Keeping Duplicate Songs
 

I searched the forum to see if this question was already asked, but I really found nothing that gave me an answer.
I was just curious if you Hoster Pro's keep all your duplicate songs on your drive.? I mean some of these songs you find you have 3-4 versions of.
When using discs we had picked what we considered to be the better version and only had that one in the song book. But I kept a master copy of where all others were.
But now going to the laptop I'm wondering - better to keep or delete to save space???:?
Also what about some of these LONG songs, do you keep them? I found one song that was 16 min long!!! Never knew that till I pulled it up in hoster to see what it was...
Still loading my discs, had the lost files problem with vista and had to start all over now on disc 302 not quite half way...All seems Well...yea hoster!!!:g
But wanted the "Hoster Pros" advise on which files to keep, which ones to loose...Thanks All!!!! Happy Singing!!!!

Hoster 4.000 will have a flag you can set on duplicate files in the Tools Edit Songs dialog to "Hide in Songbook". You can set this in Single or Multiple mode. In the Songbook, we'll add a control to use this flag to hide those songs with it set. :w

Many times there are variations between all those versions. We have singers who know what version they want and if it isn't available they won't sing it. Some are even picky enough to want a particular brand. My sister-in-law was doing a show in a new location and had a couple who specifically wanted Sound Choice (some of the worst quality CDs :t) versions only for everything they sing...go figure. But anyway yes I would keep all of the versions....just in case.

Everyone will have a different opinion on that. Ultimately it will be what works for you.

Personally I try to keep what I believe to be the better version (usually Sound Choice :) but not always.) and delete any others. Sometimes I'll have a song someone has gotten used to and they don't want to "upgrade" so I'll leave it on the computer just for them, but you won't find it listed in my book.
When I first started I listed all versions but I got tired of answering the question "which one one's better" or "what's the difference between..." or "which one should I pick". Ultimately it's just your personal philosophy and what works for you.

As to long songs: I get rid of them. With a very few exceptions I get rid of anything over about 6 minutes. If it's fun, fast and popular with the audience I'll let it go to about 7 minutes. Long, slow and boring is the kiss of death for a song in my opinion. I have to take crap from people occasionally because I don't have American Pie and a few others but such is life.

I only list one of each song in book.
but i keep all of them on my hard drive, just in case i need them for a paticular version.

Ditto!

Thanks to everyone who gave their opinion on duplicate songs.
I thought what I would do is keep most of them on the hard drive (can't see over 3-4 versions of a song) but only put one in my books.

Sort of like I had it before except when I finally get finished we won't have to lug all those Disc's around!!!

Wow, this is like starting all over again, here I had all the little weeds out of my books, mispelling of songs, errors in some of the track order, now I have to do it all again!!! :e But I guess improving takes work Right!!!!

Thanks again to All!!!!:g

Hard drives are cheap enough now days, why delete anything from it, you may get that 1 singer that will become a regular BEACUSE you have that oddball version. Delete it from your books by all means, but put a page in about ask the host if a different version is available or put a denotation besides the songs that you have dups for allowing the singer to come and ask if you might have that version. It may not happen often, but could mean a new customer because you do have it when no one else does (or lists it).

Lonnie's right, and that has happened to me as a result of having something that another host may not, and word gets around fast as well.

Thanks Everyone.. I see where your coming from. I know there are alot of singers that like that certain version.
I'll take your advise and keep all of them on the hard drive.
I had always kept a page in out book telling anyone to ask if we didn't have their version, that we may have just not listed in the book.
So bascially keep it as I have now, only NO DISCS!!!
Everyone here is so helpful!!!
And to the ADMIN....I'll keep my eye out for 4.0....I've read about it and excited about the new features!!!!

I'm curious what song is 16 min long? I tried to start a thread on which is the best song, it under "the best and only the best". I only have one version in the books and yes I took the time to decide what I thought was the best although I did keep all the versions in the computer.

Actually what I show is 16.08 on that long song. The disc is by Top Hits Monthly, and the song believe it or not is "Wild as the Wind" by Garth Brooks..

But does it actually play as 16 minutes or did it import funny? I have one song that imported as a 12 minute song but is actually a 5.32 minute song, it hung up at the end & will play the entire 12 minutes, but just with the outro screen & no sound.
Can't remember the longest song I have encountered but haven't seen anything over 10 minutes in 16 years.

Wow....guess I'll have to check that out Lonman, before I delete!!!!
Isn't "Paradise by the Dashboard lights" longer than 10 min??? seems like it!! LOL:g

I have that same song in thm its 3.52 and paradise is 8.50 (to long)

Nope by far not THE longest. I have one version of Total Eclipse Of The Heart - FULL version that run just shy under 10 minutes.

Wow....I am going to have to check my song out then and see if it is messed up like mentioned....
I was going mostly by the size of the files, I was checking out any that seemed awful large. Then I'd find out the name of the song, and what hoster said the time was....
Guess now I'll go in and find out if these songs are any good or not. I never thought about that!!!
But like I said before, after being on disc, and now changing over to Hoster, this is like starting all over again, weeding out the bad, etc... AAAAh!!!
Thanks so much for all the help and advise...I'll check these songs out that seem awful long and be sure they are good...
Thanks again!!!

My books only have one title no duplicates and does not have numbers or song source id. I do have more than one on the hard drive, but I have culled a lot of songs off it. Such as multiple copies of the same brand, mm and mm oldies is one for instance. I do consider, THM, SC, and CB to be premier brands though DK versions of some songs are better for me, and some others. I have a sunfly version of Me and Bobby McGee that I sing because it is the Kristofferson version and cannot find that elsewhere. I've had to go to some other sources for hard to find songs like Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash, went to Xtreme Karaoke in the UK, no American published go figure. So I do have exceptions when I'm culling the hard drive. I am currently running two laptops with 9000 and I'm still culling dupes off them, little over 14000 on my rack mount PCs. If folks are not singing them I don't have them on the laptops, where HD space is a premium as I don't haul an outboard HD with me. I'm running DJ and KJ off the same drive. Found 8 gig for DJ and 59gig for KJ is plenty. My laptops don't use a lot of preloaded programs so they are delteted also. If I don't need it, it's not on it. Small things like who needs 350 cursors? Who needs the full student office 2007, or how many sample pics, videos ect. How about after you delete all media .wav sounds but the low or critical battery warnings what else of PC sounds do you need? I just don't need a sound for the recycle bin emtying. :g :g :g

Wow Swany, what a bunch of helpful information that was!!!

Thank you so much..

We have looked for Cocaine Blues, but were unable to find it.

I will take into consideration alot of what you just said..Thanks again for being so helpful...This sure is a job trying to get ready to use!!!

I was able to make my own with KHPro from MTU and it works quite well. People sing from it all the time.