Is IU proof that albums sales & touring don't bring the most money to idols like Kpoppies claim?

Well, she is also a pretty big actress and CF star.

And her fanbase is strongly rooted in Korea, so she probably charges more for appearances and shows versus groups who have bigger international fanbases.

Her sales are high in gg standards, didn’t she sell like 300k+ for lilac?

Also how much is she worth?

Quote from dreampaniQ

Her sales are high in gg standards, didn’t she sell like 300k+ for lilac?

Also how much is she worth?

2021 estimates are 40-45 million, tho it depends on how much you trust those. of course her career is long, and from 2015 forwards (after her initial 7-year contract negotiation) she's been able to keep a large portion of profits.

these numbers are a couple years ago, but she got 400-500k per cf and she's consistently had 10+ cfs every year for the past 5+ years. IU also does tour pretty extensively, while she doesn't tour outside of Asia her last tour sold over 100k tickets, which is a lot for a soloist. She has her sight on Jamsil stadium in SK for her next concert, which will be 70k attendance for one concert, and she usually does 2 nights in Seoul.

IU's income stream is due to diversification (music sales, cfs, acting, touring) and because she has extremely favorable contract conditions from being a veteran celebrity.

if you have enough success you can make enough money for example some idols like Naeun, Doyeon aren’t from well known groups but since they have cfs I think they are quite wealthy not like the top artists but they aren’t poor neither.

Not a good example. But i do think some people overrate how much you can make from album sales as it does get distributed. Touring absolutely brings money to groups along with cfs

Keep in mind there's also the working wallet effect

any savvy person with a fat wallet would want to invest and "make their money work for them"

first and foremost investing is one of the most popular ways to guard against inflation! you don't want your worth to shrink over time and suddenly 1M is just pocket change when you've poured so much effort in the past to get 1M. By investing, that 1M will grow out to be equivalent in buying power down the road and

as a bonus

you'll earn lots more money on top if you've invested well.

I'm not saying that IU hasn't generated a lot of her worth through kpop

but there is definitely a small fraction of her wealth that would be from investing.

How? What are you basing this on?

I mean ' Lilac' sold 400k so that's more than 6m USD. She only needs to sell around 75k tickets to get 6m USD. And I think she can sell more tbh. Her last tour sold 100k tickets. To get 6m USD through digitals she needs 7.2b GAON digital points which she has never done. Her best year gave her 6b points. That will bring her less than 400k sales. So her physical sales > best digitals. No point talking about her YouTube and Spotify numbers because they are not that good. Average actors in Korea get paid at best 100k USD per episode so she will have to do 60 episodes to get 6m USD which is impossible for anyone. Korean sctors depend highly on their CFs to earn more money. Idk about her CFs but she will have to have atleast 15-16 of them to get 6m USD. So it is actually quite opposite. She is probably the proof that physical sales and touring bring more money.

Quote from onlyfacts

How? What are basing this on?

I mean ' Lilac' sold 400k so that's more than 6m USD. She only needs to sell around 75k tickets to get 6m USD. And I think she can sell more tbh. To get 6m USD through digitals she needs 7.2b GAON digital points which she has never done. Her best year gave her 6b points. That will bring her less than 400k sales. No point talking about her YouTube and Spotify numbers because they are not that good. Average actors in Korea get paid at best 100k USD per episode so she will have to do 60 episodes to get 6m USD. So it is actually quite opposite. She is probably the proof that physical sales and touring bring more money.

half of IU's income per year is probably cfs, and that's largely linked to her music/acting popularity.

Quote from pchromo4

2021 estimates are 40-45 million, tho it depends on how much you trust those. of course her career is long, and from 2015 forwards (after her initial 7-year contract negotiation) she's been able to keep a large portion of profits.

these numbers are a couple years ago, but she got 400-500k per cf and she's consistently had 10+ cfs every year for the past 5+ years. IU also does tour pretty extensively, while she doesn't tour outside of Asia her last tour sold over 100k tickets, which is a lot for a soloist. She has her sight on Jamsil stadium in SK for her next concert, which will be 70k attendance for one concert, and she usually does 2 nights in Seoul.

IU's income stream is due to diversification (music sales, cfs, acting, touring) and because she has extremely favorable contract conditions from being a veteran celebrity.

I literally went on Twitter to see how many brands she is endorsing currently...and it's crazy.

That's like 8 or 9 right there, and I probably missed some too.

Quote from onlyfacts

How? What are basing this on?

I mean ' Lilac' sold 400k so that's more than 6m USD. She only needs to sell around 75k tickets to get 6m USD. And I think she can sell more tbh. To get 6m USD through digitals she needs 7.2b GAON digital points which she has never done. Her best year gave her 6b points. That will bring her less than 400k sales. No point talking about her YouTube and Spotify numbers because they are not that good. Average actors in Korea get paid at best 100k USD per episode so she will have to do 60 episodes to get 6m USD. So it is actually quite opposite. She is probably the proof that physical sales and touring bring more money.

I mean her strongest point never have been album sales and touring. She only sold like 2M albums her entire career and she is richer than most idols who are apart of some of the best selling groups.

