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Singers & Hosts Wisdom Post how to be a great karaoke singer or host.

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  #1  
Old December 9th, 2009, 12:15 PM
muzicman144 muzicman144 is offline
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KIAA Membership

It has been a while since the KIAA whirlwind and i was wondering how many MTU users joined and how has it benefited you and your work. It appears to have just been a local knee jerk idea pushed by personal agenda. They seem to have dropped of the planet without having served a purpose except to collect a few dollars from KJ's.
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Old December 9th, 2009, 07:07 PM
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From what I read, it was just an old fashioned protection racket. If you pay us money, we won't come after you. I guess that just doesn't work anymore.
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  #3  
Old December 9th, 2009, 08:22 PM
billyo billyo is offline
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that's what i thought when i read the article on their site, i think that org.is a an agency, and they wanted all the kj's to work for them and pay them dues, they wanted to control all the kj's specially in the state of AZ, where i think that org.is base from..
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  #4  
Old December 10th, 2009, 01:22 PM
Musicman51 Musicman51 is offline
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I just didn't like their business practices at all. They expected you to hand over your entire CD case for their inspecton, and also be the karaoke police, and squal on anyone who you think might be runnin a bad show. And...pay these clowns 50 bucks to do it. Sure wish i coulda gotten in on the ground floor on that one. Reminds me of the old musicians union turf stories i heard from the early days. Busted knees, and broken heads. You go sniffin' around a bandstand back in 1932 looking for something, you liable to be carried out of the place.

We take care of each other up round these parts. The economy is bad up here, we have the highest unemployment in the nation right here, and no hope in the near future. We do what we have to in order to survive. And that goes for homemade moonshine stills {yes we still have those up here} and those that steal huntin' dogs, and those that mess with our karaoke. We take our friendships, moonshine, and karaoke.....very seriously.

Last edited by Musicman51; December 10th, 2009 at 01:28 PM.
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Old December 10th, 2009, 07:17 PM
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Originally Posted by billyo View Post
that's what i thought when i read the article on their site, i think that org.is a an agency, and they wanted all the kj's to work for them and pay them dues, they wanted to control all the kj's specially in the state of AZ, where i think that org.is base from..
It was obvious from the get-go as anyone could see from reading the page. We take care of ourselves here in Maine too, and the economy has ALWAYS been bad, never good, here. The unemployment rates are figured from those that collect, many, many, more in Maine have already collected the maximum and are still unemployed but don't show up on the statistics, and many choose not to work either (welfare easier, I guess), making our unemployment rate about triple what the records show (around 30%), of the other 70%, most make way less than 10 dollars an hour.
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Old December 10th, 2009, 07:23 PM
dpatz dpatz is offline
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Kiaa

This is spearheaded by Tony Walstra VP of marketing, Stellar Records ( Pop Hits Monthly) with Sound Choice And Chartbusters being members. Trying to stop piracy.
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  #7  
Old December 10th, 2009, 09:44 PM
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This is spearheaded by Tony Walstra VP of marketing, Stellar Records ( Pop Hits Monthly) with Sound Choice And Chartbusters being members. Trying to stop piracy.

I see, but piracy being an offense of the law, can only be stopped by a law enforcer, e.g., police, etc, etc., not by someone who wants to collect money and inspect discs. Doesn't make any sense.

Like i said, it was an obvious hoax/scam, call it what you wish.
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  #8  
Old December 10th, 2009, 10:16 PM
muzicman144 muzicman144 is offline
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Originally Posted by dpatz View Post
This is spearheaded by Tony Walstra VP of marketing, Stellar Records ( Pop Hits Monthly) with Sound Choice And Chartbusters being members. Trying to stop piracy.
My understanding is Eric Godfrey from USKAROKEEALLIANCE, spearheaded the KIAA along with Kurt Slef of Sound Choice, who was selling downloading karaoke files from a Website in Australia that was illegal for use in the US because they hadn't paid the US fees to get rights to the songs. Stellar Records came on board after that, and, according to statements alledgedly made by Stellar Records, says even putting the karaoke files on a computer is illegal, in their eyes.
The reason i'm asking questions is there is no movement on the KIAA website, except to ask for money to join? Just try to get in touch with a human at their website, good luck!!!!
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  #9  
Old December 11th, 2009, 12:33 PM
dpatz dpatz is offline
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Kiaa

Any copyright infringement can be enforced by ASCAP, BMI or SEASAC. Just recently Sound Choice busted 15 clubs in Phoenix for displaying the SC logo on their computers without having the originals. SC told me that they did not really care about copying or transferring discs for your own personal use as long as you maintain the originals. ASCAP, etc wiill of course have a different view. Piracy is a big problem. I just recently had to close my retail store due to the lack of disc sales. 3 -7 systems per year wasn't enough. We have people downloading from the net , copying and giving them away. I quit accepting copied discs at my shows.
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  #10  
Old December 11th, 2009, 12:42 PM
muzicman144 muzicman144 is offline
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Originally Posted by dpatz View Post
Just recently Sound Choice busted 15 clubs in Phoenix for displaying the SC logo on their computers without having the originals. I quit accepting copied discs at my shows.
Sound Choice pursued these through KIAA, but the effort was spearheaded by Eric Godfrey, On the board of the KIAA, whose motives i question. Do We really need a Eric Godfrey in every town working in the name of "combatiing piracy"?
As for accepting a copied disk at your show, i guess that's your perogative, but, that copied disk can be perfectly legal by current standards.
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  #11  
Old December 11th, 2009, 12:45 PM
dpatz dpatz is offline
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Copies

