There are so many versions of a song, which do I choose?

By Joshua Baron

There are many brands and versions of songs in karaoke, but how do you know the good ones? What does the Disc ID mean?  Even new karaoke hosts want to know how to choose which brand of CDGs to buy or play. This a quick rating guide that I hope helps you.

There are many brands of karaoke music manufacturers, both past and present. Each one has an individualized Disc Code Abbreviation. You may have seen it in the karaoke book at your local venue. Disc ID’s start with SF, SC, CB, LG, ZM, MRE, MM, or PHM, and unless you have been doing karaoke for a long time, it’s hard to know which one to choose and why. That’s what led me to create this review and guide.

Many brands have ceased to exist over the years due to licensing issues and illegally downloaded music (piracy). Some of these brands are Legends (LG), DK, Music Maestro (MM), Pioneer (PI), All Hits (AH) Sweet Georgia Brown (SGB), and Nutech/BMG (SAV or NU). Sound Choice (SC) is still in business, but clinging to life with the hope of recouping their business by going after illegal hosts who have counterfeit and stolen music.

The following is my overview of disc brands with their Disc Abbreviation and reviews based on a 1-5 Microphone rating:

 

All Hits (AH) - 2 1/2 Microphones

Lyrics are sometimes incorrect and the song versions are usually shorter than the original song. All Hits (AH) is a great way to start a home collection due to the fact that they’re inexpensive on Ebay, where you can pick up the whole collection for approximately $30.

 

Backstage Karaoke - 2 1/2 Microphones

Backstage is just alright. Sometimes they sound completely off, the tracks are usually shorter and sound like an old Casio Keyboard. At times they simply repackaged Nutech tracks, or other brands of karaoke, for themselves. I typically stay away from Backstage Karaoke just because I never know what I’m going to get. This is another inexpensive collection that can help the at-home karaoke singer fill in their song selection.

 

Chartbuster Karaoke (CB) - 3 1/2 Microphones

Wide selection of music and a safe bet with most songs, new and old. Tends to be pricy on single discs, but their multi-packs are a very good deal! Chartbuster’s Karaoke is now available in SD Card format too!

 

DK (Daiichikosho) (DK) - 3 Microphones

DK was one of the original manufacturers of karaoke CDGs. They were the industry standard for years with a wide selection of songs. These tracks are pretty solid, still with the occasional Casio sound. DK is currently out of print and out of business in the USA. They do stream their music selection to karaoke rooms in Japan, which is illegal in the USA due to licensing and copyright laws.

 

Legends (LG) - 3 Microphones

I love the Legends karaoke series. They’ve got a great selection of music with decent backing tracks. Legends has also gone out of business because of the high cost of licensing music due to the piracy from illegal hosts who download the music for free.

 

Mr. Entertainer (MRE) - 4 Microphones

I would have given Mr. Entertainer five microphones, but in the last year, songs that had featuring artists would not be split into a duet on their version. The backing tracks are stellar and usually true to the original. And the lyrics are the closest to the original too. However, Mr. Entertainer comes from Europe and can get very pricy for a karaoke host.

 

Music Maestro (MM) - 2 1/2 Microphones

I was about to give Music Maestro three microphones due to their huge song list and selection, but let’s face it, most of the time their backing tracks sound horrible. However, hard to find 80s music tends to be available on their discs. They’ve been out of business for years, but there is still a lot of (MM) CDGs around for sale that are inexpensive. If you want to build a good song list, buying the out-of-print (MM) can be a good bet. Again, cost of licensing and piracy doomed this once, very popular karaoke brand.

 

NorthStar (NS) - 1 1/2 Microphones

I own these just to boost my collection. The backing tracks aren’t usually very good, and anytime I give someone a NorthStar track they usually complain. However they have some music that isn’t available anywhere else. They too are out of business.

 

NuTech (NT) - 1 1/2 Microphones

I really dislike NuTech. But the older NuTech laserdiscs are pretty decent. NuTech CDGs usually sound terrible, the lyrics are generally wrong, and the versions are too short. But sometimes they are the only ones with certain songs available. NuTech and BMG Karaoke (SAV) are the same, and while they add music to your collection, as a singer and host, I try to choose something different.

 

Party Tyme (SY) - 3 Microphones

Party Tyme is a smaller karaoke CDG Manufacturer that is available at Best Buy, Toys R Us, etc. Decent backing tracks, and good for teens looking for newer songs. They even have some rare classics like Steely Dan. I wish I had the whole set of these.

