Brand Deals and Modeling VS Album Sales and Charting, which is the bigger indicator of success of the two?

IMO, modeling is the biggest indicator of an idol's demand and it starts with their merch and photo cards selling out and then the albums with the most individual details that in turn increase the number of preorders and album sales in general.

Seeing how much individual former Exo members make in China explains this so well. They each make as much as most if not all top-tier groups make in Korea in a year.

Quote from Slayurfaves

album sales and charts, and touring imo brand deals lost their relevance now that some labels get them through connections

I would say all of them are important to some extent dominating all areas is an indication of success

True.

And, there are idols who don't release music except for their fans and or whose music does not chart well but have had some of the biggest brand deals ever like since debut and for some, since before debut.

Quote from Daisy_Queen

Both. You can be well charting but still not be recognized much as an individual figure

I wonder what I'd prefer, charting well while being nugu to the public or not charting but being known and bagging deals left and right.

Quote from SooYoung

Music chart,album and tour

They are some idols who aren't doing so well but are still endorsing for some companies

Doesn't that show that they are in demand even if they don't sell well?

Quote from K-PL

imo concerts

TVXQ as a duo had 7 massive Japanese concert tours. Even better there are only 2 of them to divide up the profits.

Tvxq is legendary for a reason.

Quote from SooYoung

Not really

It remind me the case of french influenceur

There was a news recently about a brand selling thousands of euros to get a very popular influencer to promote their product

And when they did, this model only brought them 4 sales

Was the brand owned by the influencer's mother or something?

Quote from paradis

The biggest indicator of success is touring, I thought its common knowledge.

How is modelling even relevant to a musician in the grand scheme of things? It can never be the priority.

You sound like no idols model at all when it is the order of the day and the identity of many successful idols.

Quote from ISaidISaid

Success in what.. you need sales and cons to be a successful musical act. You can’t use brand deals to say one artist’s music is more popular/successful than the other only sales and touring and other musical charting can do that.

Anyone can be successful in brand deals : actors athletes even tiktok stars and random influencers and reality stars. Brand deals are something separate. It can make you money but it doesn’t automatically mean you’re successful in music or acting if you have brand deals. For those you gotta see how your music charts and how your movie does etc

If you’re a musical act charting related to music is what is the most important metric for success.

Clearly you are talking about success as musicians or singers and I'm talking about general success.

Quote from Lulu_Key

wise person aka Lee Taemin said happiness is the only success one needs in this life. Truer than ever

I guess it comes down to what makes an idol happy? What brings them happiness?

Quote from catzi

For individual idols of course it helps, but general money and success how they chart and sell is always a bigger indication.

Not for visuals who btw are usually the most successful in groups.

Quote from ISaidISaid

That still doesn’t make any sense lol. Asking that question itself is wrong. Some artists maybe be investing or opening companies or buying homes and they maybe successful in those things.

Rihanna owns fenty and Taylor Swift sold out her stadium tour in minutes comparing who is more “successful” is not not just silly but it can’t be done.

Why bring modeling and brand in particular that’s not the only thing making money so many other things make money as well.

It doesn't make sense to you because you don't understand the importance of modeling to idols' careers.

Kai, yes, the guy in your dp is known as a human Gucci and is among the very few idols who popularised modeling in the kpop world so you of all people would know how important modeling is to idols.

Part of many huge kpop idols' legacies includes modeling. For example, GD and Chanel, GD and Sehun as the first Kpop male idols to be on the cover of Vogue magazine, etc which means they made history and a dent in the fashion industry etc Yoona and her 20+ deals a year as an idol and she changed the visual and centre role forever. And now there's Black Pink and etc

If you think that's not important to idols then there's nothing to say to you.

Quote from thelightoftruth

IMO depends on how you personally measure success.

If public recognition is your thing then modelling and brand deals and charting are more important.

If a large and passionate fandom is your thing then album sales and touring and maybe social media engagement etc are more important.

I agree.

Quote from QueenMaknae27

Or be like BP who dominates both area

Kings only~

Quote from ISaidISaid

That still doesn’t make any sense lol. Asking that question itself is wrong. Some artists maybe be investing or opening companies or buying homes and they maybe successful in those things.

Rihanna owns fenty and Taylor Swift sold out her stadium tour in minutes comparing who is more “successful” is not just silly but it can’t be done.

Why bring modeling and brand in particular that’s not the only thing making money so many other things make money as well.

And I don't know if Taylor Swift is a billionaire but Rihanna is, so we know who ranks higher on Forbes successful women lists.

Quote from Icaro_Ribeiro

Touring in by far the most important indication

I'd say album sales comes next. Charting while is important is more circumstantial, longevity and having a stable streams and digital sales are more important than charting itself

CF deals are important in the sense they bring money directly to idols pockets, however I always felt like CF deals are a matter for company and contracts, it's something hard to have a tangible measurement except in the very few cases where those contracts go public. You can have an ideal doing CF deals 24/7 and getting only a few dollars each contract, and huge ass exclusive deals. TLDR, we cannot now how much is earned with CFs so discussing them is pointless imo

Modeling gigs are kinda... tertiary I guess ? Acting for instance seems to be far more important than modeling

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I understand what you are saying but I don't think we ever know how much idols really earn from whatever they do. We do not even know how much they earn from album sales, we can guess how much they make but not their cut after costs and everything. Same thing with modeling. We only hear about who gets paid in 5, 6, 7 or 8 figures but we do not know the truth exactly.

I'm curious, are there idols who aren't that successful who model to the level of Yoona, Lisa and Black Pink, Wonyoung etc? I believe that brand deals are given to idols in demand otherwise, which company can employ any idol if they are not successful enough to make it money?

Quote from Icaro_Ribeiro

They could also start their own idol companies and producing/composing for them. I think Rain and Zico are doing that. There are many ways to be successful, I don't think acting, modeling and hosting should be directly related to the musical careers. If you pick a once successful singer (Will Smith) who turned to be an almost full time actor, everybody will agree he's very successful, but this acting sucess did not translate to him a singer. Those are separated success

Also, Selena Gomez, she's an extremely successful CF girl, with huge social media following, but her musical career is pretty mild... I guess? She's not a flop, but she's not a household name when it comes to music compared to how huge she is on SNS

Are you saying that modeling does not do anything for idols? That it does not make them names or legacies or anything?

Quote from Icaro_Ribeiro

They could also start their own idol companies and producing/composing for them. I think Rain and Zico are doing that. There are many ways to be successful, I don't think acting, modeling and hosting should be directly related to the musical careers. If you pick a once successful singer (Will Smith) who turned to be an almost full time actor, everybody will agree he's very successful, but this acting sucess did not translate to him a singer. Those are separated success

Also Selena Gomez, she's an extremely successful CF girl, with huge social media following, but her musical career is pretty mild... I guess? She's not a flop, but she's not a household name when it comes to music compared to how huge she is on SNS

Selena did amazing as a singer until she slowed down, she acts more than she sings and yet she still has some very big hits like The Heart Wants What It Wants.

I think singing was her transition from being a Disney actress to whatever she is now because she still sings and acts.

Quote from sveznalica

I mean you can be like Cha Eunwoo or you can be like Baekhyun.

Yes you can.

Quote from sveznalica

TS is on her way to become billionaire. If she continues touring like this she will be a billionaire in no time.

Yaay more gas for her private jet.

I honestly thought she was already one. Good for her.