rate of pay around the country.

[STE4funguy]

It just blows my mind that people are willing to work so cheap. As a company, I have overhead ie: TAXES, INSURANCE, ADVERTISING, RENT, ETC... Let alone the cost of equipment, music, gas, employee's. Even if you are a hobbiest and are not paying taxes, you should have insurance and vehicle expenses. $200 is the lowest price for a 4 hour show and thats only on weekdays and if they book weekly for an entire year! Just think of the time you spend buying your music, importing it into your system, printing books, and all the other little things it takes to do this. So if you are only charging $100 - $150 for a show you end up working for $3.50 an hour after expenses... You can make more as a greeter at WalMart!

Yes, Karaoke is fun and it is a good time type job, but as a professional, stop selling yourself short.

[gotrich]

150 -175 a week day and 200-225 a weekend is it. mot bars wont pay more than that. i wont work for less than that..and where I am from som of the bars only make 400-500 a night on the register so when you pay 150 and only bring in 400 thats not much left to re buy booze or order more food... lots of small corn filed towns..ecinomics plays a big part

[bryant]

Originally Posted by STE4funguy

It just blows my mind that people are willing to work so cheap. As a company, I have overhead ie: TAXES, INSURANCE, ADVERTISING, RENT, ETC... Let alone the cost of equipment, music, gas, employee's. Even if you are a hobbiest and are not paying taxes, you should have insurance and vehicle expenses. $200 is the lowest price for a 4 hour show and thats only on weekdays and if they book weekly for an entire year! Just think of the time you spend buying your music, importing it into your system, printing books, and all the other little things it takes to do this. So if you are only charging $100 - $150 for a show you end up working for $3.50 an hour after expenses... You can make more as a greeter at WalMart!

Yes, Karaoke is fun and it is a good time type job, but as a professional, stop selling yourself short.

Yes, BUT,if you are working in the same place and guaranteed a gig or two every week in the same place and can store your stuff there, or even use their stuff,
you may NOT be working that cheap at all.
I think most of use do charge a bit more for one-time engagements for those special functions( 300 - 500 dollars). If you average this in, yes, my average price along with the 150 guaranteed on tue and wed added in most likely comes to a 200-250 dollar show.
So it all depends how we are answering the poll question, and which type ogigs we are figuring in.
For example, I have a gig on Sun, and wed. that both pay 150. Now is that cheap in a poor depressed area such as Central Maine, maybe, maybe not. Please keep in mind both places are within a mile from my home, I don't play after 12:30 am, one place I use all their equipment, and the other, I leave my stuff there, I get all their extra functions, all my wedding gig recommendations from all their clientele.

NOW THAT IS WORTH IT, ANYONE DISAGREE.
Also, in central Maine you can rent an apartment for 250-350 dollars, and get car insurance for less than 300 dollars a year. Just a measure of the relative cost of living.

I don't work cheap as I also have a regular job that pays a lot more than this, as well. Consider me a hobbyist.

[alanross]

The economics of an area is a great point. It's all relative, but there is definitely a ceiling that I don't see busting through any time soon.

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by STE4funguy

It just blows my mind that people are willing to work so cheap. As a company, I have overhead ie: TAXES, INSURANCE, ADVERTISING, RENT, ETC... Let alone the cost of equipment, music, gas, employee's. Even if you are a hobbiest and are not paying taxes, you should have insurance and vehicle expenses. $200 is the lowest price for a 4 hour show and thats only on weekdays and if they book weekly for an entire year! Just think of the time you spend buying your music, importing it into your system, printing books, and all the other little things it takes to do this. So if you are only charging $100 - $150 for a show you end up working for $3.50 an hour after expenses... You can make more as a greeter at WalMart!

Yes, Karaoke is fun and it is a good time type job, but as a professional, stop selling yourself short.

In a free market you charge what the market will bare. Kudos to you if you live in an area that will pay $200+ a night, but around here if you refused to work for less than $200 you'd soon be hungry and homeless.

It's all about supply and demand, with the smoking ban here driving many bars out of business, there's a glut of karaoke people willing to work if I don't want to.

Sam

[gduns - with the Lord]

Playing Karaoke in Bars is a looser here. I started out doing that about 8 years ago, But I have progressed into doing private parties only.

the way I figure it, i can do 5 nights at a bar @175.00 per night or $875 a week,

or I could do 3 parties a week @$400.00 each for $1200.00

I prefer the 3 parties a week.

If you have a regular bar gig, you are booked, and cant do the parties. I started the parties in November, and as of Now I am booked through February. Doctors, Corporate parties, weddings, and anniversaries.

Referals are a wonderful thing.

[gotrich]

In my way of doing it I have 4 ststems. We do 5 bar gigs a week ( we love our job) then private parties are bookd from our bar gigs and parties we get from our bar gigs. Mybe int he future but the more shows the more I profit and the more I can get. I am working on being the biggest Karaoke comnay in NW indiana and will doo all the bars and all the private parties...so far so good

[bryant]

gotrich: What do they pay you for your regular "bar gigs" that you tend to on a weekly basis?

What do you ask for weddings, How about anniversay parties?

I'll report back to you from Central Maine as well.

[alanross]

As gduns said, private parties really are the best way to maximize profit, but if you live in a very remote area, there are only so many cousins to marry off...

[bryant]

There aren't three privat parties a week that require a KJ/DJ in Waterville, Maine.

I'll have to hit the bars.