Karaoke Forums

People can do as they wish at their own shows but I think this fear of singer's discs is being blown out of proportion. I'm not going to live in fear of it. Our songbook is on the internet and there at the show for the investigator to photograph. If they want to make a case out of one or two songs shown on a screen but not in our books, what would there even be in it for them? If it isn't wrong to do then stand up for yourself and do it.

On the other hand, we have stopped playing burns. While we don't want to be the karaoke police, we also are to the point where piracy just isn't OK with us and we don't want to condone it. As the ONLY burns we have been presented with so far are from a known pirate, we have politely explained that we will gladly play an original disc for them but can no longer accept burns. Possibly if a Bruce were to come in and explain to us about the origins of their disc, we would make an exception. But for now we are making restrictions due to the few who ARE doing illegal burns. But we sure as heck aren't making restrictions on our singers out of fear of being caught doing something perfectly legal like play their original disc.

Looks like Chip and Julie won't be playing any CB d iscs pretty soon.

Guess I'll be reconsidering orders. I spend probably $100 a month on legal music. Two major manufacturers are having trouble making money anymore ... could it be an attitude issue? Unwillingness to step into this century? Not sure, but I can spend my money anywhere and the choices are diminishing.

PLEASE... GO AFTER THE HARDDRIVE CREEPS. Want some names? I'm happy to send them. I HAVE sent them. I will CONTINUE to send them, but NOBODY DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

It is getting tiresome. Go ahead, send out the goons. Scramble for the pennies while you step over the dollars. MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.

It would be sad to see the quality of entertainment reduced.
Most KJ's would love to see passion in a performance.

Then there is always the business person who is unmoved.

I could be chartbuster or sc on here too..........do you know you're committing fraud?

for backup?.......if you can't use it for any reason(warn out original, need it for show) why back it up...you're not suppose to use originals for shows either....it was never the manufacturers intention..........just home use

Okay, then would you care to elaborate on EXACTLY what the purpose of a "backup" disc is for if you CANNOT,

1.) play them in a show, or use them

2). for listening privately or,

3). for ANY OTHER reason than as back-up?

And BTW, if you're "really" Chartbuster Karaoke, at least own up to your identity. Anyone could have registered that name here and at least the Sleps sign their real name and don't hide behind a nameplate.


Is the purpose to simply "back them up" and put them on a shelf and never use them for anything?

Why make them in the first place if you can never use them?

Chip,

Check out the Newbie forum, Chartbuster did identify himself and his position at Chartbuster.

That said, I do feel the same way as you about backups. The whole purpose of a backup IS to protect the original. This is especially true in Chartbuster's case where a large number of their discs are now short lifespan CDR's rather than the longer lasting pressed discs.

Oops, my bad... you are correct and I should have looked first.

So we can then direct our questions to David Grimes, the C.O.O. of Chartbuster.

Thank you Mr. Grimes and I appreciate your participation in these forums.

KJ:
"Oh no! My disc number whatever was stolen/cracked! Thank the gods I have a back-up of it! Especially because that disc is out of print and would cost me double to replace it, if I could find a copy at all!"

MANU:
"You can't use back-up's for anything, other than to prove you have made a back-up. Which defeats the entire purpose and usage of the term back-up."

KJ:
"[cue crickets] Lo....g..ic?"

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Wam bam thank you m'am.

Bottom line folks, can you back up your car, house, furniture, clothes, etc for free? no, so why should music be any different?

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Because digital music IS different and you CAN back it up. You can bet if I could back up my car, house, furniture, clothes, etc. for free (or even a small fee) you can bet I would.

There are several opinions above that Johnny R believes are shared by all (most) karaoke singers and those in attendance at karaoke. I don't share those opinions

(1) To me, the best shows are NOT the ones that play customer discs. While I play customers' discs (CDG, DVD, VCD) at my shows, the shows that I intentionally avoid are the ones with a clientele that rely on their own discs. At some of those shows, the KJ rarely needs to get a track from his own library. And at all of those shows MOST of the singers are singing the same songs over and over. Yes, I have regulars at my show that use my library and sing the same song(s) over and over, but they obviously don't have CDG players at home to rehearse with, so, I'll give them some latitude regarding their repetitiveness since they CAN'T buy whatever discs they want to practice with.

(2) If I correctly understand what Johnny posted, since it seemed that he was being sarcastic, he believes that the people who perform at karaoke should be sober and well rehearsed, rather than "hammered". Well, I for one don't believe that those who are "hammered" are unworthy of stage time at a karaoke show! And some who are "hammered" are more entertaining TO ME than the well-rehearsed singers and many even sing better than the well-rehearsed! Meanwhile, we have a majority of KJ hosts imploring singers with the "jitters" to partake in "liquid courage". I don't think you get much sobriety that way?

(3) And in MHO, too much EGO is involved for too many people when it comes to karaoke. The fixation that so many have with microphones and the manufacturer of a karaoke track both originate from ego. So far I have never frequented or avoided a karaoke show because of the inherent quality of the equipment or quality of the mixing. And, yes, there are tracks that are so bad that, if I remember, I would never sing again. So far, if I remember correctly, there are a total of two! And if I never sang those songs again I will survive. Hell, I've been to shows with 200,000 tracks; there must be something I can find to sing?

And when I do sing at karaoke, it is not my moment in the sun during which I must "shine". And I would never take satisfaction in nailing a song I have already sung dozens of times or more (including rehearsing) in the past. I can't relate to that as being enjoyable and/or satisfying.

