Karaoke Forums

There should also be room in the budget for advertising, insurance, licenses if your locality requires them and updating the library to fill requests. You may be subsidizing yourself for a bit until you take off and all sorts of little things come up that need to be paid whether or not you are making a profit yet.

this was absolutely not directed at you. like Tony said, finally someone comes in who wants to make an investment in their business, and people started saying dont do it until you see if it will work. the fact that you are not wanting to half a$$ it is why i jumped in. you are making an investment in your business and if you have set aside $10,000 in your mind for it, get the very best you can for that money. if i made it sound like you were not spending enough, i apologize for that was not my intention.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

I would definitely go active instead of passive. No amp is a big plus. It is HEAVY. And when you've hauled in and torn down equipment 3 or 4 nights a week for weeks on end, years on end, it all counts. I went from 2 Bag End 15-inch and 2 Yamaha 12-inch daisy-chained, two big yammy subs, all the gear to run that, a karaoke player, etc., and it just gets old carting it around. Right now I have a 16-channel Yamaha board with built-in efx and compression which I traded on CL for a field recorder; two Mackie 450s and/or two Mackie 350s, and a 15-inch Mackie sub. I am down to using just the 450s (no sub, no need in the rooms I am doing), the board, and a PC shuttle with cordless mouse and keyboard and 17-inch flat screen for my own use; then I picked up a small flat screen for $100 at Best Buy for the singers. We use corded 58s and I have a cordless that I keep at my station so I can move around the room and not have to run crazy to the front if I'm not paying attention and a song ends quicker than I expect it to.

I have a lot of options, though, with the speakers - just the 450s, or 450s with sub; just the 350s or 350s with sub; or all four speakers with sub. I picked up the 450s in the deal of the century - heavy duty stands and cables and 2 speakers for $400...Comes along once in a great while. I did pay full price for the 350s but also got the sub online for way less.

Again, I'll just suggest that if you are mobile, don't weigh yourself down with unnecessary stuff - get a lappy, a good board with compression and efx, and enough channels that if one goes, you have options, and powered speakers.

@paridigm, sorry about that, I took it the wrong way. please forgive my rant. your cool in my book.

Yes, it is very important to consider not just getting a nice rig, but also one that YOU can live with.

Set up and take down time is important. How you are transporting it all, is important. Carrying all that stuff into and out of a bar is important.

Having equipment that is easy to carry, makes your job so much easier.

Active speakers lighten your load and set up time considerably.

Sound quality makes all the difference in the world for you. Different singers have different mic presence. One guy gets up and you can barely hear him, and then the next gets up and you can't turn him down fast enough.

Also... BOARD CUT!!! You need to be able to cut the performer from the board, I can't stress that enough. You got a guy that keeps talking at the end of his song and won't give you the mic? No problem, cut it. They usually just give it back then when it doesn't do anything anymore! .

Having a system that lets you adjust for such a wide range of performers is so valuable, and cutting the mic, the Mixing board i pointed you too does that.

And be wary of the sound guy. They frequently have their "pat system" they sell, and really don't consider you too much.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Think ya guys might be missing my point. I do have the best sound and song selection in the area, but the one local bar has only hired us once. Even thought we have several good singers that keep asking us why we don't get booked more often. I tell them talk to the bar owners.

The bar owners continue to hire the cheaper KJ, with lesser equipment, and a minimal song selections. Heck 1/4 of her songs have the vocals in them. and that is the only version she has.

Again, it most of the time it doesn't matter how good your equipment is, or how good of a host you are, it only matters (to a bar owner) what you charge.

Again I am NOT gonna take a 50% pay cut. I'll stay at home and watch CSI instead.

@Karaoke Koyote, the sound I guy Im using is my wifes cousin, and he isn't a salesperson right now, although he has worked in music for 25+ years, but thanks for the tip

Yep, the guys and girls out there that use cheap equipment, piss me off more than pirates. I hate the people that don't use subs, quality mics, and good speakers. But then again they are the people that make my show so much better.

I take min 2 mains 2 subs to every show and also take lighting, if there is room I will also take a floor monitor for singers. I will be picking up some EV Zxa1's that are powered 8" speakers so I always have a monitor for speakers.

Equipment is depriciated over 3 years so $10,000 investment is $3333 a year. A good dj business in my eyes will invest 20% of sales on equipment a year. So following my buiness plan you need to make about $16000 a year.


