Karaoke Rules of Singer Rotation

The hardest parts of running a karaoke show are keeping the singer rotation fair and putting up with people that believe they should sing every other song. The only way to overcome these problems is to have, and stick to, a set of rules of rotation. Every KJ has his/her own set of rules. The rules I will list for you below have served me well and have kept complaints to a minimum.

• The first singer to turn in a request will be the first to sing. All others will sing in the order in which their requests are received.
• New singers will be placed at or near the top of the rotation. (This assures that everyone will get to sing at least once.)
• Duets will count as one turn for each singer.
• No person may have a second microphone without the permission of the singer who turned in the request.
• Any person who is not ready to sing when their name is called will be placed at the bottom of the rotation.
• If a singer is not in the establishment when their name is called they will have their request thrown out. If they return later, and want to sing, they must fill out another request and be placed at the bottom of the rotation.
• Any singer who turns in requests under different names, in an attempt to defeat the rules of rotation, will not be allowed to sing for the remainder of the show.

These rules must be strictly adhered to no matter who (like your family or friends) tries to get around them. Even if the owner of the establishment who is paying me tries to get me to bend the rules, I will inform them that I would sooner pack up my equipment and leave. You must be fair to all your singers all the time. They are the ones that will make or break you.

Article by Richard Wise.