Karaoke Forums

Used to have a B&M store just outside my city back in the 90's, long since gone. And I couldn't help noticing one copy of each SC disc was missing its shrink wrap. The owner's partner was a KJ I knew and whose shows I followed for awhile back when I was just a singer, and he sure had a big book! (The ability to copy discs at home was still very new then, but it existed).

After years out of touch I caught up with him recently when he took a gig almost across the street from one of mine. Chatted shop. He'd been scared "straight", dropped his old library, and started over by buying the GEM series. Now he's got a much smaller book than I do, just the GEM stuff and 20 or 30 recent downloads from KV. Almost nothing else!

I guess that counts for something in our various legal discussions.

BTW, that gig died after 4 weeks.

Yep I knew of one 'store' that did that as well, except they'd reshrinkwrap the disc after copying it. Their store front (which was all the was that was required to be a supplier at the time) was actually a vacuum cleaner store. He'd copy and rig them to 10 systems. Thankfully he is no longer in business in any manner for at least 10 years now.

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! At least ours was a really cool store. Laid out just like a record store, with all the most recent releases from all the manufacturers, lots of gear, and cut-out bins where we'd find things like single discs from the original DK 01-99. At the time the only alternative was to mail order from the long defunct karaoke.com or doo wop, and wait a couple weeks.

About a 90 minute drive each way, but so worth it. Could blow a whole paycheck easily Would go on a Friday afternoon, show up at a Friday night show that took customer's discs, and try out new songs the same night. That was oh so sweet.

Yeah, his was JUST for the purpose of using it as a front for cdg sales. They did have a rack of discs in their front room, but definitely wasn't their main focus.

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I did want to point a few things out on Karaoke Manufacturers some still alive and some who have gone defunct. Chartbuster started printing their disc in house using blank cdr media with special printers. Debbie and Norbert explained it cut costs on glass mastering.

Music Maestro even changed their product lines to a white disc and black lettering. Caryn and Aldo did this to cut costs for the same reasons.

DKKaraoke Millenium 115 Sets were even done the same way. I had contacted song factory to ask why a DKM set was copied and if I had been ripped off from a legitimate karaoke company. They explained that no, their reasons "to cut costs of glass mastering". Cutting costs on glass mastering.

Star Disc, Forever Hits, Top Hits Monthly and Stellar Pop Hits did the same.

I just recently got some new discs and they were directly printed on but not with a stamped label.

ALWAYS keep your receipt when buying karaoke. Many stores are anti-piracy and will explain why even Jewel cases moved to plastic sleeves.

The plastic sleeve movement happened when the USPS and Fedex etc. increased their pricing. It cut down on costs. If you get a disc set in paper sleeves, don't think you were ripped off. This is to help you not to pay as much for the order enabling you to buy more products.

When all else fails, there are the online download stores. KV - SBI Global and not to forget Sound Choice.

Info above

Sound Choice does NOT have a download store.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Just to clarify the point about glass masters...

If you are going to press more than around 1,000 of a particular CD+G disc, glass masters are less expensive and more efficient than burning discs. (The specific break-even point will vary by producer, of course.) The reason why most CD+G producers went to burned discs is because sales volumes did not justify the production of discs in quantities that justified the use of glass masters.

Jim,
You are absolutely correct. I had no issues with DKM, MM, THM / PHM once I talked to them. They had gotten in over their heads by printing tons of discs which can still be found on the market. The paper sleeve made sense even when DKMillennium (Song Factory) stopped putting their set in a binder to cut shipping and jewel case pricing. People don't always realize how much money go not only into the CD but also the artwork associated with the disc. For a while, some of the companies offered you a scanned version of the CD Jewel Case art. It really does cost a lot of money to print everything and put it in a jewel case. Personally, I just keep my media in a special CD storage unit so the disc is not touched and my jewel cases in storage.