1 - I'm not telling anyone to pirate music, I'm against that totally, but I find the budget very small for a startup. I added a 3rd system in 2010 and it cost me $25,000. And I went cheap on karaoke disc buying all the charbuster essentials and filling gaps of missing songs. My guy still finds about 5 - 10 disc he needs a week.

2 - Don't buy used equipment it has no warrenty.

3 - While good paying jobs are hard to find if you work at it and have something the other people don't you will get paid more. I have worked night clubs that paid $150 an hour not a night for karaoke.

4 - You could go cheaper than my list but if your serious I suggest you spend more.

5 - Your results may very, I don't expent many people to agree with me but I do respect them as other industry professionals, even if they use or do things different than me.

In my area you are completely wrong. Bars want the best of the best here. We work at one place cause we bring dual 18's and big amps (That is a DJ not a KJ job). We are good host and bring people to the bar. We advertise and work with the beer and liquor reps as well as radio stations to have promo's.

We work for % of sales and have 6 month contracts. We have hard mins in contacts but I never make min unless there is a giant snow storm, but even then we are generally busy.

I just want to make a small point here, and this is directed to no one and everyone!

Having the best equipment, the greatest library, the newest computer and everything else is real nice, but the guy with the mediocre equipment, a decent music library and a great personallity will beat you out everytime. What really makes a show is the KJ's ability to connect with people and hold them there. If you can't do that then spending 10 million dollars on gear wouldn't even make a difference.

This is something that is intangible, it can't be learned, it can't be taught, it is something you either have inside of you or you don't, but it can be sold!

That's good that you have someone you can trust. I ended up installing sound systems in bar as a side business due to "professional sound guys."

I am KJ at one of the top bars in the area on Friday nights. Always 20+ singers, and max crowd. The owners wanted a permanent sound system that was flexible, able to handle 3 different zones (Main bar, downstairs, and outside), etc.

This "professional sound man" shows up 15 min late, has 3 pages of hand scribbled notes and proposes a 10K Crown system. I was there just to ask questions about my end because I was suppose to be able to hook into it, and not have to set up my own speakers.

I didn't think too much of his proposal, primarily because the bar small, and it seemed to me the guy was swatting a fly with a house with a 15000 watt system (I kid you not).

Anyway, two weeks later I asked one of the owners how things were going. He grimaced and said, "This guy has got me to 15k and still hasn't told me how much its going to cost to install it." He then asked me if I could come with something.

I said, "Sure, let me see what I can do."

Needless to say, I did it for considerably less and made a cool $1500 for two nights work installing it. That was two years ago, and they LOVE that system. Always having parties, and just rocking the place. The Sat nigh DJ hooks into it, the Friday afternoon folk guitar guy hooks his head into it. and of course I hook into it too, AND I've gotten many more install gigs off of this one install!

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Yep. Buttttttttttttttt,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, (sorry I like big butts and I cannot lie) all things being equal, sound could be the determining factor. It just got me my first good paying weekly gig over competition that does not have anything approaching the quality of my sound.

Don't forget this factor, being able to mix and eq for each singer.

Everyone does things differently, that's what I like about this forum. All good ways are brought up, it's up to the individual to decide. Personally, I don't mind the extra 15 minutes it takes me to set up and bring my sub and lights.

One thing that hasn't been covered in the passive vs active debate, working at a bar that has PAs hung and only needing to bring an amp and no PAs. If you have active PAs and no amp, you can't take advantage of their set up and still have to drag your PAs in. I haven't run into this yet but there are bars in the area with this set up, one that I know of dropped karaoke a year ago but still has DJs come in and they pay up to $250 a night even though the DJ brings in only his amp, mixer, laptop and sometimes lights (house has only pars).

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

I agree totally and honestly this is a question one should ask themselves before getting into this business regardless of what they plan to spend on equipment. If you're afraid of public speaking, you should not be doing this job. If you are unsure of what to say in awkward moments, you're going to have to develop that skill quickly. If you aren't able to strike up a conversation with total strangers comfortably, you're going to struggle in this business unless you can develop that.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Indeed, regardless of what you spend on your rig and library, it is your smile and your enthusiasm that is your greatest asset.

I think experience makes you better at reacting, and knowing how to run a show, but the core essential is that ability to be at ease with complete strangers, know when to engage people, and get people singing and having fun!

