Loll and people were saying the opposite
Overall it's probably more money to get in Japan. You just can't say just because Idol X can earn more money in SK it's like that for everyone. The same way the girls in BP can more easilly earn more money than the Twice members because BP only have four members comapred to Twices with nine members.
Im really surprised by this
I thought everything in Japan paid more, hence why idols flock to it the most
Revenues are better in Japan, but contracts are obliviously worse in Japan.
As Sakura said the contract structure is different.
In Japan you work for a salary, and you earn extra if you are a high performer.
In Korean contracts you get a share of the profits, that is great if you make a lot of profit, but many groups never get profits, so many idols disband with out ever making any money.
Many years back when the first original member of AKB48 were still there and got asked about what they earn, the girls said they wanted to make it fair to everyone and so decided that everyone is getting payed the same amount, to not make girls feel bad if they are less famous cause originaly the agency had planed to pay famous members more
Many years back when the first original member of AKB48 were still there and got asked about what they earn, the girls said they wanted to make it fair to everyone and so decided that everyone is getting payed the same amount, to not make girls feel bad if they are less famous cause originaly the agency had planed to pay famous members more
Well if would cauase a lot of problems if the girls got different payment, but it's hard to believe that the "stars" would not get more money than the others. They can also get extra money from commercials and simliar deals I would guess. so the most popular members probably get more money in the end.
I suppose what pay better in japanese market are the concerts and sold physicals copies. But which were the chances she could be a big soloist by herself, without any big entertainment agency backing her up?
Sakura made the right choice. And she will still get the japanese money through le sserafim successful career there.
Display MoreRevenues are better in Japan, but contracts are obliviously worse in Japan.
As Sakura said the contract structure is different.
In Japan you work for a salary, and you earn extra if you are a high performer.
In Korean contracts you get a share of the profits, that is great if you make a lot of profit, but many groups never get profits, so many idols disband with out ever making any money.
I thought was just an exception for akb and johnny groups?
They all get paid a flat fee?
Not really.
Sure most companies in Japan do not use the dept-system like in Korea where companies make you pay for even being there, but from an interview I watched on YT where a former JPop-idol spoke up, she said her group mostly only apeared on free events and earned on there only by selling merch but they barly made any money so for like 30$ sold merch the girls only got 7$ from it and this was all they got ont hese events most of the time. She also mentioned that one girl in her group worked 3 jobs on the side just to be able to life and pay her rent. This is very common for underground groups.
Undergrounds groups are the worst earning groups in JPop and since there are so many they often disband quit early from not earning enough money, not having many chances to hit it big in Japan etc. If a group gains more popularity they often hope to get a major debut in a good company, cause this makes sure that they earn at least enough to not starve from their idol position.
Groups in Japan who don't debut as a underground group still don't even earn enough sometimes to feed themselfs, so thats why there are so many people in groups who also work as models, actors and actresses, work a side job or do other stuff that makes them earn money. This is also one of the reasons why so many idols apear in advertisments of all sorts or do a lot of different acting work cause they need the money to survive. And about the advertising, this is why fans often feel their faves are special when they are a famous idol and advertise for a luxurious brand, cause most not so famous idols often apear in all sorts of ads like from grocery stores or cheap fashion etc. So advertising in Japan as idol seems mostly only speacial if the person works for a very known brand. Example if a KPop-fan would say they feel special that their fave advertises a fruit juice that gets sold in Korea for 1$ you would think in JPop that this is just a random ad and only feel happy for your fave if let's say Gucci would ask your fave idol to work in an ad for them.
But yeah, the dept-system in KPop is cruel. If you don't hit it big you will earn less money and if your group disbands you most likly end up having to pay the dept to your company. In other jobs you would get payed and not need to pay your company for that you worked for them, but KPop is different and so it seems weird if a group disbands and the idols complain that they have to pay so much. I mean I once read of a idol who left his group and his company demanded him to give them 300K $ and he complained "How should I pay this? I earned no money in my group, have no savings, don't have a job yet, my parents have no money they could lent me" and so in KPop many groups hope to hit the point where they become dept-free
In Korean contracts you get a share of the profits, that is great if you make a lot of profit, but many groups never get profits, so many idols disband with out ever making any money.
