Karaoke Forums

I'm not a DJ, I'm a retired software guy, but a friend of mine is a DJ, Karaoke type.

He wanted something to put his Song Book on his audience's android phone, So I wrote a App for him and now I'm thinking of offering it to other KJ's and I would like to know if I should go ahead with it or not before I put more time & money into it.

So if you have a few minutes, I put up a 2 page web site and if you have an Android phone his app is "POW Karaoke". It's a free app on the market.

http://www.blocks123software.com/

I would like to know what you think it and would anyone be interested?

I could use some feed back, after reading here for a while I'm thinking of changes like 100 updates a month instead of 12 times a year as some services have weekly updates.

Right now it's not for sale, but I'm working on it. I'm retired and some Golf and Beer money would be good.

Thank you for any help

Ed

Well I'm going to be blunt (when has anyone here known me not to be) since you asked for feedback here you go.

While this app might be useful for some, it would not be for me. These are the problems I have with it. Ultimately, it all comes down to this app not offering any more than my website so I'll make a few comparissons.

1. It's freakin' expensive. $129 to start and then $5 a month in maintenance? I have a fully searchable song list on my website and I pay $4 a month for hosting to GoDaddy.
2. As best I can tell it requires the user to have an active data connection to do the searches. Again, at that point they can use their phone to go to my website and search.
3. It only works on Android, my website works on any smart phone browser.
4. Only allowing monthly updates. For that much money I'd expect an interface where I can update events and songs at anytime. I make far more song list and events updates than once a month. Plus I get last minute bookings that are less than a month in advance so it would suck to not be able to post those because I already used my monthly update.

The good:
1. It would be cool to have your name on the Android market for advertising purposes
2. The favorites thing is kind of cool

Suggestions:
1. Push technology, push event and song list updates as notifications in real time
2. Off-line searching. Don't force the user to have to have access to the internet to use the app
3. Ulimited updating of song list and events through web interface
4. Reduce the cost

Pipe Dream Wish List:
1. Tie it in with AutOKDJ or other hosting software that support kiosks to allow the user to take a song from the search and sign up to sing on the spot
2. Integrate with Google Calendar or other web based calendars so that people could share data between their website, facebook acccount, and this app (make updates in one place rather than 2 or 3)
3. Allow users to send a request for songs to be added to the song list

Like I said, as it stands now, it's no more useful to me than providing my patrons with a link on their phone to my website.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Personally, I'll always like a book. When I'm out singing, I like to take it into the bathroom, while'st I take a dump. I find it relaxing, and I can think about what I'd like to sing, much easier behind a locked stahl door. Kinda explains why pages are often stuck togeter, doesn't it......

The song book and searches are all in the app, the only thing a data connected is need for are

to check for updates to the song book(very small text file)
to download the song book
to view the upcoming events, so it can be changed as needed. (small html file, text only)

The problem with you makeing updates directly to the app is that per Googles License for the market I'm responsible for the content if it's on my account, so I have to be involved. The option is for you to put in on your own Google account, and that's $25 and host the data on your own web site. And since I'm selling you the App and not renting it the up front cost would be more. Plus the problems with future updates, etc..

The update times can be changed, but Time is Money so there has to be some kind of limit.

The next problem is the number of people that don't have a web site or the knowledge to keep things running. I see too many websites that are not updated.

I thinking just an e-mail with
Add these songs
Remove these
and edit these.

the same with the Upcoming events, I have the format and a quick e-mail with dates and times and what's happening.

Plus I'm asking for ideas

Ed

It's a good idea. But, there are a good may developers and retired developers that haunt this site and we've all had it. Good luck.

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Okay, who took my pants?

to me this appears to be nothing more than an attempt to advertise and promote your product, which incidentally is a breach of the forum's rules.

Secondly, if I were to give you ideas on how to improve your commercial product to make it more marketable, I'd expect some compensation for the use of my intellectual property.

I gotta say I thought the author was pretty genuine in his request.

Eddie, I do understand why your pricing and limits are the way they are, but you have to think about it from the consumer's perspective if you want to make any money here. The consumer doesn't care why the once a month limit is there, all they care about is that it affects their ability to use the app the way they'd like so they'll look elsewhere.

If this is really an attempt to get feedback and not just a shameless ploy to advertise, you should consider the feedback you receive carefully. You asked for feedback, I provided it. I did not rip on your application but provided you the honest perspective I had on it after reading about it. I hoped that would be helpful to you. If you're more interested in defending why your app is the way it is than considering what your potential consumers might be thinking of your product, that's your prerogative.

Good to see I was wrong about the off-line searching. But based on what you've described here I see plenty of other inherent design issues that I believe may make it tough for you to be profitable.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

All good points, The only way to reduce the price is I have to reduce the amount of time I need to put into each copy of the App. Because each app will still be semi-custom.

For saving my time I could

On the main Landing page just have two buttons at the bottom of the page taking people to the Song Book or your Contact Page, with your image above it. This get's rid of the custom buttons.

On The Contact page do the same thing. Two Buttons "E-Mail Me" and "Web Site" with your Image above it.

