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How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

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wiseguy
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How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by wiseguy »

I asked this question a few years ago but of course there have been a lot of changes since then.

This is for you who are in, or have been in, the karaoke business. If you were to start a computer based karaoke entertainment business today, and you had no karaoke music, how would you obtain your initial song library. Buy individual discs, buy a disc series (e.g. GEM), buy individual downloads, subscribe to a service (e.g. Karaoke Cloud or TriceraSoft), etc..

I would appreciate any input.


DanG2006
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by DanG2006 »

I would first buy JustKaraoke, super song request terminal which I would use after a series of weeks while I build my library by using the store inside of JustKaraoke to get my songs.
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The Lone Ranger
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by The Lone Ranger »

That would be a hard row to hoe today. It used to be you could expect to recoup your initial investment on discs, after a few months of hosting. I started with my library core of DK the complete set 1-99 which I managed to get for $1,000.00, setting on a mom and pop karaoke shop shelve. The KJ that ordered it, never picked it up, and the owner wanted a quick sale. I was lucky there. I got a complete set of Zoom discs for doing a friend a favor. I was given a free set of SGB, and the rest I obtained over the course of many years. Oh and I also bought the CAVS SCDG's, That gave me over 10,000 English tracks. I never purchased their Spanish Tropic Series, however.

Unfortunately most of the U.S. karaoke disc manus have gone out of business. A way to get instant access at least to SC would be to buy an illegal hard drive, with more tracks than are on GEM and pay the operator's license every month. This of course is a questionable way to get tracks, but as long as you pay PEP every month to look the other way, I guess it's now ok.

You could also subscribe to DTE and pay the monthly fee this gives you access to whatever is in the DTE library obtained mostly from CB. The rest you could fill out with downloads from Mr. Entertainer or Zoom.

Of course all of this means you will have to pay PEP or DTE or both several hundred dollars before you earn a penny for yourself. This is not a one time expense, this is something that has to be worked into the monthly operating budget forever. Making the host at least until the monthly fees are paid little more the a serf, toiling on some feudal lord's estate.
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mr.dj
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by mr.dj »

Well as a starter kit I would purchase the Zoom MP3+G range of discs, there are 12 disc's each with 100 tracks already in MP3+G format. they are only sold on amazon and are about £12.99 per disc so buy all 12 you would have 1200 tracks to start you off at under £160.

This is the link: http://www.zoom-entertainments.co.uk/di ... dvd#page=1
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DanG2006
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by DanG2006 »

Mr. DJ, you link is not working
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DanG2006
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by DanG2006 »

I would amend my post by agreeing on getting the 13 discs Mr DJ is referring to and then supplement that with tracks purchased via JustKaraoke's store.
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mr.dj
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by mr.dj »

I don't know what happened there I tested the link after posting it now it not working but they are available from UK amazon.

hope this link works:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoom-Karaoke-MP ... raoke+disc
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DanG2006
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by DanG2006 »

YOu can also get them on eBay.com
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ame-otoko
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by ame-otoko »

Interesting question. I guess the answer is subject to each individual karaoke setting/application (mobile KDJ, karaoke bar/box, home entertainment...), as well as country and target audience.

For a karaoke bar/box and home setup, I always suggest using one of the two Korean providers, TJ media and KumYoung (offering licensed content; not to be confused with the Chinese and South East Asian junk products found on eBay), since their newer systems provide a rich user experience and constant updates (via USB or Ethernet cable). Operating the system and handling customer input is very convenient (textbook, remote, app...). Definitely worth a try.

I like the idea of a monthly subscription for streaming content (like the newest B2C solutions on PS4 and Xbox One), however, building a song library with a constant stream of new tracks is really convenient, too. With regard to the above-mentioned manufacturers, the database of English hits from the past decades as well as new tracks is very good. Naturally their database does not necessarily come close to the selection of North American providers for digital karaoke contents. For example, I haven't seen any country singers' songs, or a decent selection for Rat Pack. Then again, your karaoke library will most likely depend on the requests made by your target audience ;)

I've learned that your B2B karaoke endeavors in the US may be subject to various regulations depending on your jurisdiction? I guess that will limit the overall choices...
Expert on Japanese and Korean karaoke systems such as DAM, Joysound/UGA, TJ media, KumYoung...
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Bigdog
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by Bigdog »

I'm not up on all the current sites and different ways to obtain songs anymore...but if I was starting over again...whichever method I used would need to be cheap, high quality and only be buying and paying for the songs once...not renting them, or leasing them or having to renew a membership to use them.
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The Lone Ranger
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by The Lone Ranger »

Unfortunately Bigdog it would seem the wave of the future is not having any physical product that you can buy and really call your own. You either subscribe to a service and pay every month, or purchase individual downloads which you generate a paper receipt for. The day of the disc is numbered and I don't see anyone going back to that storage format. The closest you would come to that is leasing GEM and paying for it monthly, never really owing it. Of course even GEM is old now since it was developed over 6 years ago.
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DanG2006
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by DanG2006 »

Individual downloads are the present way to upgrade your library without having to pay for duplicates. I just bought 7 songs that I did not have in my collection before. I paid $1.40 per song. I still have 3 credits left.
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Bigdog
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by Bigdog »

Dan, did you really "buy" them or are you getting the rental agreement in the mail? Future payments will be billed monthly....
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The Lone Ranger
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by The Lone Ranger »

8) Bigdog the download is a purchase and you print a receipt for the track. Then instead of discs to prove you paid for the material, you have a piece of paper. What is not clear is if the rights holder of the material cannot at some future date sue you over using the downloads. Much like the original copyright holder for the underlying material can sue you at some future date over your discs. Once everybody starts suing the few hosts and DJ's that are left in the business, we will truly see the end of commercial of use of these materials.
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Bigdog
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Re: How would you obtain your initial karaoke song library?

Post by Bigdog »

LR, even if you buy an antique karaoke disc/cd you still have a written receipt. I have boxes full of them from the last 23 years......My problem is we all bought karaoke music for our collections with the assumption of total and complete ownership without hidden rules and made up as you go rules that are being applied years later. So my response to Dan was kinda tongue in cheek....but I still think it totally sucks that things have taken such an crazy turn.

I remember when the whole idea of pay tv was so you didn't have to watch commercials. Somewhere along the way we were all lied to and everyone is now paying to watch commercials on pay tv that wasn't supposed to have commercials.

I'm just saying I'll never rent karaoke songs no matter what. I paid for every song I have. I have all the recipes to prove it going back 23 years whether is was on a disc or a download.
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