Karaoke Forums

Hi, Looking through older posts and threads, It seems like people use to really engage on this forum. What happened? Did Karaoke die? It seems like it did here. I know Covid had a big impact on Karaoke but I know there are still lots of enthusiasts out there. I recently posted a couple of questions on this forum to try to seek some opinions/advice and even though I can see that a lot of people have read my posts, very few were willing to engage. What is the reason for this? I would just like to say that I am extremely grateful and appreciative of those who were willing share their advice and thoughts with me. Thanks to those couple of people (you know who you are), I really learned a lot. I wish this forum could be what it was again. Any thoughts, anyone? Don't just read this! Say something! Let's have a conversation!

There are many reasons for the decline of participation on this forum. I really won't go into details and opinions, egos are bruised easily sometimes. But I will say that it truly is sad. You are correct, at one point this forum was thriving, I wish it could become that again. There are those who still come around and take a peak every now and then. They rarely find a reason to leave a message when they do though. And I really wish they would drop a note here and there, just to let others know they are alive and well.

The karaoke world itself, in my humble opinion, is also on the decline. It's adapting to the younger crowd, since many of the older ones are now gone. The younger generation views the entire industry much differently than those who were the early pioneers of karaoke. Unless the industry makes strides into the future of music distribution and creation to acccomodate the changing faces, it's days are numbered. That's my take.

I couldn't agree more, I joined a few years ago now (7 years wow) and it was lively my daily go to, now a few posts here and there, I'm always happy to engage in a chat, there have been Lawyers, Retired Hosts, and then stupid new questions that are hard to answer, but yeah go ahead and post, the reality is a lot of chatter has moved to Facebook/social media, this was a truly international forum for hosts all over the world and singers, I'd love to see a few more posts! I'm gonna comment whenever I have a relevant point from now on, for too long I've just read, but its a great website and the community it fosters is really the best! There are some truly nice and helpful people here!!

Hey it takes a few of us, i love reading other hosts POV, Im in Australia so its nice to see how things go in the other parts of the world, thats the beauty of this site and forum, so those of you sleeping.... Post!

Dakota, I was also thinking about something, and some thoughts came to mind about some of the things you said. One thing, I don't think Covid itself played a role in the decline of participation on the forum, but it did create a divisiveness between several of the members who formed strong opinions on how the pandemic was handled (or mishandled). Covid did however cause a temporary reduction in the amount of shows and how they were offered in the real world. Some of the forum members left because they were tired of the bickering, name calling and arguing that was so evident at that time.

Other reasons for people leaving have been covered in other threads, and I think it might be worth a look at some of those threads. But, that is your decision.

There was a time that many different people would come here, offering really good advice and ideas on their own personal experiences and perspectives of karaoke. Some of those still do pop in time to time, and I wish they would still participate. You guys know who you are

I'm located in the west (Utah) and the karaoke presence in the bars is a mere fragment of what it was just 10 years ago, or even 5 years. Many bars have closed their doors due to various reasons, while others felt that the diminished crowds no longer warrant them offering karaoke. Will karaoke truly die? I doubt it very much. There will always be people who love to sing and perform. The platform used is the question.

From what I can glean, the decline in participation seemed to happen in a very short period of time which seems crazy. However, I can see that there are over 150 veiws of this post in less than 24 hours which is proof that people are still checking out the forum. There is obviously some interest. Perhaps window shopping is enough for some people. I don't know. It seems like such a waste of this forum that has so many members. I know that there are others like me who appreciate and are genuinely interested in what others with more experience (or not) have to say.

As "we" (a small group of Karaoke enthusiasts) in my town are coming out of Covid, there is a longing for Karaoke in "our" lives but there is just nowhere fun to go to. There is a pretty popular place where you can rent a room for lots of $$ but my home system is a far superior option to that. Other choices are in a small section of a restaurant/bar after 10:30 on a sporadic Tuesday or Thursday night. Not good for various reasons.

Can you please elaborate on how the younger generation veiws the industry now as opposed to the early pioneers? This sound very interesting to me.

Lol. I know I've probably had my share of stupid questions! Lol.

In so many ways, this type of platform for Karaoke enthusiasts seems to be far superior to what FB can offer. So sad that this forum is going to waste.

I don't really know what happened in the past but like me, there must be a lot of "new" people in search of a forum like this but when they see the lack of engagement they jump ship. No point in posting and then being ignored.

I agree! Although I'm not a professional, I have a decent home system and I love learning.

It sounds like it was a great and interesting place to visit. I hope they can put the past behind them and participate again.

Let's make this Karaoke forum great again!!!

I'll check it out.

I've only joined recently, but in my opinion I think Karaoke is on decline in my town, and I live very close to Nashville. I'm guilty myself for no longer getting out and enjoying a night of Karaoke with friends, maybe because i'm a little older now, and maybe because I have a system that's better than most systems others use in the local clubs. And I get it, it's not feasable for someone to spend thousands of dollars on a top notch system when the clubs will only pay $150 for 3 hours of hosting around here, and you risk getting your expensive mic's damaged from drunk patrons thinking it's cute to pull the "drop the mic trick". Karaoke for me will always be a part of my life. As a professional songwriter/vocalist, it's the best way to keep your voice and breathing strong. If it weren't for Karaoke, I would have never progressed to being a musician and writing songs that actually make a decent amount of Royalty money... I hate to see it decline, because I enjoy running into talented vocalist that amaze me with their singing.