Actually, as a KJ and as a singer (and a damn good one) I don't believe there is any agreement as to what level of vocal performance hosts prefer, singers prefer from other singers, audiences prefer or bar owner's prefer. But I do know that everyone enjoys being entertained and that the "best" singers are not necessarily the best entertainers!

I will close by telling you who is reading this thread, that if you are among the well-rehearsed I don't frequent karaoke shows to hear you and often avoid shows because of you! I go to karaoke to have fun and sometimes William Hung is a lot more entertaining than you! And to me, you are what's WRONG with karaoke. You are often what confuses people into believing that only good singers are truly welcome to join in at karaoke. It is you who facilitates some into foolish believing that, although they ARE good singers, that they are not good enough because they are not well-rehearsed and polished in their performance (and don't carry their own discs). It is you who leads some to foolishly believe that even if they are good singers they cannot sing karaoke casually and be accepted. It is you who keep the casual observer (unless "hammered") from coming up and trying karaoke and learning that they can have a good time and become a regular at karaoke while not being a good singer!

And those are just MY opinions!

It is my opinion that there is room for all levels of singers in karaoke and good singers should not be resented. It is up to the host to make all feel welcome. As someone who wouldn't even sing "Happy Birthday" out loud for the first 50 years of my life, to be able to practice at home and sing a song I love in a reasonably non-offensive manner is a challenge that makes karaoke fun for me. As long as I don't take it too seriously, where is the harm? Why all these rules about who is the appropriate type of person to have at a show? There are as many reasons to enjoy or sing karaoke as there are people.

As for people who bring discs singing the same songs over and over, I have experiecned just the opposite. People who buy their own discs are always looking for something new and unique to sing. I have no motivation in the world that I can think of for denying them their fun.

I'm going to see Bon Jovi in concert in a few days and I sure hope that Jon and the boys have been rehearsing for the show. I'd hate to get there and find out that Jon Bon Jovi was going to be there but he'd be performing with a Bon Jovi Cover band without any rehearsal time together.

Just like Jon Bon Jovi is used to playing with "his band", some karaoke singers are used to singing to a particular song on a particular brand of CDG. If a well practiced singer is the reason someone will never have the courage to fill out a song slip; then that person has more issues to worry about than singing at a karaoke bar. If I enjoy singing, I'd sing even if I were in a room full of Grammy Award winners. I'm not there to compete with them. I'm there to commune with them...... and have a few drinks and a bite to eat while I'm at it.

I have found that a lot of people sing the same songs over and over because they have found songs that are crowd pleasers and they want to please the crowd and be guaranteed a big round of applause at the end of their performance. I tend to sing a lot of new songs on a regular basis and most people in the bar have never heard them. That's okay with me. I'd rather introduce people to a song that they might never hear otherwise than sing the same songs every week like a jukebox. Every singer is different and that is why karaoke is for everyone to enjoy. The KJ's job is to make that happen for all of them. IMHO

You're missing the point here...nobody's trying to deny anyone their fun or their moment. Everyone should be encouraged to enjoy Karaoke in whatever way makes them happy short of creating a liability for my bars or my business.

In addition to running Karaoke, I also work in the legal biz, and I can't tell you how many law-abiding, totally innocent people go bankrupt trying to defend lawsuits. Just because you are not breaking the law or doing anything wrong doesn't mean it can't cost you everything you own to get yourself out of hot water...and the second one of my bars gets sued, right or wrong, because I played a customer's Sound Choice track off a disc I didn't own, is the second I've lost a job, and perhaps my business. Right or wrong.

The big picture is bigger than one singer's "right" to sing the version of the song they want off of their disc. If they can't handle doing another version or another song out of the many I have to choose from, then yep, I guess they're in the wrong bar.

And btw...my bar is not a stadium and my singers are not Bon Jovi, no matter how good they are -- their livelihood does not depend on them singing a song perfectly. Forgive me for saying so, but I think that's taking it just a *bit* too seriously.

birdofsong

on second thought, I will not play anyone's disc if I have to run the risk of SC suing me over a disc I don't own and can prove via my songlist that I don't have it. It is just not worth the hassle.

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

Well, I guess we have the luxury of not worrying as much because we are a one-rig disc based show and not waving the red flag of having a huge number of computer rigs. But regardless, we all have different levels of how much we want to let fear of "what ifs" run our lives.

But I do look at singers and discs a bit differently, perhaps? Divas? Insecure? No, I see them as loving karaoke and making karaoke their hobby and being addicted to karaoke and buying and buying discs. And the more disc buying karaoke addicts out there who want to come to our shows and play their discs on our system rather than IPOD it at home, the better for the manus and the better for us.

Let's consider the reality of how SC handles suspected pirates

They investigate, which has resulted in admitted, erroneous accusations which still befuddles me as to how that occurred.

If SC's investigation leads them to believe that a KJ is suspect, they sue the KJ.

SC then approches the suspect with an offer to settle. If the Kj does not straight out settle with SC, SC offers the KJ an opportunity to have his library audited under very onerous terms, including the requirement that any subsequent settlement be for a larger amount!

If KJ submits to the audit, ALL SC tracks on his HD will be reviewed for 1:1 integrity with owned discs. If the audited KJ played a customer's track that is not on his HD, the playing of that track is inconsequential in the scheme of things. On the other hand, if the track is on the KJ's HD, then the KJ must have a SC disc for said track!

If one believes that simply playing SC tracks puts them at risk, then they shouldn't play ANY SC tracks, their own or their customers. If a KJ is unconcerned about playing SC tracks at his show, then playing a customer's disc would not matter!

Hell just froze over. I agree.