This for example is one reason why the CEO of Beat Interactive was unhappy when she used to work for Stone Entertainment. She had no money when she made Beat but she wanted to give her people the things other companies don't do. And so her first group, A.C.E said they got a lot pocket money each month and a lot more money when they debuted and when being asked if they had a dept to pay to her, they said they don't think so.
Thats totally different to what other agencies in KPop would do.
Display MoreNot really.
Sure most companies in Japan do not use the dept-system like in Korea where companies make you pay for even being there, but from an interview I watched on YT where a former JPop-idol spoke up, she said her group mostly only apeared on free events and earned on there only by selling merch but they barly made any money so for like 30$ sold merch the girls only got 7$ from it and this was all they got ont hese events most of the time. She also mentioned that one girl in her group worked 3 jobs on the side just to be able to life and pay her rent. This is very common for underground groups.
Undergrounds groups are the worst earning groups in JPop and since there are so many they often disband quit early from not earning enough money, not having many chances to hit it big in Japan etc. If a group gains more popularity they often hope to get a major debut in a good company, cause this makes sure that they earn at least enough to not starve from their idol position.
Groups in Japan who don't debut as a underground group still don't even earn enough sometimes to feed themselfs, so thats why there are so many people in groups who also work as models, actors and actresses, work a side job or do other stuff that makes them earn money. This is also one of the reasons why so many idols apear in advertisments of all sorts or do a lot of different acting work cause they need the money to survive. And about the advertising, this is why fans often feel their faves are special when they are a famous idol and advertise for a luxurious brand, cause most not so famous idols often apear in all sorts of ads like from grocery stores or cheap fashion etc. So advertising in Japan as idol seems mostly only speacial if the person works for a very known brand. Example if a KPop-fan would say they feel special that their fave advertises a fruit juice that gets sold in Korea for 1$ you would think in JPop that this is just a random ad and only feel happy for your fave if let's say Gucci would ask your fave idol to work in an ad for them.
But yeah, the dept-system in KPop is cruel. If you don't hit it big you will earn less money and if your group disbands you most likly end up having to pay the dept to your company. In other jobs you would get payed and not need to pay your company for that you worked for them, but KPop is different and so it seems weird if a group disbands and the idols complain that they have to pay so much. I mean I once read of a idol who left his group and his company demanded him to give them 300K $ and he complained "How should I pay this? I earned no money in my group, have no savings, don't have a job yet, my parents have no money they could lent me" and so in KPop many groups hope to hit the point where they become dept-free
Regarding debt, the big difference could be who you owe the debt to.
As you say nugu jpop idols have to have second jobs to pay for food and rent, some may even borrow money or use credit cards.
In Kpop idols go into debt with their companies, but the companies provide room and food allowances, now the rooms they give you can be very small, like the WJSN girls there were 13 girls living in a small 3 bedroom apartment, and some idols have said they only got like 8 dollar per day for food.
There is or at least used to be ladder and the higher ranking girls had way better contracts. Sashihara rino who was the number one in the group before she left also made many times more than any of the others at the time. But it would still be low compared what someone equivialent of her fame would make in korea. They system is much more like salaried positions and few get little if any share of the actual revenue that they directly generate.
Japanese agencies are very controlling and connected to each other, and basically decides who gets to appear in any form of media because of their big influence. This makes it hard for celebrities to negotitate, and angering your agency by leaving very likely means being blacklisted from any of the big tv stations or production companies.
There are a few exceptions,who have made a fortune for themselves, like Ayumi hamasaki, Takuya kimura, arashi members etc, but thats mostly because they reached a point where they got so huge that they had all the leverage. The majority will never reach that level.
But once they get to that level, the ceiling is much higher on how much money one can make in japan vs korea at least when it comes to music. If Arashi, a boyband that debuted in 99, comes back tomorrow releasing a new album and went on a tour in japan, it would most likely be the best selling album of the year and the tour would easily sell 1+ million tickets. If G.O.D, a group that debuted around the same time as arashi, did the same in korea, they would struggle to enter the top 20 chart and maybe sell 50k tickets total.
