Karaoke Forums

If you simply drop off the information with the venue without a sales pitch then they have it and can decide to or not to use it to their advantage as well as decide to or not to have karaoke. The way I see it is if they decide to not have karaoke it is to the legal KJs advantage, if they decide to go ahead with karaoke using only a certified host then again it is to the legal KJs advantage, If they decide to go ahead and use a pirate host and get busted then again it is to the legal KJs advantage!

Sort of a win/win/win situation!

I plan to.

I plan on getting as down and as dirty as possible. Bringing copies of the lawsuit dockets, printout of the newspaper articles. Original CD's too.

The way I'm going to present it though is going to be soft. I'm going to present it as, "I'm here to protect you from this, I'm here to help you out, and give you a better overall system for way less than what you're paying folks now, these guys you hired, they're SCREWING you man, you got a liability here! Let me help you out of this!"

A lot of bar owners put their lives into the business. Mortgaged their houses, etc. They want the karaoke, they don't want the liability.

Nothing sleazy about pointing out liabilities to a business owner. It's like warning the king that there's a barbarian horde approaching the castle.

This is the part that is confusing to me, if you are going in as a legal KJ who will not be a problem for the venue why are you going to be doing it for way less than what the pirite KJ is doing it for? Unless you are doing it simply to push out the pirate!

On the subject of "stealing gigs", food from their table, etc. etc. etc..

1. can you really steal a gig from someone who is running illegally?

2. when you have purchased your tools and he has stolen his then who is actually taking the food from who's table?

3. does it look bad on you when a pirate comes in and takes a gig out from under you?

4. who are the most people who won't see it the way it actually is, except for other pirates?

5. what makes doing honest business bad for business?

I make no bones about it. If I think that a bar could benefit from my brand of karaoke versus what they have, I will contact the owner by phone, email, or in person. At least I am honest about it. I hear that whole unwritten rule about not stealing other KJ's shows and I just shake my head. I've worked for several KJs before going out on my own. They all SAID they were not trying to steal shows, but in reality, they were. I've encountered many KJs that try to steal my shows. Where's the "loyalty"? Its a bunch of BS - it exists only in the minds of the suckers (around here anyways).

I don't go beating the other KJ down, but I do leave behind information that will enable the bar owner to make a comparisson between what he is currently getting and what he COULD get with me.

At least I'm honest about it.

Pushing them out is one reason. The other reason is, I'm the only person here that can build them a fully automated system. Most of the pirates in my area are druggie meth addicts who couldn't even change a light bulb.

My base price is going to be $125@ week for equipment lease, plus usage. Just need to get a few bucks together to get another system rolling.

*Shameless plug warning*
Latest version of autokdj amazing. Customers have always been able to enter songs, but now they can change songs as well. We also have an android app that lets them carry a kiosk in their pocket.

It's been a very odd transition, going from singer>kj>nowwhatami? Learning to let go of the controls.. Hard.

Pretty much.

Try educating in the UK and it will backfire.
They will see the host who pays for their music as stupid.
For that reason alone they would probably not hire you.
Cricket anyone?

I have tried the education angle with anyone that will listen. Now I get blamed for venues getting letters from karaoke manufacturers. Now one venue that was using a Pirate is no longer doing karaoke. Guess that was a win in one sense, but because I'm getting blamed for them getting a letter, I lose too.

I answered an ad recently on craigslist from a guy that was getting out of the business. He was advertising over 18,000 tracks on 1350 discs for like $1000. I emailed him for a list and it included many discs I didn't have including the SC Eagles disc and an entire collection of DK's. In setting up an appointment to see the collection, I found that he and his partner spilt their collection and that his set included tracks he claimed were downloaded at $.99. I would have still been interested in seeing the collection to find out what he had that was actually legal. But I made the mistake of telling him that I would not use the other discs that had been burned and why. He ending up telling me he was not interested in dealing with me. So, I guess I won that one too. He ended up selling to someone else who didn't care what was legal and what wasn't.

Most of the KJ's in this area are pirates. One KJ has been in business for 20 years and I know has quite a legal disc collection. A friend went to her show and claimed she had 200,000 songs. I also heard that she was using Star Disc and not Sound Choice at her shows. So - a seemingly legal KJ is now not so legal (not saying Star Disc is not legal). I know she came to my show once and asked my better half if she thought I would give her copies of songs she didn't have - NOT! And she told me at that time she was going to get her show on computer. I heard later that she was thinking of buying a hard drive to save time on the transfer of her discs (again she has a huge collection). So I guess that's where the 200,000 might have come from.

By the way, the venue manager at one place she plays ( I used to do it) knows about the problem with illegal karaoke because I informed her personally. I also understand that she is the one spreading the rumors that I am turning everyone in. Another win for the Gadget Man!

