Hi all, my names Tom and im currently setting up a digital mobile dj business: www.resonic.co.uk with a friend from college (you may know of him, john.griffifths, as he's been on this forum before)
Obviously, finances are somewhat tight ! Now, Napster charge £0.79 per track usually, but they also offer unlimited downloads for £10 a month. However, this does not allow you to burn the track to disc, and it means that each downloaded track is only available for as long as you are a napster member. Essentially therefore, the music is rented! Once i get the business up and running, i will be purchasing tracks for keeps from napster, but at the moment i think that the money would be better spent on some decent sound equipment and lighting.
So my question is this: is it legal to play music from a napster subscription to a live audience?....

Oh and also, would you reccommend it?

cheers, Tom.

Firstly, I'd strongly recommend you concentrate on music, and that you don't relegate this most important component to second or third place.

You can perform a disco without lights and without a dedicated PA system - I've done it many times when I first started, but you'll always fall to your knees if you haven't got the music. You are going to need a good collection of music from the 50s right up to the current if you are going to be able to deliver as you say on your website. I'd say a good 2,000 of the best disco-worthy material from this span would be a good starting point.

I don't want the following to sound like random criticism, as it certainly isn't; More a case of pointing out possible areas for improvement as you are obviously new to this, and we aim to advise and assist budding DJs like yourselves where possible, constructive criticism often being the simplest and most direct way of doing this.

I've looked at your website, and the statement,
"We both have a wealth of talent and a wide range of musical knowledge"
would start alarm bells ringing when faced with your photos, as you are obviously young and therefore almost certainly not as experienced as you suggest. I recommend you re-word that, or leave it out altogether. One of my pet hates is seeing a DJ claim he is the best etc., and the public often perceive things in a similar way.

Also, on a more technical note, the following fonts are stated in your HTML code:
"Superpsionic"
"Haettenschweiler"
"Franklin Gothic Demi"
These are not standard web fonts, and many systems simply will not have them - none of mine do. The web browser simply replaces the missing font with a standard substitute which will affect how the page appears. If you feel the need to use a fancy font and can't accept a more usual one, it might be better to produce a .gif image of it, and use that on your page.

Finally, setting up a disco with a friend......
If I hadn't done that, and had had the nerve to go it alone at an early stage, things would have been an awful lot better, faster. That is one of my BIG regrets from the past - putting too heavy a dependence on 'friends'.

I think you'd be better sorting out which one of you is going to take on the business, and then for him to sort out a reasonable circle of friends/helpers for rigging, moral support and so-on.

Good luck, and go for it! - No real reason why you shouldn't be successful if you develop the right attitude.

Good points actually. I'll have a re-jig with the site, try to make it more representative of what we can offer.
Technically, my friend isn't going to be a partner in the business, as i am putting all of the funding towards the equipment and the music. He's just going to help out with transport etc, and be payed in return.
We are doing our first gig, which is a charity do, on 14th July. I think that this will be the best way to gain some initial experience and to make a note of what will be needed for future gigs etc.
For the time being, i am renting some decent equipment from a local store. The plan is to make some steady profits from gigging with the rented equipment; and then use the profit to buy my own stuff. What are your thoughts on this strategy?

Cheers

sounds ok... but the most important thing is the music!

whatz the point in haveing a tv if there was nothing to watch?

I'm currently trying to establish whether or not it's legal to play Napster subscription downloads to an audience.

Its an absolute nightmare trying to establish legalities!

Napsters T's & C's state that you own the licence to each track until the next billing date. If they receive their money on the billing date, then the licence extends to the next billing date and so on.
HOWEVER the T's & C's also state that downloaded music, in any capacity (purchased or rented via subscription), cannot be used for public performance???!! If this is the case, then what's the point of the Digital DJ licence existing if its illegal to play the choons anyway?!
I have noticed though, that cd's say:

"unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of the recorded work prohibited"

So how does one go about gaining authorisation? As i assume that the same authorisation would be required for downloaded MP3's?

So many questions, any help greatly appreciated guys