Karaoke Forums

Latshaw's facebook page just announced the iCroons now has the largest searchable karaoke database on the planet, and as of today catalogs 437,290 karaoke tracks, which according to KJ Pro's site, does exceed KJ Pro's database by over 20,000. Pretty cool.

...and not too shabby considering the speed at which they did it.

nice that all the downloads are listed first, i know that was the original idea of the site. they got Tricerasoft going too. only issue i see is it goes to the one off part of Tricerasoft and does not allow signing in to use credits (probably an easy fix) i would write in to Latshaw but after the nightmare stories of Bob even revoking licenses for making suggestions......
it is nice to have the whole thing there though for damn near every song.

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

I was surprised by the size and speed too, but then I noticed on a couple of song searches that the results also listed some home-made tracks that KJ Pro doesn't list. That made me think he may have pulled the data from someone's loaded hard drive in order to get the data base built quickly.

_________________
KNOW THYSELF

what do you mean "home made tracks"?

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

Some people do make homemade tracks themselves. I've seen quite a few. They usually take background music from other karaoke songs and make their own parody lyrics. I've seen some where they do the vocal removals on the original and then add their own lyrics. I have a homemade version of "Patiently" by Journey which was never released by a manufacturer. Technically, as long as you have ones that use the original music and play the stuff in a venue that pays their ASCAP fess, they're perfectly legal. The ones that use other karaoke background tracks are violating copyright on the music. I find it ironic that you can use the original music and be legal, but if you use a copy of a rerecording, you're not.

Actually... no, they aren't legal as you haven't got the licensing to display the lyrics on screen.

But, parady is usually fine as you are displaying original lyrics.

That said, iCroons rocks. Bob is based right here in Baltimore... Great guy.

_________________
Good music, good friends, howling good times!

One that I remember off the top of my head was manufacturer code OZP = OZ Productions Karaoke. I had never heard of that one, so I did some searching. All I found in my searches were links to torrents and other pirate download sites. After a deeper search I finally found something about the creator of the home-made tracks, and some screen shots and comments about how bad they are. I don't remember the others, but if you search an artist or song, scroll down past the results that have links and you will find listings with manufacturer/disc. Try a popular artist that only has a few karaoke songs available. I was very excited to see some Monkees songs that I never saw available anywhere from any karaoke seller only to find out in my pursuit to aquire them that they were not legit. Thus my conclusion about where he aquired his data base.

If I am mistaken, please someone, correct me.

_________________
KNOW THYSELF

This is not so. Depending.
If you use a vocal remover, you have created a derivative copy, which is a copyright violation without proper authorization.
If you display synced lyrics, this is a copyright violation without proper authorization.
Parody lyrics synced to someone else’s music would be a copyright violation without authorization.

Parody lyrics synced to your rendition (you play the instruments) of somebody else’s music might be ok.
Singing to the unchanged original without synced lyrics would be ok.

Homemade karaoke without proper authorization in almost every case would be a violation of copyright when used for commercial purposes.

I’m not trying to be some holier than thou character.
I have created some homemade tracks myself and had great fun with it. I just don’t use them to try to make money.
I sing my homemades at other people’s shows.

_________________
KNOW THYSELF

The lyrics are covered under ASCAP licensing because they're part of the song and the original artists work. That's why Sound Choice can only sue people over the display of their logo. The don't own the lyrics.

I've talked with Bob quite a bit through emails only. Never met him. He said he got into karaoke because he's a singer, not a KJ. Has he ever been to your show?

Sorry. I believe you are wrong. Control of the reprint of lyrics is solely the owner of the lyrics - it is NOT "covered under ASCAP" or any other performing rights society. Lyric reprint licensing is a negotiated license only - it is not "automatically covered" under other licensing.

You are correct that Sound Choice doesn't "own the lyrics" and they also don't "own the synchronization" of those lyrics in time with the music either - that is also a "negotiated license." That's why any statement like; "Sound Choice will sue you over sweeps and synchronization as part of trade dress" is patently ridiculous because if it were true, then Sound Choice could sue Sunfly for copying the timing on the sweeps of any mutual song.

Performing rights societies (ascap, bmi, seasac) only license performance of the music - they have nothing to do with lyrics or synchronization. They don't care whether you perform it good or bad, with or without lyrics... it ain't their department.

Seriously, too many people think that performing rights societies have more interest/control than they really do. They do have some power - in those areas they are charged with.