Can bringing karaoke into my venue really help my business?
Just like any other form of live entertainment, there are no sure bets. People just love to sing, especially when it's just for fun in a comfortable, noncompetitive, friendly environment. Karaoke shows have become a favorite setting for socializing, dating, meeting new people, and celebrating birthdays and special occasions. This is not to say karaoke catches on in every bar and club where it's tried, but then the same can be said for live bands. There is usually no knowing until you try it out. The three factors that most effect the success of karaoke at any given venue are: location, advertising, and the quality of the show itself.
Is my venue right for karaoke?
Karaoke can work in almost any size venue, from a neighborhood tap to a large nightclub. If you host or have ever hosted live music, odds are karaoke will "fit" in your bar or club. As to business considerations, it depends on how many more customers you are actually looking to draw in. If you consistently draw 40 customers on a Tuesday night, but your venue only holds 50 to begin with, you don't need karaoke; you won't make enough money packing in only 10 more customers to make it worthwhile. On the other hand, if your venue holds 50, but you only draw 10 customers on a certain night, then karaoke could be the magnet to pull in that missing 40 customers, considerably increasing your net revenues in the process.
There is more to being a good host than a large music collection. A good DJ will be able to read the crowd, keep a fair consistent rotation, and make your customers feel welcome and want to come back with their friends. You will hear some DJ's bragging about the size of their music collection. If you hear of a host with 100,000 songs, chances are that DJ is what is known as a pirate. Estimate each karaoke song at $1 each, has your host invested that much in music or do they have bootleg copies? If they have stolen from the music industry what might they take from you? Licensing agencies are beginning to make surprise inspections and passing hefty fines. As a club owner, making sure your DJ or karaoke host is legal should be a factor in who you chose to hire.
How soon do I start making money?
It can take awhile for a show to build up a regular following, even when the KJ or karaoke host is very successful at other locations. It helps if you already have some regulars, as word of mouth is the best promotion of all, but even with a base audience it can take eight to twelve weeks for a karaoke night at a new location to really catch fire. Hiring a good karaoke DJ is an investment, if you give a new show a fair amount of time to catch on, it could pay great dividends in the long run.
Besides quality sound and a great song selection, it takes friendly and fair handling of the customers, and a large degree of consistency. Nothing derails a potentially successful show faster than canceled shows, late starts, or egotistical KJ's who hog the microphone for themselves, or give preferential treatment to their friends over the other customers. Customers need to not only have a good time during a well run show, but they also need time to get used to the fact a certain night is always karaoke night at a given venue, and the show is always there and starts on time. This reliability is critical during the first few weeks at a new venue, as it's the only way to begin building that base of loyal regulars who will keep coming back and spending their money every week.
Karaoke Schedule, how often?
To build a successful show, you need consistency. A regular, weekly karaoke night to build up a good base of regulars who will come to every show. Typically an ever changing schedule will not be successful in the long run. Trying every other Saturday or second Thursday of the each month, will confuse your customers. They end up forgetting to show up the night karaoke is happening, then they show up on the wrong night and walk away angry because they didn't get to sing; that's when they start looking for other places to go. Having absent customers is bad, and having angry customers is worse. On the other hand, if you already have an established karaoke night in your venue, adding an extra night monthly, or every two weeks, can work out well. This is because the extra shows can be advertised directly to your regulars while they are there for the regular weekly show.
I've tried it, it's not working, now what?
Karaoke isn't for every establishment sometimes it just doesn't click. If there's no notable increase in your revenue after eight to twelve weeks, maybe karaoke isn't for your establishment. There's no contract, no obligation to keep me on as a karaoke host, so you can cancel the show at any time. Perhaps you'll want to try it again later, or try it on another night, but either way the decision is entirely yours. Of course I will be working very hard to increase your business and keep your customers entertained. After all, that's how I increase my business.
What about karaoke contests and prizes?
In my experience they do little except alienate the regular customers, and can lead to bad feelings. Singing is for fun -- it's not a competition, and trying to make it one usually spoils it for many customers. Most karaoke singers hate to be judged.
It is of course your venue, and you may choose to have a karaoke contest during one of our shows. As the host, I will not participate in the judging. The customers' perception that your host could be playing favorites could be very damaging to customer relations. You may choose to have judges present and awarding prizes, but we do not recommend it as good for long-term business. Prizes and giveaways themselves are never a bad idea, as long as they are random and not tied to a singer's performance. Also, costume contests that coincide with karaoke (such as for Halloween) can be a great promotion, and a lot of fun for the customers.
