Sharing with Google Drive

Why Google Drive?

While any file upload service could be used for sharing files with KJs, most creators currently use Google Drive. There is also a main diveBar Drive link pinned in #irl-hosting which links to individual creators’ Drives. It’s easier to do something like that when we’re all using the same system.

Once you have a Google Drive created for your tracks, please link it in the Discord, so we can link it from the main drive.

File Naming

These are recommended conventions for file names. Not everyone follows them exactly, but they are at least worth considering, to make it easier on KJs. In addition to the below, you may also consider this even stricter guide from Harley, who’s been KJing for a very long time.

The Basics

The following file naming convention guide was written by Rank Amateur Feel Good Machine with assistance from Acorlei. While a lot of folks are content to just share their work on YouTube, most also upload to a Google Drive so they can be downloaded for offline shows. When creating files for offline use, it is important to name them in a consistent way so karaoke hosting databases like Karma, OpenKJ, etc can use them. The conventions below are recommended because they work with most systems.

So you’ve given yourself a creator name. You’ve made a track. You want to share it with the world! Did you know there’s a standard style for the filename? Yep. There be! The VAST majority of current karaoke software likes to organize and sort its files using legacy disc coding. “But RAFM” you vehemently object, “the disc is dead!” Right you are, Kenny! BUT it’s still useful and helps KJs everywhere to follow a standard. SO! Let’s go over this.

A legacy karaoke cdg ripped into digital format would be named like… . let’s use the now defunct Stellar Productions rather widespread Pop Hits Monthly as an example.

PHM9701-09 - New Edition - I’m Still In Love With You.zip

Lotta info in that file name. That was disc 1 from 1997, track #9. Fancy, right? But again, discs are dead. So let’s bring ourselves to the 21st century proper. A currently active company you may have heard of called SBI does it like this:

SBI-30014 - Winger - Easy Come Easy Go.zip

SO! Some will say pick three letters. I don’t necessarily agree with that. It can be four or five if that satisfies a good abbreviation for your creator name. Like me, I use RAFM. Funbox uses FBK (Funbox Karaoke). Peareoke is PEAR, yadda yadda yadda. This is the 49th track I ever made.

RAFM-0049 - Nirvana - Mr. Moustache

See? Easy enough!

Code-#### - Artist - Title

Once you settle on a name code, check with me to make sure that it’s not already being used by someone else. It is important to take note of the spacing in the name above. You must have your - and spaces properly formatted in order for the database index to determine which fields to look in for information. Let’s do one more example just to make sure we’ve got it down. Say you just created a channel called Fake Karaoke Name and you finished a video for your very first track. The song is Last Nite by The Strokes. This is what it would be called when exporting.

FAKE-0001 - Strokes, The - Last Nite

The The Dilemma

Leaving “The” in band names or song titles can make it harder to find. Most folks either drop the word entirely or comma flip it to the end. In the odd event your track ends up in a printed book, it’ll look way better. Rather than trying to wade through all the bands whose name starts with the, a singer can proceed directly to the letter B in the case of this example.

RANK-0001 - Butthole Surfers, The - Whatever I Had A Dream

Multiple Singers

Duet? Trio? If you want to make it perfectly clear your track is for multiple singers, add (Duet) in there. Whether you put it in the artist field or title field is forever debated. Doowutchyalike.

ZIP Files / CD+GS

Zip files - YOUR MP3 AND CDG FILES MUST BE IDENTICAL IN NAME WITHIN THE ZIP FOR ALL CDG PLAYERS TO USE IT!

(Acorlei Edit: Say RAFM, did you know that you can Build as Zip directly from KBS5, and it will auto name those tracks for you?)

Response: LOL yep, but if a mistake is made, gotta make sure it’s corrected across the board. Like I f’ed up something last night and had to fix it after the fact. And like when I create zips out of large packages that aren’t zipped, I have to ensure this is accurate. So it’s a good fact to know.

Other Notes

Multiple artists featured in the song: If two artists, use “person & otherperson”. If 3+, use “person1, person2, & person3”. Using “feat.” or the like can get tedious. Just list em.

Video game soundtrack: CREDIT THE SONGWRITER AND THE PERFORMING ARTIST/GROUP. It’s just right and decent.

OTHER FILE NAMING SCHEMES: I acknowledge that there ARE catalog programs out there that prefer the coding at the end. I also acknowledge that a rare few do title - artist (I think this is called the Boston format?). It varies. Hell, it almost seems to be a geographical thing. My points cover the 80%+ of hosts and software out there.

I THINK that’s a lot of the major points covered. Trust me. I’ve spent HOURS UPON HOURS sorting and organizing my own 360k+ library. KJs everywhere love files that follow this standard. It’s ubiquitous. Be ubiquitous in this aspect.