 

Pocket Songs (PS) - 3 Microphones

Pocket Songs is the best for Broadway show tunes and crooner music. They tend to have the best Michael Buble versions. Pocket Songs also has sister companies, Just Tracks (JT), Screen Tracks (ST), and Stage Stars (STS), which are just as good. Unfortunately, karaoke standards like Sweet Caroline or Ring of Fire are not that good.

 

Pop Hits Monthly (PHM) - 4 Microphones

Pop Hits Monthly provides new disks every month with the Top 40 hits in three genres, Urban, Pop, and Country. These are available per subscription or individually. PHM tends to be a bit pricy, but you do get some of the newest available hits before anyone else. Pop Hits is an industry leader. Similar brands are Top Hits Monthly (THM), Sing It Now (SIN), and Panorama (PAN). However they have all been merged into the one brand.

 

Priddis (PR) - 4 1/2 Microphones

Wow, I love Priddis! They sound so close to the original, and the lyrics are usually dead on. Unfortunately, they do have a limited music selection, but a lot of performers use Priddis for backing tracks to audition for shows. They are expensive, have rare music, and only usually 5-6 songs per CDG. They also produce an excellent Lost Classic series (LC) that serves up those great tunes from the 60s–80s.

 

Quick Hitz (QH) - 3 1/2 Microphones

While sometimes the lyrics are incorrect, the backing tracks are usually right on and of good quality. These are very inexpensive discs to buy, and they come out almost as quickly as Pop Hit Monthly. They recently changed their name to FastTraxx (FTX).

 

Radio Starz (RSZ) - 3 Microphones

Good little karaoke company that is now out of business. They put out some great karaoke tracks that aren’t available on other brands. Bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Nirvana have the best versions of karaoke on this label. Great for Grunge. These are discontinued, so pick up your CDG online for about $10.

 

Sweet Georgia Brown (SGB) - 2 1/2 Microphones

For inexpensive CDG tracks, Sweet Georgia Brown does not disappoint. Overall they are average, due to incorrect lyrics mostly. But a lot of the backing tracks sound pretty good, and there are thousands of songs that Sweet Georgia Brown provides. These are very inexpensive and well worth the price!

 

Sound Choice (SC) - 4 Microphones

What can I say? Sound Choice is the industry standard, which is also the reason they are the most requested, most bootlegged, and most pirated! Sound Choice is usually the safest and best choice for your karaoke track. With piracy running rampant, and hosts illegally downloading Sound Choice music (because it is the standard), Sound Choice has almost gone the way of the others less fortunate. They were forced to stop making new music and spend their time going after the illegal hosts. By doing this they hope to recoup lost revenue and continue to make new tracks. Hopefully they will have new music again.

 

Sunfly (SF) - 2 1/2 Microphones

Sunfly is a European company providing a vast collection of karaoke. They usually fall way short in the quality of classic tracks. Over the last couple years, the newest Top 40 Hits by Lady Gaga, Kesha, Muse, Bruno Mars, etc. have sounded great with Sunfly’s electric sound! If you want classics like Pat Benatar, then choose a different brand. If you want Black Eyed Peas, choose Sunfly.

 

Supercore (SPC)- 2 Microphones

A decent way to fill your home collection. I do not recommend Supercore for a professional karaoke show. It falls short on quality, but they have a lot of hits available. Good for office parties since the whole collection is available for little money on Ebay.

 

Top Tunes (TT or TU) - 2 Microphones

Another good way to fill your collection, as a host the Top Tunes are really hit and miss, but mostly miss. At times they are the only choice since they might be the only ones providing a version of a specific song. As a singer, I try not to choose Top Tunes, unless it is my only choice. I do know some Karaoke Hosts who swear by Top Tunes because ther’re inexpensive and feature a large collection of songs.

 

Zoom (ZM) – 3 1/2 Microphones

Great for new wave hits by Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Erasure, and others. Zoom, while expensive, has some of my favorite tracks to play. Very rarely will you go wrong choosing a Zoom track. They even have a short version of Hotel California, that right there gives them an extra 1/2 microphone.

There are still more karaoke collections that I haven’t even touched on in this article. These are the main brands that you might come across in your karaoke journey. Remember to choose wisely, and if you don’t know which to choose, ask your Karaoke Host. Keep this article in your pocket for quick reference. Please everyone, sing responsibly!