When I started this business, i will admit that my equipment was NOT that good, and my library was small... but somehow, people thought my show was great. I developed a following even then. Now, of course, I spent a lot of money upgrading equipment to the best I could afford, and that certainly helped a lot. I had experience, a following and top notch equipment, which meant my price went up, but regardless of that, people still enjoyed the show.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Yes I am sure the are some bar owners/managers that will go with the better & higher priced KJ, but on average, most (IMO 80%) will go with the cheaper KJ. How many threads have we read about goo KJ, getting cut but crappy karaoke simply because of price????


IMHO, if you are trying to get in the biz, go for the private parties, that is where the money is, and that is what I am focusing all my efforts on.

I also agree. I am the guy with mediocre equipment sometimes (unless I am running my Bose system). My song selection is mediocre (15,000 and the only SC is Foundations & Bricks). People always rave about my shows and I have a very loyal following to prove it.

One other thing: I agree with set up and tear down totally. I make my own racks because I can't find ones that totally fit my needs as a KJ. When I run my Bose system, I can be up and running with music in 10-15 mins and ready for karaoke in 15-20 mins. I can do this because I put a lot of thought into my racks before I build them. This planning also includes ergonomics, which is where I find that all commercial DJ racks fail to consider the KJ.

Fisrst of all, private parties are another thing all together. How much are your really getting for a private party and how frequently? Bar gigs and private parties go hand in hand, you can't separate them! they FEED each other.

I good bar gig will net you $600 to $800 A MONTH! One gig. So how many private parties does that equate to? Three? Four?

An unsteady possibility versus an assured income, at a set price. Private parties are no different then bar gigs. There's always some guy ready to undercut your price. You quote $300 the customer goes back to the other guy, "Well he quoted me $300, what will you give me?" and of course the guy will say $250 (or less!!!) and get the gig.

So I don't see the logic here. I don't even quote a price anymore... I REFUSE TO! I simply go over my show... and usually they are looking to hire me because they SAW ME AT A BAR and say something like $300 but, I'm willing to work within your budget, What do you think is fair? And I usually get between $225 and $275 and no worries about price matching "the other guy".

Secondly, I've been around long enough to see the "cheap guy's" show FAIL. Yes, I lost that gig 3 months ago to the $100 a night KJ. Why are they getting rid of him? I talk to my singers and find out why... or better yet, they TELL me. They go to the bar owner and tell him that I should be there.. or the barmaids do. I've worked with them... bar staff moves around from bar to bar or works several bars during the week, so I have gotten to know them well.. and if they are making money on the nights you work you can believe they are going to try and get you into their other bar too!

Now you have a logical "in" a recommendation to get your foot in the door. Now its up to you to go in an sell yourself. Bar owners might go cheep once or twice, but if they don't make money, they will rethink it. I've gone behind the "cheap" guys who were getting $100 and gotten $175 and two of those I've had for YEARS now.

So my experience significantly differs from yours.

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Good music, good friends, howling good times!

Without being blatantly obvious and glaringly tactless, the first thing you have to do with these bar owners who gravitate toward cheap is best is lead them to the thought that the only reason you would ever have to go cheap is because you don't have people in your place - reverse the whole thought process. If you bring in cheap, you get cheap. If you bring in the "complete" show - host with personality, an adequate song selection, a sound that is pleasing, and a skeleton following of great singers who go wherever that host goes - the place quickly gains the benefit of that and what you pay becomes less than the most important criteria. In other words, all of the things that make the show 'complete' is what doubles or triples or quadruples the tape at the end of the night.

It is not a finite number of wallets that walk in the door with a 'complete' show, as it IS with a krappy show. Just the way it is. Perhaps owners stop listening at the asking figure but it is our job as professionals to lead them away from that being the major criteria for hiring someone. Sure, you want a cheap mechanic to work on your car? You can probably find one...but we know what crummy mechanics do - shortcuts that leave you broke down in the middle of the night on some stupid country road.

You must really hate people who buy off ebay as well.
Whereas I can usually find something to like about in most people.

I have a sub that I use occasionally but have now found, through trial and error, that in some of my venues it isn't what I need to get the best results. Loud is NOT the leading criteria in my decision making. Again, this is venue dependent and there are many, many ways to achieve success, but subs do not a successful show make all on their own.