I'm just not sure it is worth the risk--the library issue with Kiaa raised a flag for me
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  #12  
Old December 11th, 2009, 02:51 PM
muzicman144 muzicman144 is offline
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Originally Posted by dpatz View Post
I'm just not sure it is worth the risk--the library issue with Kiaa raised a flag for me
There is no risk for you playing a copied disk, you are not the owner.
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  #13  
Old December 11th, 2009, 03:29 PM
Musicman51 Musicman51 is offline
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The owner of the shop had to pay for his franchise, building, utilities, equipment (lifts can run 10 to 20 thousand alone), tools and your parts.
My point exactly, i'm the "owner of the shop". I paid not for a bulding or a lift. But i paid for the things i mentioned. I don't pay a franchise fee of course, but i sure pay other fees and taxes and disc subscriptions etc. And at my meeger $400 a month, you got me beat at $175 and $150 a night if you add it all up. I do karaoke four times a month on average regularly. Thats $800 a month, you got me beat. My main hard drive, and two back up hard drives for my laptop, and new mtu writer wipes out almost two months of salary for me right there. Like i said, i'm not in it for the money. So i can't complain, no one forces me to do this maddness, i just enjoy the people i've met, and places i've been to. Thats it. One day i may not be able to carry on with a hobby i enjoy. When that time comes, i'll miss it fur shore. But fur now....
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  #14  
Old December 11th, 2009, 05:17 PM
RandyMcCharles RandyMcCharles is offline
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I wonder if the silence is due to the recent growth in downloadable karaoke, especially out of the UK. If the US companies don't play catch-up they may soon find their sales plummeting. Plummeting sales that could put you out of business take priority over piracy monitoring. I see that Chartbuster has announced downloading (wmv with cdg coming) and that Sound Choice has shut down their Australia distribution, redirecting traffic to a local distributor instead. Possibly this is during the transfer of distribution rights to Stellar (this is the first I've heard of the Stellar deal.). I suspect that this distribution move to offering downloads is taking up all their time and energy. Once that move is complete, however, you will see them coming out with guns blazing to force you to download from them rather than their competition. I'm sure they will also have ideas on how KJs can prove they have legitimate downloads.
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  #15  
Old December 11th, 2009, 06:14 PM
Musicman51 Musicman51 is offline
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Admin, that was a very interesting read. I copied it for safe keeping. Also, on the lighter side. I thought it was very nice of your company MTU, to wish me a happy birthday on December 9th. It just goes to show the highest standards you adhere to, yet down to earth warmth of your wonderful organization. Kudos for allowing us to chat freely and express our views, and for making our {jobs} a lot easier. I really appreciate it. George
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  #16  
Old March 5th, 2010, 10:10 AM
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Re: KIAA Membership

POINT OF LAW:

If you (Defendant) are sued under Copyright Law for infringement, if the Plaintiff looses, you can recover "some" of your legal costs from the Plaintiff. I say "some" because the Courts won't agree to allow the full price charged by Lawyers.

That's one reason these companies don't want to sue on Copyright infringement.
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  #17  
Old December 11th, 2009, 12:55 PM
Musicman51 Musicman51 is offline
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Not bad $200 bucks for an American Legion hall in an economically depressed area. I think even in Portland , ME (the least depressed area in Maine) the best DJ/KJ's are lucky to see $175 at any type of club.

Are you kidding? I set up over $20,000 worth of gear and purchased karaoke disc loaded into my laptop each time i do a show for those folks. Ever take your car down and have an alternator or a brake job done? I have, midis socked me $400.00 for brakes, took them 30 minutes to do the job, and i'll betcha they didn't use $20,000 worth of gear to do the job. Figure gas, my haulmark cover cargo trailer alone was close to $3,000 with tax license and insurance. Plus i have to do all the toating, setting up, tearing down, loading, unloading. High school football, and karaoke is actually the only entertainment for this villiage. Aside from the lone bakery/resturant and video store we have up here. Let them import a kj from the nearest town from us, 45 miles away. They would never come up here for what i git. I got a $25.00 raise in almost 6 years. I should still be playing only the CDG's i did 6 years ago i guess. Right now an external writer on the mtu website is $129 add a stack of blank disc and that nights money is gone. $200 for a 5 to 6 hour gig is peanuts...i wonder if photography pays any better????
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  #18  
Old December 11th, 2009, 01:29 PM
ddouglass ddouglass is offline
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George, that mechanic olny makes $15.00 an hour, so he made $7.50 of that $400. The owner of the shop had to pay for his franchise, building, utilities, equipment (lifts can run 10 to 20 thousand alone), tools and your parts. My guess is he made about $20 on your sale and installation.
In other words he is no better off than you or I are.
I agree though that we are underpaid and over-worked. I just wish I could get $200 a night for a gig. We do all of our shows at the VFW here which is only one of two watering holes in the area. We do shows every Friday and Saturday night and get $150 for Friday and $175 for Saturday.
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