Ok, just did my taxes and I’m questioning the way I do things. There were 6 months last year where I spent more on individual karaoke songs than I would have paid for the monthly streaming subscription like most other hosts use. That said, I still really prefer my way of doing things. I like that if I have a song this week, I’ll have it next week. Streaming can remove songs when the artist or label decides they don’t want it used in this way. It’s also a waste of bandwidth. Sometimes internet is unreliable. I don’t like the idea of every host only paying one company in France to make karaoke tracks, because a monopoly hurts any industry, and I still buy from a couple of UK companies and occasionally the one in America (the lyics graphics from them are the ugliest).
I also still really prefer a list of names done with pen on paper, instead of the online signup that comes with the streaming service. It’s a visual representation of how long the line is, just seeing the slips on the table, and it’s a good way to tell who’s gonna be too drunk to sing. Of course, while getting receipts together for taxes, I was also confronted with the fact I spent over $300 on making copies and buying pens. Hard choices.
Feel free to share your opinions. I always say I want to host the type of show I’d want to attend. Now the only shows I can attend use that online signup and streaming karaoke.