On the Current Events Page, Have your custom image in the background and up to 4 or 5 lines of Text.

So I would not have to edit any graphics or make custom buttons. Just maybe Resize the images.

For Data The change would have to be.

You set up a Google Docs Account and use 3 spreadsheets, this way you can update as offen as you like

1. Update Number. A spreadsheet with only 1 number to which you would add 1 to every time you want the App to update the SongBook

2. SongBook. A Spreadsheet with 3 columns and as many rows as you want. The columns would be 'Artist', 'Title', and 'Index'. Index could be whatever you want and would be include in a Message Box when the Song is clicked on.

3. Events. A Speadsheet with 1 column and 4 or 5 rows, each item would be one line on the Upcoming Events Page. This would be read every time the user views the pages.


Now I would be looking at no more then 2 to 2.5 hours so a one time fee of $60, payable a few days after the App is on the market.

Updateing the App later to change the Graphics would incur some costs.

I think thats about as low as I could go and still get up in the morning.

Does that sond what a workable model?

Ed

I was writing up my new model,

Like I said, it's not for sell yea, I have one copy on the market that I wrote for POW!.

I'm staying withing the rules and trying to figure out a product you would use.

It has to be free to your users. as most of the time it will be downloaded in a bar and removed the next morning.

so adding more things may be nice but it all adds to the cost.

Ed

Rather than spreadsheets, I'd look at XML. I've done a lot of work as a programmer working with software that is capable of branding which is essentially what you're looking to do here (part of your branding options happens to be the song list itself). XML is by far the easiest route to make things repeatable and reusable.

Beyond that, I'm probably not going to go into a lot more detail because now we are approaching the realms of consultation where like Murray said, I get paid to do that stuff.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

The price is pretty high just for a web capable version of a songbook that only works on an Android. There are other sites that are available that allow songbooks in full for any web capable phone, although it does have an I-Phone app that ties in with Apple to be able to actually click on the songs in the book to listen to for $10 per month (per show), then $5 per show after the first ($40 max per month). It's not just a songbook however, it is a show finder as well. www.karaokeloop.com HOWEVER it is completely FREE to the user. The cost is for the kj actually providing the song book.

If you could make one that would work with any web phones, and ALOT cheaper, it may be a more viable product. But like said, most can host their own book on their own website that any web phone can access.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

I don't think you should bother with this app. KJs are hired by bars and bars profit from selling drinks. How will this app. improve drink sales? It won't. I already have kiosks that cost me nothing. The kiosks not only display the songs in a search-able database but put the singers in rotation as well. If I understand your application correctly, the singer would still have to fill out a request slip. The whole purpose of going to a bar is to socialize with people who are not in cyberspace, this application is positively anti-karaoke.

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Okay, who took my pants?

The value that I could see in this app is that people will install it just for the novelty of it. From there, if you could actually push out updates as notifications, it would be a very cool marketing tool (more direct and effective than an email list). That along with having your business name listed in the Android Market would, in theory, help build a following of repeat patrons. As far as it's primary functionality of the song list search, I think that horse is dead and well beaten.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Oh I don't agree that is anti karaoke in any manner. Many times i've went into a show and couldn't find a book (don't want to get into the kisok debate), this feature would be very useful. I do use the karaokeloop version - at least trying it out for a while to see what happens, but I have several people using the songbook on their phones. It allows them to set up a favorites list and save the songs they like to sing or like to try. And like a physical book, allows them to persuse a book at their own pace. No hurrying or having to relinquish their book to other tables.
As far as improving drink sales, you can't state positively it will or it won't, but if it's a feature (any feature not necessarily this particular app) that might bring someone in as a customer - that has potential for more sales, then i'm all for it.
The 'cyber' world is pretty much going to happen regardless. I watch it every night, someone texting - occasionally to the same table they are at.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

OK, I want to thank you all, this is just want I needed.

Here's what I'm going to do.

I going to set up a App that does just about what the POW! Karoke App does now but it will be a self-serve type App.

I'm going to set up a web site with Instructions on how to set everything up and have a form to fill out and when the client has everything done he/she E-Mail it back to me with Graphics Attached.

If everything is there and correct I'm going to built the App and Put it on the market for the client. Along with a e-mail back.

If they like it I get paid, if not I pull the App, no problem.

I'm going to make it CHEAP, so cheap I can lose money on every app sold and make it up in volume, just like GM. I'm talking like $30.

I love a challenge. see how low I can go, it's all about time.

So Thank you all again

Ed

$30? Is this only for the KJ or the person that will be using it?

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

It will be a free App on the Android Market for YOUR customer, Under my license but controlled by the KJ.

The KJ will pay me the $30. Under this plan I have to put the graphics in and let the KJ update the SongBook and Upcoming Events.

It will be more work on your part but less cash.

I may have a more costly plan for people who have more money then time or computer skills.

This is like rock bottom of what I can do and give you a good product.

Ed

autokdj has an app on the marketplace now. Works with our new, to be published version of autokdj.

I've picked moonrider and letitrip to beta it.

Suhweeeet!! I gotta check this out

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

$30 one time purchase and I can update the book and upcoming events myself?

I'm interested.