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Legally and Easily Streaming Karaoke

Last weekend, I did a karaoke party at a friend's home. I used an app on my iPad and mounted the iPad on a mic stand to display the lyrics.

It was my first time trying this. Another friend told me he tried using an app, but he mentioned there was a feedback problem when using an iPad. He solved it by covering the iPad mic with tape. Sure enough, after I set everything up, feedback. I covered the iPad mic with tape and all was good.

The app I used didn't have many foreign language songs and most of the guests were German or Hispanic. So most singers simple pulled up karaoke tracks of songs in their language on YouTube. It was all good. Everybody had a blast. I played a bit of music between karaoke sets. And people danced until the karaoke resumed.

I had an iPad mini which wasn't easy to view, especially when several people wanted to sing at once. And the German folks wanted to sing six at a time. So a few days ago I bought an inexpensive 24" monitor and a mobile monitor display stand. The stand has two mic holders as well. So now I have a bigger viewing screen and two less stands to set up. I can stream the video to the monitor with Apple TV or connect by using an HDMI adapter I purchased.
 
scgstuff said:
My ideal customer is someone willing to pay for the service. We use it as an add-on to our service. For $75 we bring mic stands for the mics, a separate computer with a monitor for lyrics that is run on another channel on the mixer so we can DJ between songs and the 48 hour license. They don't know what the license costs and shouldn't care. The software allows you to queue up songs on one screen with names of the people and the lyrics being played on another screen. They find us through normal channels for DJs and Karaoke is listed as an additional service.

That is like saying when I go to III Forks or Ruths Chris, why would I get the additional topping on the steak for $10. I know the little bit of mushrooms or blue cheese was probably worth $0.75, so why get it? Actually, I am there for the steak, so I wouldn't top it but that's another story....
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Why not just raise your price by $75 across the board and offer it free anytime a DJ customer wants it? This KaraFun idea seems to differ very little from playing a song off someone's iPod or smart phone. You've already charged for your "service" which is the disc-jockey and now you want to charge extra to access what the client is already walking around with in their pocket?

As a consumer I don't think I would be impressed by the addition of an iPad/PC and a few mics. When I find out I could have signed up for the $6 streaming service myself I'm going to feel misled and foolish. All of this equals: buyer's remorse. The growth potential of a plan that can so easily elicit buyer's remorse is negative.

People doing it for fun and home use? Okay Great.

As an add-on to a professional service? IMHO it's dishonest because you're actually just two stepping an internet connection - not providing a 'karaoke service.' Honesty suggests you are providing "audio support" not karaoke. The karaoke service already exists independent of you, and you have merely failed to disclose that.

Ethics still matter. Given this scenario I would inform a prospect they may already have access to inexpensive online karaoke and if they need audio support to make a remote karaoke show out of it - I'm happy to provide that at my DJ rate of $X.

Honest disclosure is how I choose build a business. I see no future in trying to mask this or keep it a secret. There's not a lot of potential banking on the ignorance of a given prospect. It's worth considering before spending a lot of money on monitors, microphones, and back issues of super CDGs. Just my $0.02
 
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Proformance said:
Why not just raise your price by $75 across the board and offer it free anytime a DJ customer wants it? This KaraFun idea seems to differ very little from playing a song off someone's iPod or smart phone. You've already charged for your "service" which is the disc-jockey and now you want to charge extra to access what the client is already walking around with in their pocket?

As a consumer I don't think I would be impressed by the addition of an iPad/PC and a few mics. When I find out I could have signed up for the $6 streaming service myself I'm going to feel misled and foolish. All of this equals: buyer's remorse. The growth potential of a plan that can so easily elicit buyer's remorse is negative.

People doing it for fun and home use? Okay Great.

As an add-on to a professional service? IMHO it's dishonest because you're actually just two stepping an internet connection - not providing a 'karaoke service.' Honesty suggests you are providing "audio support" not karaoke. The karaoke service already exists independent of you, and you have merely failed to disclose that.

Ethics still matter. Given this scenario I would inform a prospect they may already have access to inexpensive online karaoke and if they need audio support to make a remote karaoke show out of it - I'm happy to provide that at my DJ rate of $X.

Honest disclosure is how I choose build a business. I see no future in trying to mask this or keep it a secret. There's not a lot of potential banking on the ignorance of a given prospect. It's worth considering before spending a lot of money on monitors, microphones, and back issues of super CDGs. Just my $0.02
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They have the same access to a music library you do too. Would you suggest that they just do it themselves when it comes to DJing?
 
Jeff Romard said:
They have the same access to a music library you do too. Would you suggest that they just do it themselves when it comes to DJing?
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Yes.
I often offer a DIY solution to people when both the party and budget make it the more attractive option for both of us. That leaves me free to DJ at events worth more.

I found a way to get paid for seven gigs on the same Saturday while only actually DJing one or two premium weddings or Bar Mitzvahs.

You can't see the forest for the trees. The library is irrelevant, and many people who call for a DJ or KJ don't really need one. They don't really want a DJ or KJ either - they're just stuck thinking there's no other way to do it.
 
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Proformance said:
Yes.
I often offer a DIY solution to people when both the party and budget make it the more attractive option for both of us. That leaves me free to DJ at events worth more.

I found a way to get paid for seven gigs on the same Saturday while only actually DJing one or two premium weddings or Bar Mitzvahs.

You can't see the forest for the trees. The library is irrelevant, and many people who call for a DJ or KJ don't really need one. They don't really want a DJ or KJ either - they're just stuck thinking there's no other way to do it.
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Well obviously the people in the original post either really need or want one and are willing to pay so why would you turn them down. Many things that break on my car I could fix but I tend to use a mechanic because they do it better (and faster) than I do. Same can be said for a plumber or a carpenter or most other trades. Why would a DJ be different?

I do agree the library is irrelevant that's why I said:

They have the same access to a music library you do too
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On a quick search of Ebay I found a used loaded 500 gig HD for $35 USD. Makes for a cheap party and you get to keep it forever. As economy wise as it is it's still not the best solution any more than me soldering pipes in my bathroom is the best solution to my plumbing problem
 
Horses for courses, Karaoke isn't any different than any other endeavor, and the people that do it are driven by lots of variables. We got KJ's by me that show up in shorts, one speaker with lights in it, a beer soaked beat up mic, drunken bar crowd, and have fun. Then we got KJ's who bring pairs of Bose L1 MKII's w/B2 subs, Shure mics, they dress well, they themselves sing well, and they have a big following of groupies that actually practice at home. They get P.O. at the attitude "it's just Karaoke".
 
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