Digital karaoke is the future of the karaoke business.
Two types of Karaoke in digital format:
- CDG - digital karaoke on compact disc media
- MP3g - karaoke music files hosted on and ran from a PC
The industry is moving from CDG to MP3g.
Software Karaoke for the PC
MP3g Digital Karaoke Files
MP3+G stands for MP3 plus Graphics. Karaoke songs are stored on the hard drive of a computer in the MP3+G or some other compressed format. The songs are played with karaoke "hosting" software. The hosting software has many needed features such as digital key control, next song, song / artist search, singer history, and so on.
MP3+g or MP3g is the karaoke version of the MP3. In order to utilize MP3 for Karaoke a second file is created which contains the graphics for the display of the lyrics. This has a .cdg file extension. Both files together form an MP3+g (sometimes MP3g) karaoke track. You can play these tracks on your computer using special karaoke software such as WinCDG or burn them to a blank disc in .BIN format and they will play as normal CDG karaoke discs.
KMF Files
A KMF file is basically an MP3 file and a COMPRESSED CDG file merged into a single file. The CDG data is compressed to save even more space than the RAW CDG file by removing unnessesary info. KMF files, however, are proprietary to TriceraSoft.
Other Karaoke Files
karaoke file: KFN, KAR, CDG, KOK, LRC, AVI, MPEG
Software
- KaraFun Karaoke Player
- B Lyrics Mimer
- Karaoke SoftShop
Copyright Blanket License
P.R.O.'s are music licensing organizations that license business for the public performance of music (radio, tv, live, karaoke, djs, comedy, e.t.c). The P.R.O.'s represent 3 PERFORMING RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS and they all represent different catalogs of music(different writers) and no writer can belong to all 3 organizations.
- BMI (Broadcast Music Inc)-which is the largest
- ASCAP (American Songwriters Composers & Publishers) represent a little under half
- SESAC - you can get away without this one since it is mostly obscure stuff
There is no requirement for a Karaoke DJ to carry these licenses, however, the venues where the Karaoke DJ plays should.
To operate a Jukebox some venues go through JLO, which is a joint venture of the United States performing rights organizations, ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, to obtain a license that covers all there and is often more affordable. However, the jLO Jukebox license agreement is only good for the jukebox. If a location has music that is performed by some means other than the jukebox (DJ's, bands, tapes, etc.), spearate licenses from ASCAP, BMI and SESAC are required.