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Thread: Karaoke on the side

  1. #1
    Member fatcatdj's Avatar
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    Karaoke on the side

    Karaoke on the side is like cheating on your girlfriend, boyfriend, etc. It sounds like a good idea but its not worth it in the long run. LOL. Not really if you are patient. I think every mobile should try it, it sharpens up your MC skills.

    https://youtu.be/LeJc09HTr6Y
    .."You can NEVER go too far"---Ferris Bueller

  2. #2
    Truck Driver Dix's Avatar
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    I have thought about getting into Karaoke because I have had quite a few ask for it over the years, but every time I sit down & think seriously about it, I conclude that by the time I buy all the equipment, including mics, monitors, then software & enough music files to be competitive & attractive to clients, I conclude its just not worth it to me personally. There is no doubt, I could sell the service & probably get my money back plus profits, I still feel its not worth the effort & trouble to get set up as a K jock at this point in my career & life.
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  3. #3
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    Enjoyed being a Karaoke jock, but the money in isn't worth it in this area. Bar owners are used to paying bottom feeders and their bootleg collections $150-200 max a night. As stated above, with the initial investment in gear and CDG's, and then on-going subscriptions and/or CDG pools, there wasn't much money to be made.

    Great for getting you over the hump of being confident on a mic however for announcing singers, songs, and getting your MC voice fine tuned.

  4. #4
    My wife is Korean, so most of her friends have (or had) a Karaoke set up in their house. (Most of them are laser discs, since we're all older people.) I never bought one because I'm not into Karaoke.

    Plus we never have parties at our house because it's too small. (Although we could if we wanted to, since we have a big back yard.)

    If my bar switched to Karaoke, I'm pretty sure I would quit. DJing in a bar is bad enough.
    I definitely wouldn't do Karaoke if I was a mobile DJ.
    Last edited by Windows 95; 11-14-2017 at 10:06 AM.
    But the number of US Supreme Court judges was always 6.
    Then it was 5, then 6, then 7, then 9, then 10, then 7, and then 9.

  5. #5
    Member DJ Elevate's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Windows 95 View Post
    My wife is Korean, so most of her friends have (or had) a Karaoke set up in their house. (Most of them are laser discs, since we're all older people.) I never bought one because I'm not into Karaoke.

    Plus we never have parties at our house because it's too small. (Although we could if we wanted to, since we have a big back yard.)

    If my bar switched to Karaoke, I'm pretty sure I would quit. DJing in a bar is bad enough.
    On a side note - could you fill me in on what it's like DJing bars? I've thought about it but haven't come across an opportunity yet - and I'm wondering what the pay/environment is like compared to mobile gigs.

  6. #6
    Member DJ Elevate's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dix View Post
    I have thought about getting into Karaoke because I have had quite a few ask for it over the years, but every time I sit down & think seriously about it, I conclude that by the time I buy all the equipment, including mics, monitors, then software & enough music files to be competitive & attractive to clients, I conclude its just not worth it to me personally. There is no doubt, I could sell the service & probably get my money back plus profits, I still feel its not worth the effort & trouble to get set up as a K jock at this point in my career & life.
    Agreed - I already have enough junk as it is... not even going to get kitted out for Karaoke just to grab a few more gigs.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Elevate View Post
    and I'm wondering what the pay/environment is like compared to mobile gigs.
    Pay is horrible, definitely no where near as much as what a mobile DJ makes.

    You have to have a residency at a fairly good sized dance club to make decent money.
    But the number of US Supreme Court judges was always 6.
    Then it was 5, then 6, then 7, then 9, then 10, then 7, and then 9.

  8. #8
    Member DJ Elevate's Avatar
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    You spin for typically.. what.. 5 hours? Is expecting $350 a night unreasonable?

  9. #9
    Member fatcatdj's Avatar
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    The start up wasn't too expensive. I searched ebay and Craigslist for failing Karaoke jocks or retiring ones, including going out of business karaoke bars. I purchased their CD+G discs at pennies to the dollar, bought the software listed below (converted them to mp4) and play them out on a giant file named...KARAOKE , in Virtual DJ 8 Pro.

    The hardest part....putting together a book listing the titles. Also, there are 100's of karaoke titles on YouTube you can download and on Sunday night I actually downloaded about 10 karaoke songs that I didnt have on the fly. The bar owner was nice enough to give me his wifi password.

    I have 4400 tunes which is pretty average for most karaoke jocks.

    Buying a 32" flat screen and tv tripod wasnt all that expensive as well. Most of you guys to have 2 wired mics, so thats about it. And you're right, you dont make that much doing karaoke. But this was a Sunday evening and $350 wasnt bad. The bar owner didnt hire me, it was thrown by someone else. He would have paid only $150. Told me if I had a following he can go to $300. Bwhahahahahah

    https://www.powerkaraoke.com/src/pro...-converter.php
    Last edited by fatcatdj; 11-15-2017 at 02:40 AM.
    .."You can NEVER go too far"---Ferris Bueller

  10. #10
    Moderator pete's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatcatdj View Post
    The hardest part....putting together a book listing the titles.
    I can't imagine it is that hard.
    Just grab the files into Excel to make a table then export to Word or something.
    Just remember to use obligatory Comic Sans Karaoke font

    https://www.extendoffice.com/documen...ist-files.html
    bored, curious, deaf or just bad taste in music?
    finally a mix by me
    and what's this, another shoddy mix...another dull mix

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