I hear you! $150 for 3 hours is definitely not enough money for any Karaoke host's investment and time. It's down right ridiculous. I have a pretty decent home system but (and I think that others would agree) there's always that "special" feeling that one gets when one sings on a stage in front of strangers as opposed to singing in their living room dressed in sweats in front of their 6 friends and/or family members and 2 dogs! Lol. I don't go out much for Karaoke either but it's mostly because there aren't any great options in my area.

I think a lot of people love to sing. Even those who are not good at it, love to sing. My friends and neighbors are constantly asking me to have a big Karaoke party at my house but I just cannot handle more than 8 people in my home at a time as I have had my share of chaos, spilt drinks on the couch and "mic drops". Btw... How many times does a person really need to pound on the mic to see if it works??? Lol.

Some of my friends have hired KJ's for their parties for about $350-$500 for 3-4 hours or so which is more than a bar is willing to pay but those are few and far between.

Sigh.

Funny you should mention that you live near Nashville. A few years ago, My then girlfriend, now wife and I had the opportunity to take a very long road trip and visit many places along the way. We flew into Chicago and from there to Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, then finally back home into Utah. Along that trip we visited a few karaoke spots. This is something we like to do as often as possible. One of the places we stopped and sang was Lebanon Tennessee. It actually was a very good experience for dinner and karaoke. The gal was using a Bose system, and it was the only Bose system that I have heard that actually sounded good. When we do travel (or just local Utah even) we are always in search of places that offer a good experience,,, meaning: good or great food, great sound system, a fun host that runs a fair rotation, fun crowd and all around good service. In all the individual places I have been to for karaoke, (well over 100) I can count on one hand the amount of places that actually has it all. In fact, even the one that I host doesn't have it all either (no food, and service is dependent on who is working).

Good karaoke hosts are hard to find, good karaoke venues are even harder to find.

Funny what bought me here back in 2017, hosts pirating, and I used to enjoy reading the arguments between one Mr Harrington and a few of the forum regulars, He left long ago as far as I know, but it doesn't take much to create conversation... What's the latest deal on SC? I know they made a few titles and released their gem collection, but from my country I cant even access their site. There are still many awesome manufacturers, Zoom, Sunfly, Karaoke Version, SBI doing things, I dont see why we have come to such a dead end in chat.

I still actively buy discs on Ebay, way overinflated prices, and I buy my tracks digitally, I know a few show tunes people post in the new tracks forum, but why dont we just discuss normal shows here?

IE: Venue I am doing at the moment doesn't like micrphone socks, however I have always used them and sprayed with an anti bacterial after each singer, the venue prefers i wipe the microphones with same cloth... (Covid????)

I don't know what is going on with SC. I'm in the US and I cannot get on their webpage either. Seems like their FB page is current. Below is their phone number.
(704) 588-7778
The phone number is active with an old covid message. They ask you have to leave a message and they'll call you back or to email them at:
customercare@soundchoice.com

WTF?

I use Lysol or Clorox wipes. I use a fresh one after about 3 singers. I figure there is still enough antibacterial effectiveness still while they are still wet. I tried the microphone covers for a while, that didn't go over very well with the more serious singers. However, the ones who just came to party didn't care at all. But that seems to go with the same old belief that "most" people don't care about the quality of the gear either, only the more talented people who care about sound. That's another story altogether.

Come to think about it, last time I was out and about, the host left out alcohol wipes for people to use if they wanted.

I'll try to explain this as good as I can from my perspective.

The older generation of karaoke enthusiasts would buy discs after disc, whether it was for personal collections or for professional settings (hosting). They would also attend shows regularly that they felt best would give them as many opportunities to sing publicly. Some of these singers felt that they had a "gift" to share, and would relish seeing others who also shared their "gift". They would listen to others and applaud for a job well done (or the torture was over,, ) Hosts would spend literally thousands of dollars on equipment and music, because they took their craft seriously and professionally.

The younger generation came along and slowly changed everything. Today's younger people would rather spend time on their cell phones or on social media rather than actually interacting with others publicly. If they can do what they want to do on their phones, then that is how they think it's supposed to be done. Karaoke can be done with a handful of friends in a basement using an app in their apartments, homes or basements. Home systems are becoming much more common place. The availability of music is easy to use as well. "Youtube" karaoke has pretty much destroyed the profession.

At my one and only show per week that I do now (I used to do five, but mostly that is my choice), I only get an occasional younger (under 30 years old) singer. Usually, they come in, feel entitled, get butt hurt when I make them wait their turn like everyone else, sing like an idiot, and leave early without spending much money at the bar. That's the norm for me these days. The bar I host at is in the only bar for 50 miles, in a county of almost 30 thousand people, and it truly struggles for business. You would think it would be busy, but it's not. I know my days hosting are numbered.