People seem to have this misinformation about being a kpop idol. (1 Viewer)

[Sourcekeeper]

Over the years, people think being a kpop idol is 1:1 employment where you get employed just like in a normal job & receive salary but sadly that is far from the truth. Outside of the big 3, most kpop trainees enter into a debt contract with the company they are with, the company will pay for training and food, debut & promotions but after every single cent you make will probably go to the company until you managed to pay off everything that you owed, for some groups, this will take years of hard work and every comeback will add to this, its why groups outside of the big 3 if they stopped promoting for awhile, means they are disbanded. Some companies will keep trying until the group gain recognition but there's not many with enough profit to do that. When they finally payed off their debt, they will probably be offered a new contract to revenue share with the company based on a percentage.

In the big 3 this is not the method as trainees are tested regularly to ensure only the most promising trainees survive to debut, those that don't are simply sent home, groups that managed to debut but are not profitable are simply "dungeoned" until the company has surplus funds to give them another go. The kpop industry may seem large but this is the reality for many groups out there, there are hundreds out there and many more being formed.

This is my perspective of how the kpop industry works after reading about it, do share your knowledge if i got mine wrong.

 

[OnlyCalB]

From seeing too many idols come forward over the years and talk about their financial situation about being in debt for years to their company before finally getting paid, you have pretty much summed up the unfortunate position of most Kpop idols.

And the big three (SM, YG and JYP), from what I've heard, give their trainee's money aside from all the trainee costs, and they don't hold any of the costs over them as debt, thankfully.

Spoiler: The sad truth... SENSITIVE

Sorry to darken the mood of the thread, but this information kind of goes hand-in-hand with the financial situation of some idols from low end companies...

Some of the really low end companies engage with other means to afford/cover the costs of the trainee's and even the cost of their future comebacks if they are not making enough money after debut. The stories insiders have told about some of these companies methods are disturbing and disgusting and I often hope these company CEOs and other staff involved end up in jail, as they deserve it. I'm talking about idol "sponsorships" here, which I won't go into detail about.

 

[Sourcekeeper]

From seeing too many idols come forward over the years and talk about their financial situation about being in debt for years to their company before finally getting paid, you have pretty much summed up the unfortunate position of most Kpop idols.

And the big three (SM, YG and JYP), from what I've heard, give their trainee's money aside from all the trainee costs, and they don't hold any of the costs over them as debt, thankfully.

Spoiler: The sad truth... SENSITIVE

Sorry to darken the mood of the thread, but this information kind of goes hand-in-hand with the financial situation of some idols from low end companies...

Some of the really low end companies engage with other means to afford/cover the costs of the trainee's and even the cost of their future comebacks if they are not making enough money after debut. The stories insiders have told about some of these companies methods are disturbing and disgusting and I often hope these company CEOs and other staff involved end up in jail, as they deserve it. I'm talking about idol "sponsorships" here, which I won't go into detail about.

Yeah getting into big 3 and managing to stay there is the best choice to be an idol.

 

[mysteric]

yeah I especially remember Cao Lu talking about her financial situation, where she basically didn't earn any money despite being pretty popular

 

[Sourcekeeper]

From seeing too many idols come forward over the years and talk about their financial situation about being in debt for years to their company before finally getting paid, you have pretty much summed up the unfortunate position of most Kpop idols.

And the big three (SM, YG and JYP), from what I've heard, give their trainee's money aside from all the trainee costs, and they don't hold any of the costs over them as debt, thankfully.

Spoiler: The sad truth... SENSITIVE

Sorry to darken the mood of the thread, but this information kind of goes hand-in-hand with the financial situation of some idols from low end companies...

Some of the really low end companies engage with other means to afford/cover the costs of the trainee's and even the cost of their future comebacks if they are not making enough money after debut. The stories insiders have told about some of these companies methods are disturbing and disgusting and I often hope these company CEOs and other staff involved end up in jail, as they deserve it. I'm talking about idol "sponsorships" here, which I won't go into detail about.

I think its safe to say BH can be added to the big 3 list, i am pretty sure they will follow the big 3 style of managing their new trainees now that they are super rich.

 

[Sourcekeeper]

yeah I especially remember Cao Lu talking about her financial situation, where she basically didn't earn any money despite being pretty popular

Yeah, i feel sad for many of them, they got into this because of their dreams but its a gamble whether you make it, if you fail or succeed, you get debts either way.

 

[RandAlThor]

This is why that despite the favoritism /crap and the cheating...
Kids will line up for the next produce.
each of the groups with 2 trainees in pd 101 in less than a year got the debt paid off.
and w1 and pd 48 made and are making money although covid has hurt them as well as the rest of us.

i would really hope loona has no debt, because that debuting concept was stupid and burned cash like crazy.


Also gotta say that both mystic and wollim are likely close to the big 3 model too otherwise the akb members would not have signed that deal.

Now the big 3 do go after those who break contracts both trainees and artist for that cash btw. (SM at least signs kids to trainee deals that used to be ~2years that may have changed to one from last years law.)
And after the government approved contract was changed following jyj. i really do not think the companies have lost that fight.

the W1 dude was a fly by night company that just screwed up. The way i understand it. What they should have done was not let him act until they got a new deal drafted. Either outa greed (default fan position ) or trying to help him with something they were not good at they subcontracted him out and that broke the og deal.

