Karaoke Karoake? Is it worth it? What gear/software?

i was given a crapload of karaoke CDs and slowly putting them in my pc its allot of work.im considering offering Karaoke at my events . once I get all the CDs copied into laptop .VDJ works fine for it.

IceBurghDJ said:

So I'm seeing more requests for karaoke, the local bar I do a few gigs asked if I do it...
So, is it worth it?
Gear: - have a couple of inexpensive mics, VDJ can do it but was thinking karafun as I have no library of songs.

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Follow the money.
This means you grow the show as the income grows. Start with KaraFun, a single small video monitor to cue the singers, mics you already have, and see how it goes. Avoid buying more gear just to "try it out."

It's rare for karaoke to be a big money show for the KJ. At best, it adds a little staying power to your bar gig by being more interactive. Avid karaoke singers are looking for an audience. They won't find it at small hole-in-the wall venues or private parties so, you tend to find the most active karaoke bars in the metro-area of a big city.

On a more general note, I don't think karaoke or DJs in lounges and bars is a reliable plan looking ahead for the next few years. The restaurant and bar industry has been devastated in so many areas. (so have the event venues.) Even if you don't see it yet - the extreme losses will be evident by the coming spring and summer. Those that remain are going to see far less spending and sales will be down. There won't be a lot of interest in expanding expenditures for DJs or karaoke in the night club and bar industry - especially if we see a full return of professional sports. There is more money to be had in sports bars than there will ever be in karaoke bars.

I would not spend much money on new gear for karaoke. Karaoke itself has moved largely into the family room as an extension of people's home theater setup. The content is free on the internet. It's a very low hanging fruit.

You're going to need a VERY specific target client and clear insight into that opportunity to make ANY karaoke or DJ service a viable pursuit in the years ahead. When entertainment returns I think you can also expect a surge in live musicians seeking opportunity to play out. The landscape will not be wide open to DJs.

Proformance said:

On a more general note, I don't think karaoke or DJs in lounges and bars is a reliable plan looking ahead for the next few years. The restaurant and bar industry has been devastated in so many areas. (so have the event venues.) Even if you don't see it yet - the extreme losses will be evident by the coming spring and summer. Those that remain are going to see far less spending and sales will be down. There won't be a lot of interest in expanding expenditures for DJs or karaoke in the night club and bar industry - especially if we see a full return of professional sports. There is more money to be had in sports bars than there will ever be in karaoke bars.

I would not spend much money on new gear for karaoke. Karaoke itself has moved largely into the family room as an extension of people's home theater setup. The content is free on the internet. It's a very low hanging fruit.

You're going to need a VERY specific target client and clear insight into that opportunity to make ANY karaoke or DJ service a viable pursuit in the years ahead. When entertainment returns I think you can also expect a surge in live musicians seeking opportunity to play out. The landscape will not be wide open to DJs.

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I don’t disagree with the part about people doing Karaoke in their own homes. Most, though, don’t do it with a PA system. And the real fun of Karaoke is watching and listening to your friends try to sing! You get to cheer for those who are good, and heckle the ones who are terrible! That’s where the real laughter comes from. Karaoke is the most fun when there’s lots of people who want to sing, and a big audience of people who want to make fun of them. You just don’t get the same thing in your living room.

Didn't read all the posts here...

Do you think people are less likely to SHARE a microphone these days?

Jeff Romard said:

I think it may be more so. Once things get back to some kind of normal there will be less than there were of both musicians and DJ's and they will be cutting each others throats to get any work

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Not at all.
Increases in "DJs for Hire" track with downturns in the economy. The easier technology makes it - the higher the surge in practitioners.

IceBurghDJ said:

So I'm seeing more requests for karaoke, the local bar I do a few gigs asked if I do it...

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One inquiry isn't enough to jump into & expend measurable resources to enter the K-game. It's a rush to the bottom as far as profitability.

IceBurghDJ said:

I can do it for about $400 investment, all in. Doesn't take much to make that back.

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$400 is way to much for an experiment.
You should be able to do it for practically nothing. Use what you already have and leverage the content from online sources like a Karafun license.

It's really easy to go off trail and make this your own personal exploit in "How to do Karaoke Right" when all you need is two cabled mics and a cheap 19" TV monitor. You probably own everything necessary to make this work: 2 mics is enough for 4 people singing at once. Don't use wireless mics because cheap one's suck and having a cable attached means you don't have to chase down the mic hogs.

I'd say 15% of leads/inquiries ask about karaoke. Perhaps it's on a comeback here.
Question is, what can a KDJ charge vs DJ? IF you add karaoke to say, a b'day party what's the upcharge?

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Generally, a DJ capable of doing karaoke is not unusual and it will be hard to justify a significant increase in rates unless you are in fact doing separate rooms (often the case with kids during cocktail hour at a bar mitzvah.) When hosted by the same DJ and not sold as a separate entertainment in and of itself the perception is that it's all part of the typical DJ service.. For example, I had no trouble renting (DIY) stand alone karaoke to people for $375 but, would generally charged only about $100 more to add it to an already booked DJ gig. Customers singing versus dancing doesn't really change anything about the job.

steve149 said:

For a specifically requested party, the same as for DJing .. at a bar around here, good luck breaking $200-$250.

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Except that karaoke only parties tend to have a smaller attendance and that drives down the market price. Karaoke would book consistently at $275, but not at $500+ which is why I preferred rentals to karaoke shows. The customers seemed to prefer it as well - giving them complete control over their own experience and as much time with the gear as they chose. At about $389 with tax and delivery it was seated right at the limit of what made it worthwhile, especially where at least half of all the bookings were weeknights.

You don't need 60k songs, and what you'll get on that hard drive is crap - badly composed and converted Chinese CAVS content. It will be less than 10K tracks repeated in 6 different language text versions which you'll never use.

Karaoke discs are every bit as cheap to buy as used CDs.

I have only about 8K tracks but hit at least 80% of what people request. What I don't have can be easily downloaded and added during a show for about $2-$3 a song and I've never spent more than $9 or $10 dollars toward an event. I'd rather buy according to what people are actually requesting because what the publishers push is driven by readily available cheap licensing. The product does not reflect what people really want to sing - it reflects what was cheap and easy to distribute.

A good karaoke library emphasizes quality over quantity. Eliminate the filler and stay with the hits people love to sing. In addition - avoid song you DON'T want people to sing (no matter how popular) including vulgar or offensive material, or songs that for whatever reason tend to drag the show down.

Ditch the idea of a second TV - it adds nothing to the show. Make the singer's the focal point not the lyrics. When you're in a venue with other TVs go ahead and connect to them if you want but recognize that what happens on stage makes or breaks the show. I would also not use any type of screen or App to display the current cue. The KJ runs the show - and for the best results and rotation I reserve the right to change the order at any time, including the last possible second. This is very important with small groups because if you fail to interrupt the rotation to insert new singers it can easily be dominated by one or two diva wannabees making repeat appearances and that turns stale really fast.

It can be depending on the application, where it's done and for who. Don't forget you will need several books with the names of artists and songs for people to see to pick out what song or songs they want to sing that you have. I would suggest you have at least 3 books so people aren't waiting to look at a book and get upset.

Make sure you have a wide variety of genres for people to choose from. It doesn't matter if you like it or not. What's really great is if you have a decent singing voice. I don't!