If you're thinking about running karaoke from a computer, there are things you must consider.

First off, there are many different applications for running karaoke from a computer.  The most common listed program here on eBay is PCDJ Karaoke Pro.  Other hosting programs include Hoster by MTU, Sax and Dotty's Show Presenter, Virtual DJ by Atomix, Siglos Karaoke Professional by Doblin amongst others.  You must choose the right one for your particular needs.

Second, KEEP YOU'RE CDG'S, DO NOT GET RID OF THEM.  I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!! DON'T SELL YOUR CDG'S!!!

Many titles including DKKaraoke, Music Maestro, Top Tunes, Star Disc, Northstar, All Hits, Dangerous, Panorama's Top Hits Monthly and several others have ALL gone out of business and many of these discs are near impossible to replace.  Many Sound Choice and Chartbuster discs fall under the same premise.  For the majority, their demise was due to copyright infringement.  If you sell your discs after copying onto your computer and use them in a commercial enviroment, you are breaking the law by violating copyright laws as you don't have a licensed copy in possession.  I've seen too many seller's here selling off there CDG's after they have gone computerized.  I'm still seeing this happening here at the end of 2009.  Don't sell your CDG's.

An important note to this:  You MUST HAVE ONE CDG for ONE COMPUTER.  Do not use for more.  If you are to run five rig's you must have five sets of discs. For Example, I have 2 rigs, one which has over 700 licensed CDG's and the second has only around 200 licensed CDG's.  I can't use the discs from the first rig to compliment the second rig unless I have those discs in possession for that rig.

There has been many opinions regarding the use of computers for the use of playing digital music/karaoke.  Weather we agree or disagree with them do keep this in mind.  I'm not a copyright attorney, but many opinions I've read have the same basic principal.  If you use a computer to play music/karaoke in a commercial enviroment you MUST have a one for one ratio.  It is better to have the originals in possession and to use them but you're allowed to use digital media.  Also make sure the establishment that you play at is licensed to play music.  In the area in which I reside, except for their jukebox the majority of establishments don't have any music licenses.  The three groups here in the U.S. are ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.

While piracy has NO PLACE in our industry and I'm a strong supporter of that, I don't support the position of  the Karaoke Anti-Piracy Agency (KAPA) as their position on copyright law is extreme and is a detriment to the industry as a whole.  The copying of music/karaoke from CD to computer is called "format shifting."  Establishments that have Internet capable jukeboxes couldn't have these if format shifting wasn't legal.  The same principal applies here with karaoke.

Third, make sure you have a "CD+G" compatable CD/DVD drive to read your discs properly.

Most newer drives will allow you rip CD+G through "software based decoders."  It is getting very difficult to find older ROM drives that have "hardware based decoder/encoder." Plextor, up until the PX-716 series would both read and write CD+G in hardware mode as well as most older Sony and Yamaha drives will support CD+G in this way, and is still the preferred method.

They're several applications for ripping CDG's.  While I still use Audiograbber, it is little difficult to setup in Windows 7/Vista enviroment unless you're computer savy and know how to "tweek" the settings.  For most users Power CD+G Burner by Doblin is the easiest to setup and use.

Last have fun and remember.  Keep your original CDG's in safe place.  DON'T SELL THEM!!!

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