs you don't have when they may be readily downloaded on a single pay basis due to fear, then to each his own.

It's different. Chartbuster has definitely not authorized those downloads, and prior to karaoke-singles.com removing Sound Choice they definitely didn't allow their songs to be downloaded. So karaoke-singles.com is a known pirate site.

SBI, Zoom, and Sunfly, the mainstays of the other sites, definitely do allow downloads. I do not believe Tricerasoft is a pirate site. As to whether downloads from the other sites can be used by KJs, I believe they can. If SBI, Sunfly, or Zoom didn't want that, they know where we are and can actively tell us that.

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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.

I have never seen a SC song on the site, but I've only been searching the site for the past year. Can you give any examples of legal action against the site? Is it possible to get free downloads from this site like a torrent site that is clearly an illegal pirate site? The same arguments have been made against buykaraokedownloads, but it is one of the top sites that comes up in a search. Would that be the case if it was an illegal site?

Until a legal case can be given to identify these sites at illegal sources, they are not illegal - even if they are operating in a "grey" area. But as it is evident by most karaoke companies, including the precious and highly regarded Sound Choice, they all operate in at least some level of "grey" legal areas. Only legal precedents can determine the legality of businesses that deal in karaoke in what appear to be legal operations on the surface; as in each and every song is payed for in one form or another.

I wrote my own software that searches multiple sites at the same time (Tricerasoft, SBI, Karaoke Version, Venue VJ, Selectatrack) It will also then allow 1-click purchase from Tricerasoft (via gift pack). I'm slowly working on adding purchase ability to other sites (trying to auto complete a paypal purchase but failing so far). I then have the ability to rename the artist / song to my style and one more click adds to the database and renames the file appropriately.

Best bet for me is Tricerasoft, they do have agreements with the manufacturers they sell from and the gift pack makes it easy and cheap.

VenueVJ sells Karaoke Channel (Sound Choice) and Music Factory. They have no disclaimer about not for professional use and my communications with Stingray Digital (the owner of Sound Choice's back catalog) did not confirm nor deny that the Venue VJ downloads could be used professionally.

I'd like to add Chartbuster to my download search but they were against it when I asked them about it.

One day I'll release the download portion for everyone to use once I've got referral agreements and licensing worked out (something like... this software cannot be used in Central Texas! I have to keep my edge!)

- Jonn

Also from karaoke-singles.com:

Karaoke-singles.com is owned by Cabo Solutions inc. Karaoke-singles.com was formed wholly based on a need that we saw in the Karaoke community. Our mission is to make songs available in a format that gives you the ability to create your own CDGs with the songs YOU want. No more need to buy a CDG with 15 songs that you don’t want for the ONE song that you do want. You can create your own CDGs with the songs in the ORDER you want! You can now take all of the songs on one CD to your favorite venue without having to drag 4 or 5 CDs along with you! Karaoke-singles.com has exhaustedly searched the world for a way to make sure the artists and publishers get paid the royalties that they are due. There is only one company in the world that will see to it that the royalties are paid to those that they are due to. We are proud to be members of PRS-ARS. With pride we offer these songs to the you. We are currently in the process of acquiring many more songs for you under theses same principles. If you are manufacturer and are interested in selling your songs through our site please contact us.

They present themselves as being a legal company, and the end user pays for each song, believing that they are also acting within the law. So, until a case can be presented against them as to their actions being illegal, I would not see any reason to fear using the site, or any other pay-per-download site. You may have an opinion that they are illegal, but until a legal case is made, it is simply that - an opinion.

Don't use karaoke-singles.com. They were selling all SC stuff last summer, then were told by SC to take everything down. I don't trust them. Also, I have an e-mail from the Pres of VenueVj.com that the distribution deal with Stingray cannot explicitly state that the downloads are for commercial use, but it is obvious that they are being supplied with unique files, designed for KJ use, apart from the Karaoke Channel website. If any trouble ever comes fromm this arrangement, contact me and I will send you what they told me. All of the other manu's (pretty much all the UK ones) work through tricerasoft, selectatrack, et al.

Essentially all karaoke downloads are not properly sanctioned in the US, but in my opinion, it is the only healthy way we can compete against pirates who have everything, and those who have been in the business long enough to have a massive collection. Since all the US sites have pretty much phased out custom discs, I don't see any other way we can do it. Just keep your receipts.

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Wam bam thank you m'am.

I dont know anything about the site in question, but I cant understand the logic that "no legal case against them makes them legal".

There is a dope dealer in my old neighborhood that wears a white lab coat and has never been arrested, but trust me he is no doctor and he is definitely not legal.


Again not saying this site is a pirate site...

No at the price that Tricerasoft charges at their site. Most you'll pay per song is $2.49.

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

I can attest that a year ago Karaoke-singles had Sound Choice material and removed it after Sound Choice sent them a cease and desist letter before it went to court.
They still carry Pop Hits which is another company that does not allow downloads of their songs.

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

Payment and receipt will cover your ownership for personal use (probably)- use it in a U.S. based show and you are illegal.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

No, they can't, because the U.S. is out of their jurisdiction- but the U.S. government can, as well as the artists' orgs (RIAA,ASCAP, BMI, etc) because there is no such thing (yet) as a combination license ( including sync) in the U.S. While one may download for peersonal use with the odds against any problem, a U.S. based KJ cannot operate legally based on downloads. This means that even if Chartbuster, Stellar, etc. SAY they don't care, that just means that THEY might not go after you. Still illegal.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."