I am trying to do it the correct way, but you all know how hard it is to deal with people that either have no clue or don't care anyway. When someone comes to your show and asks for a song you don't have, telling them you will have it for them next time doesn't solve the problem when the guy down the street has them all.

Eliminating some of the tons of shows that are going on any particular night might be a help. Assuming the pirates are no longer an issue, less venues means more clientele for the shows that continue to exist. I just hope I am one of the lucky legal hosts that get those jobs. If not, just chalk me up to having helped rid my area of karaoke piracy.

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NW Ohio Karaoke

Wrong! a 'snitch' is a lable given by criminals and douche-bags to people they wish to discredit and make out to be the 'bad guy'. This is done for the sole purpose of protecting their own illegal and immoral interests.

Thank you, Murray C.

That may be, but these days, it's not just criminals etc, that will view you under that light. Sorry, but I can't take that chance with my business. This isn't a hobby for me. It's how I put my food on the table. Look at poor mrgadget01, above. The damage t hat is being done to his reputation and business is going to end up COSTING him! Is that fair? Of course not! But it's reality.
I've chosen to keep my head out of my a$$ and make sure that my income is going to keep depositing itself into my bank account. Again, it may not be "politically correct" for most on this board, but it's my family and I that I'm worried about feeding, not them.

mrgadget01,
Thank you for taking the moral high road.....this process will work it just takes alot of time. We have been a HOT SPOT for over 2 years with 4 rounds of suits so far....we are just now seeing the tide turn a bit......I feel that when a round hits here that names alot of venues that have been educated and continue to use pirates the legal KJ's will be getting alot more calls....and if 1/2 stop using karaoke that stil leaves plenty of places to fill with the singers displaced. still a win win...tie a knot in your rope and hang on. The rightous road is not always the easiest

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"Integrity is choosing your thoughts, words and actions based on your principles and values rather than for your personal gain."
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"if a man has integrity, nothing else matters, If a man has no integrity, nothing else matters."
Lee McGuffey

diafel I understand your concerns but my situation is a bit different then yours. I'm just getting started and the potential income I'm looking at is to subsidize my current income.

I am curious though, if a new KJ was trying to start legally in your area would you benefit from them educating about piracy?

BTW- I never said that I would say KJ "X" is a pirate and hire me instead. I was talking about educating venues of the risks of hiring an illegal KJ. I guess some may see this as the same thing.

Personally I don't see how co-existing with pirates helps the industry?

Correct me if I'm wrong but SC isn't putting out any new disks, right? Is this due to the cost of doing business (effects of piracy)?

How long till this starts happening to other manus? IMO if something isn't done about piracy I can see one of the following happening.

* Manus increase costs of tracks in order to stay in business
* Manus go out of business or at least quit making new tracks
* Or a combinatin of the two leaving only a few manus making tracks at a higher price (supply vs demand).

None of which would be good for KJ's and would effect putting food on the table.

I'm really not sure what you're asking. Sorry.
If you're asking if I would benefit because THEY "educated" the new owners, I most certainly would not! Owners would begin to rule out karaoke as a form of entertainment. They simply wouldn't have it.
If you're asking if I would benefit by educating the KJ, again, I highly doubt it. What good would that do me?

I think you summed it up well

Sorry my question wasn't written well. I did mean would you're business benefit from another KJ educating venues about piracy.

While I am in full agreement with Diafel, I also use any selling point that I can. I'm manufacturers' disc based, and I ADVERTISE it, as well as all of the advantages, including legal.

I sell myself, and my attributes. In a litigation filled society, anything I can use to put a bar owner at ease, I will.

So yes, there is SOME educating going on.

However, I do this by selling my positives, not others' negatives. I don't bring up other KJs' practices. Also, I make it a point NOT associate my name with any particular manufacturer or organization.

Why? Because if said manufacturer or organization screws up ( and each has - a LOT- lately), I don't want anyone thinking I have anything to do with it. First, because I don't, and second, because rep means a lot in this business.

Like Diafel, I'm running a business, not a hobby. This requires minimizing risk, and selling my positives.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Joe and I are in agreement here when I am trying to pick up a gig I always accent my positives including being legal.

But when I drop off the KIAA packages to a venue I am making no sales pitch to them I am simply dropping information on them so they can make an educated decision, if they happen to call me then so much the better. I do not combine educating with selling.

I most certainly educate every venue in my area as well as other areas outside my state.

I was responsible for gathering info & contact name on every karaoke venue in the area & sent out KIAA letters to them.

I look forward to helping KIAA do this in some eastern states & parts of Canada as well.

It's fun using technology to gather info about places I'm nowhere near!

Carry on....

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"Just Say NO, To Justin Bieber & His Beatle Haircut"

Yeah they might have a change of heart when they are also named in the ongoing lawsuits because of the kj's they hire!

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