This adds another multplication to earning potential, the shelf life of an idol is in general much longer in japan (at least for men) which adds up over time, as in korea theres usually a much shorter window of opportunity to earn the big bucks.
https://www.pannchoa.com/2023/…ng-entertainment.html?m=1
AKB girls get paid based on a fix salary whereas Kpop idols get paid proportional to how much they work/earn. In Korea, top idols can earn nearly $1 million for a single promotion based on the cfs rate.
While they in general will make more, making a million or more per cf is basically reserved for s-tier celebrites, very few idols will ever see that kind money for a single cf in korea.
There is or at least used to be ladder and the higher ranking girls had way better contracts. Sashihara rino who was the number one in the group before she left also made many times more than any of the others at the time. But it would still be low compared what someone equivialent of her fame would make in korea.
Sashihara Rino is indeed doing better financially in her post-idol career compared to her AKB days.
They system is much more like salaried positions and few get little if any share of the actual revenue that they directly generate.
Japanese agencies are very controlling and connected to each other, and basically decides who gets to appear in any form of media because of their big influence. This makes it hard for celebrities to negotitate, and angering your agency by leaving very likely means being blacklisted from any of the big tv stations or production companies.
This. True even for non-idol talent. For example, Yoshimoto Kogyo, the old agency a lot of comedians/MCs belong to have a 9:1 split favoring the agency. Sashihara Rino currently belongs to Ota Pro which has a newer 6:4 split favoring the talent. I don't know how much Sakura is pulling, but industry insiders have estimated Sashihara pulls in around $4M a year not counting her cosmetic line, which is also bringing in big $$. She had 284 tv appearances in 2022, with each paying about 500,000 yen, so that alone is roughly $1M for the year.
https://www.pannchoa.com/2023/…ng-entertainment.html?m=1
AKB girls get paid based on a fix salary whereas Kpop idols get paid proportional to how much they work/earn. In Korea, top idols can earn nearly $1 million for a single promotion based on the cfs rate. While Sakura is popular in Japan, she will not make near that amount especially when AKB/HKT is not at its peak anymore. K-pop groups value Japan for its concert attendance, but substantial earnings from variety shows, CFs, and other schedules are typically reserved for top artists.
Sakura indeed make a right decision to sustain her popularity and the one that more profitable for her in the long term.
Sashihara Rino did 11 commercials estimated at 40,000,000 yen average each, that's about $3M total. Not too bad for an ex AKB idol.
Anyone who gets into the Big 4 is set for life.
Well if would cauase a lot of problems if the girls got different payment, but it's hard to believe that the "stars" would not get more money than the others. They can also get extra money from commercials and simliar deals I would guess. so the most popular members probably get more money in the end.
AKB is more like a stepping stone into the entertainment industry. But the "stars" can have their own agency to represent them and manage their solo activities.
Sashihara Rino is indeed doing better financially in her post-idol career compared to her AKB days.
This. True even for non-idol talent. For example, Yoshimoto Kogyo, the old agency a lot of comedians/MCs belong to have a 9:1 split favoring the agency. Sashihara Rino currently belongs to Ota Pro which has a newer 6:4 split favoring the talent. I don't know how much Sakura is pulling, but industry insiders have estimated Sashihara pulls in around $4M a year not counting her cosmetic line, which is also bringing in big $$. She had 284 tv appearances in 2022, with each paying about 500,000 yen, so that alone is roughly $1M for the year.
Sashihara Rino did 11 commercials estimated at 40,000,000 yen average each, that's about $3M total. Not too bad for an ex AKB idol.
I havent really followed her in recent years but yea, from what i recall she was estimated to be doing about half a million per year back when she was still in akb. Seems shes doing really well these days then (no surprise really), im guessing shes the most succesful female tv talent currently? And 284 tv appearances in a single year is an insane amount.
yea, but one slip up & u gone.
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