Ascap & Bmi

[nreel]

Bdayton,

Sorry to hear that you cannot get a GIG because, in your area, other KJs are able to undercut you, I'm sure, because they have illegal music.

How else can any KJ stay ahead and charge so little?

But, with respect to the Karaoke Kops, you stand a better chance of staving off these people by using Computer driven Songs verses Discs.

It is very easy for someone to observe that a KJ is using copied physical discs, which could invite an investigation.

However, there are no discs when using a computer. So, if any A--Hole Karaoke Kop comes around investigating, they would be hard pressed to bring formal charges when there is no first-hand probable cause...as compared to the aforementioned DISC scenario.


So, if using a Computer, I say bring it on because now the ball is in your court. Any hint of a LAWSUIT brings a COUNTER LAWSUIT for deformation of character...$1,000,000 minimum. Personally, I can't wait for one of these A--holes to show up with a summons! It will be like winning the Lottery!!

I mean think about it. Hoster uses Book IDs which, if used in your SongBooks, do not list actual disc numbers (assuming you do not use that Hoster SongBook feature) for them to reference as with conventional ways of Printing SongBooks...ie Sc7501-01. Sc7501-01 tells a Karaoke Kop exactly what you need to produce in a Court. Book ID 1001 doesn't tell them Sh_t.

How stupid are they going to look in Court when they are telling you to produce a particular song from SoundChoice. We all know that SoundChoice duplicates many of their songs on many discs. Even if one of your songs was bootlegged, odds are, with SoundChoice, you can produce a disc that has that song on it.

SoundChoice thought that they would screw the public by duplicating songs on different discs but, turns out; they are their own worst enemy in that respect. If all discs were unique, then one would have to have that disc to produce a certain song, which some are, but who knows what you will be asked to produce. And, if you are able to produce what the Karaoke Kop is Questioning, in Court of course, I wouldn't arbitrarily produce anything without a Court Order, BOOM BABY, COUNTER LAWSUIT WON !! Keep those Bast--ds at bay for a while...wouldn't it? And, I would sue et al, meaning the actual person that brought the suit AS WELL...put his as_ in a sling, after all, BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC are NOT Government entities and, therefore, their employees are NOT immune from being SUED!

Freedom to all lawful KJs !

[gotrich]

Like I stated in my previous post i called the lady who claimed to be head of the office. That is what she told me. There is nothing for a DJ or KJ although she said they COULD come after the ESTABLISHMENT and us they have never gone after a regular DJ because they only offer licenses to establishments.

The only thing you need to do that i can gather is OBTAIN your music leagally and Pay your taxes on your gigs.

Which i must say is not so bad if this is a supplemental income. I found that in my state of indiana you can write off your equiptment cost, supplies (paper pens etc.) and milage to and from shows and if you make a trip to a store FOR BUSINESS ONLY that mileage too. And you only have to show a profit 3 of evey 5 years. Of then you normally only end up paying for Social Security tax about 12% of income.

To me it only makes scense to be legal!

Just my $.02

[George]

You're right on Gotrich.

A spot where a lot of the kj's drop the ball is in the area of business expense tax deductions. They use the pc for everything else in the world, but claim 100% deduction on it. You're only allowed to expense or depreciate an item used in business to the extent of the percentage of time that item is used for business.

So the guy that does two four hour shows a week and spends fourty hours a week playing games, surfing, and a host of other non-business related activities should legally expense or depreciate only 20% of the cost of the pc or any replacement hardware.

The spooky part of this is that they are subject to an audit at any time, and are exposed to getting caught.

Much better to have a show dedicated pc that is used for nothing else and has no show related software on it,and gets used for nothing else.

Another benefit of that would be a much cleaner, trouble free running show pc.

George

[George]

Originally Posted by George

Much better to have a show dedicated pc that is used for nothing else and has no show related software on it,and gets used for nothing else.

...has no non show related.....

That's what I meant to say

George

[gotrich]

That I do! I have everything singled out. Each guy has their own set of equiptment too!

I am tring to be the biggest, and best DJ/KJ in NW Indiana..I am just now getting my socks off befor ei jump in the pool! LOL

But my first thing was what is legal and what is not. That is why I called BMI ASCAP, And the RIAA many times before I get going!

I even had to call excise becasue one of my DJ's is under 18!