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I've always wondered where karaoke bars get vocal-free versions of seemingly every track that would ever get requested. Do record companies make them?
by psychometry 7y ago
I've always wondered where karaoke bars get vocal-free versions of seemingly every track that would ever get requested. Do record companies make them?
- BurningFrog 7y agoA lot are rerecorded by studio musicians, I believe.
- dajohnson89 7y agoi'd be curious about the copyright legality here...it must be expensive to pay royalties for a huge library of instrumental tracks.
- aidenn0 7y agoCover versions can always be made under a compulsory license; you have to pay the songwriter, but they can't say no. So recording a version with a separate vocal track is 100% doable for any song. However, to actually use it in Karaoke, it's no longer just a cover; even though it's just the words that are shown along with it, it's part of a larger work, so you need the same sort of license you would need for using it in e.g. a TV ad, and that needs to be negotiated with the copyright owner. [edit] For more details google "mechanical license" and "synchronization license"; the first is the "I want to record a cover" and the second is what you would need for using in karaoke.
- anamexis 7y agoThat’s fascinating, thanks for the google prompts.
- FussyZeus 7y agoI would assume they're released under different licenses for manufacturers of those products. This is a lot in my mind like how Microsoft Windows Enterprise exists, but is only attainable via volume licensing or piracy; The product exists, and is for sale, but the general public just isn't permitted to buy it.
- justzisguyuknow 7y agoSome of them are licensed official tracks from the actual producers, but for the unofficial ones I think the karaoke companies have music writers who just encode synths to roughly match the track.