 

[maruberry]

I think its safe to say BH can be added to the big 3 list, i am pretty sure they will follow the big 3 style of managing their new trainees now that they are super rich.

Well there is currently no info whether or not they still have trainee debt.

Since there is no evidence to say anything has changed since BTS's debut days, I'd say they still have it.

 

[Sourcekeeper]

This is why that despite the favoritism /crap and the cheating...
Kids will line up for the next produce.
each of the groups with 2 trainees in pd 101 in less than a year got the debt paid off.
and w1 and pd 48 made and are making money although covid has hurt them as well as the rest of us.

i would really hope loona has no debt, because that debuting concept was stupid and burned cash like crazy.


Also gotta say that both mystic and wollim are likely close to the big 3 model too otherwise the akb members would not have signed that deal.

Now the big 3 do go after those who break contracts both trainees and artist for that cash btw. (SM at least signs kids to trainee deals that used to be ~2years that may have changed to one from last years law.)
And after the government approved contract was changed following jyj. i really do not think the companies have lost that fight.

the W1 dude was a fly by night company that just screwed up. The way i understand it. What they should have done was not let him act until they got a new deal drafted. Either outa greed (default fan position ) or trying to help him with something they were not good at they subcontracted him out and that broke the og deal.

Yeah tournaments are like once in a lifetime opportunity, being an idol is all about getting your name known enough that you have enough people who will like you/follow you. Don't all companies go after people who break contract though, outside of being kicked for being incompetent during the trainee days. Though like @OnlyCalB said, big three trainees do receive monthly cash allowance & are generally debt free if company decides to terminate contract. Maybe SM has a penalty fee if trainee does something bad.

Yeah i gotta say woolim and mystic might be operating on that model.

 

[Sourcekeeper]

Well there is currently no info whether or not they still have trainee debt.

Since there is no evidence to say anything has changed since BTS's debut days, I'd say they still have it.

Its weird to believe that they would be operating on that model still when their company is soon to be richer than the big 3 combined

 

[maruberry]

Its weird to believe that they would be operating on that model still when their company is soon to be richer than the big 3 combined

It seems weird yes, but you would think there would be some kind of an announcement or rumour or leak about it y'know!

 

[Sourcekeeper]

It seems weird yes, but you would think there would be some kind of an announcement or rumour or leak about it y'know!

I don't think the company will release that, we have to wait until a trainee or idol leaks it then we will know, BH is relatively new, so we wont be able to confirm that.

 

[maruberry]

I don't think the company will release that, we have to wait until a trainee or idol leaks it then we will know, BH is relatively new, so we wont be able to confirm that.

I mean sure, but I won't assume good of a company without any evidence or even rumours!

 

[PWSwan]

I think its safe to say BH can be added to the big 3 list, i am pretty sure they will follow the big 3 style of managing their new trainees now that they are super rich.

There aren't any former trainees to ask yet, as no trainees have debuted, but I think PN will follow the Big 3 in this.

 

[jasque]

Over the years, people think being a kpop idol is 1:1 employment where you get employed just like in a normal job & receive salary but sadly that is far from the truth. Outside of the big 3, most kpop trainees enter into a debt contract with the company they are with, the company will pay for training and food, debut & promotions but after every single cent you make will probably go to the company until you managed to pay off everything that you owed, for some groups, this will take years of hard work and every comeback will add to this, its why groups outside of the big 3 if they stopped promoting for awhile, means they are disbanded. Some companies will keep trying until the group gain recognition but there's not many with enough profit to do that. When they finally payed off their debt, they will probably be offered a new contract to revenue share with the company based on a percentage.

In the big 3 this is not the method as trainees are tested regularly to ensure only the most promising trainees survive to debut, those that don't are simply sent home, groups that managed to debut but are not profitable are simply "dungeoned" until the company has surplus funds to give them another go. The kpop industry may seem large but this is the reality for many groups out there, there are hundreds out there and many more being formed.

This is my perspective of how the kpop industry works after reading about it, do share your knowledge if i got mine wrong.

I think its 100% accurate

 

[SHlNEE]

the big main question i got when it comes to the kpop industry

why do korean people admire it so much and want to do everything to become a kpop idol when the kpop idol life can be so bad and fkd up?
which is why there been so many suicides?

is it really just because of the fame and attention that people still think it's worth it?
i am confused

i love the music and everything, the quality of kpop is
but i don't think it should exist if people are becoming very unhappy behind closed doors and eventually maybe even kill themselves

 

[ceylanjmorgan]

the big main question i got when it comes to the kpop industry

why do korean people admire it so much and want to do everything to become a kpop idol when the kpop idol life can be so bad and fkd up?
which is why there been so many suicides?

is it really just because of the fame and attention that people still think it's worth it?
i am confused

i love the music and everything, the quality of kpop is
but i don't think it should exist if people are becoming very unhappy behind closed doors and eventually maybe even kill themselves

I assume it's their passion, if it's your passion, you have faith for achieving it and you can't give it up. You follow the footsteps of the musicians you like. For many musicians, music is something that keeps them breathing, it gives them motivation for life. The whole music industry is f**cked up, yet many musicians stay in it even after going through stuff.