More than 30 years ago, before the word “karaoke” was widely known in the U.S., Kurt Slep and his brother began a new business centered on making
high-quality re-recorded versions of popular songs. Their goal was simple: To make the very best accompaniment music so that everyone who wanted to
could sing along to their favorite songs.
The Slep brothers’ dedication to quality was relentless. They called their product “Sound Choice,” and an
entertainment phenomenon was born.
In time, the Sound Choice brand became known for one thing: the very best karaoke accompaniment tracks available—the most authentic reproductions
of the sound of the original song, the most accurate singing cues, and the most correct lyric displays. Sound Choice karaoke CDs were a little more expensive
than other brands, but karaoke professionals and fans knew that the extra cost was worth it.
Between 1987 and 2010, Sound Choice recorded and released more than 16,500 karaoke tracks. But by 2009, it became clear that doing business the old way
wasn’t going to work anymore. Thousands of karaoke professionals were using Sound Choice tracks to make money without paying anything.
That’s not fair. And after less drastic means failed to stop the problem, Sound Choice reluctantly looked to the courts for help. Litigation has kept the
company alive, but piracy marches on.
But in the course of that litigation, we discovered something about the Sound Choice brand that surprised us just a little. Our investigators go
out to karaoke shows to gather information for litigation. Even today, those investigators report that the dominant brand of music used in actual
karaoke shows is still Sound Choice, even though we haven’t made any new music since 2010. (Of course, Sound Choice tracks are still available
through the fantastic GEM series.)
That’s real staying power. It speaks to the quality that the Slep brothers set out to accomplish. And what it means is that the Sound Choice brand
will remain strong for years to come.
In 2015, we reorganized the company as Phoenix Entertainment Partners, LLC, but under the same management. Between 2015 and 2017, we acquired the rights
to the second-leading brand, Chartbuster Karaoke®, including the copyright in more than 6,500 classic
Chartbuster tracks. As a result, more than 70% of all of the karaoke tracks played at commercial shows in the U.S. carry our brands.
In 2018, we're returning to the studio for the first time in eight years. It's taken a long time, but we're finally ready to release new tracks.
And when we do, all you'll have to do is sing along to understand why nobody does it better than we do.
Sound Choice and Chartbuster Karaoke: America's Favorite Karaoke Brands.
Are you ready to become a Sound Choice licensee? Click here to find out how
to add Sound Choice to your karaoke library.