6 Billion points is the equivalent to 5M USD that’s quite a lot imagine if she keeps doing 6B points per year.

Plus she must make money from CFs she is Gucci global ambassador tho

Quote from itiswhatitisss

She's arguably the richest entertainer there, yet she doesn't do that many tours/concerts outside of Asia & her album sales are pretty low compared to some KPOP groups.

i'm sorry all i can focus on is your amazing euphoria aesthetic

Quote from itiswhatitisss

Obviously this would be the case as the companies are the ones getting a large sum of the money, not the idols themselves. Companies get a large sum, then it goes to the producers/writers(and for most KPOP groups there are 49373827623879297584 of these involved in the actual album), then then the idols have to share the remaining with other members.

This is why I don't get why KPOP fans(particularly BG stans) insist that touring & album sales are more important than public recognition when in reality none of the idols are getting any of that sum in the first place.

album sales (especially in the first 7 years), you're right the production and distribution costs are really high.

however touring and merch sales cut is usually pretty favorable for idol groups. this all depends on contract, but concert production costs are usually 40-50% of total revenue so there's 50% profit, and idols usually get to keep half the profit (split among themselves) for concerts.

so if a concert tour brings in 10 million in revenue (easy for many even mid-tier idol groups), company keeps 2.5 million profit, and idols split the other 2.5 million profit. and some agencies even go 6:4 split for concerts.

Quote from pchromo4

half of IU's income per year is probably cfs, and that's largely linked to her music/acting popularity.

Do CFs really pay that much? I read somewhere 8th highest earner from CFs only got 1.7m USD. Even Son Heung Min only got round about 2.5m USD. That's not alot. You can earn that much with 100k-200k sales. And only about 25k ticket sales. Touring will always be the best way of earning money for any entertainer.

Quote from killthisfenty

I mean her strongest point never have been album sales and touring. She only sold like 2M albums her entire career and she is richer than most idols who are apart of some of the best selling groups.

6 Billion points is the equivalent to 5M USD that’s quite a lot imagine if she keeps doing 6B points per year.

Plus she must make money from CFs she is Gucci global ambassador tho

I think this discussion is more about which brings more money. 2m sales brought her more than 30m USD while she needs 35b GAON digital points to get 30m USD. She has gotten only 14b in last 4 years if I'm not wrong.

I think people overrate money earned from CFs especially domestic ones. If someones global ambassador then I can understand. But not everyone's global ambassador. Only top ones.

Quote from onlyfacts

Do CFs really pay that much? I read somewhere 8th highest earner from CFs only got 1.7m USD. Even Son Heung Min only got round about 2.5m USD. That's not alot. You can earn that much with 100k-200k sales.

Total or per cf? IU was getting paid 400-500k per cf even back in 2015-2017 era - of course, some of those contracts might be multi-year ones so it's hard to tell how much is earned per year, but she's consistently had 10-12 cfs every year from 2017 onwards. Cfs are usually split 7:3 artist:agency btw, way more favorable terms than music sales bc the cf company takes on the production cost of cfs.

IU's net worth is estimated at 40-45 million, which is not surprising since she's been a celebrity for 14 years now and investments grow with age. she owns almost 20 million just in real estate (2 condos, house/land, and a building). the only celebrities who make more than her per year are bts imo - this is by individual cut, many idol groups make more revenue overall than IU ofc.

Quote from onlyfacts

Do CFs really pay that much? I read somewhere 8th highest earner from CFs only got 1.7m USD. Even Son Heung Min only got round about 2.5m USD. That's not alot. You can earn that much with 100k-200k sales. And only about 25k ticket sales. Touring will always be the best way of earning money for any entertainer.

I think this discussion is more about which brings more money. 2m sales brought her more than 30m USD while she needs 35b GAON digital points to get 30m USD. She has gotten only 14b in last 4 years if I'm not wrong.

I think people overrate money earned from CFs especially domestic ones. If someones global ambassador then I can understand. But not everyone's global ambassador. Only top ones.

That’s how much Jennie made from CFs alone imagine IU who is x10 bigger

She doesn't do as big shows as groups but likewise she doesn't have to split the profits either, and she has a pretty good deal with her agency.

She was the first female soloist in ages to do a 360° concert in Korea and sold out both days. That's amazing

She owns buildings too, that's probably a big part of it as well

No, because different idols have a different dynamics with respect to revenues.

While concert tours, is a top earner for all categories, others are different.

BGs, the dominant source is physical albums

GGs, they don't get much physical sales, but do better in CFs

Soloists are a different category by themselves and even among soloists, IU is a different category by herself, and should not be used to judge idols on an average. She is an outlier, for the following reasons,

#1. She has immense creative control - lyrics/songwriting, production - so will earn massively from royalties and sales, compared to other idols who only perform.

#2. She (probably) owns 40% of the company - so gets the major share of revenue and further as soloist need not share.

#3. She is immensely popular in CFs - probably the longest running CF model of the largest soju brand and such.

#4. Then there are hit dramas.

So she is hardly a good sample for judging revenues. Even BTS is better than her.

Touring is difficult to judge in present times of pandemic, but in general it has always been a top revenue source for all.

Quote from onlyfacts

Do CFs really pay that much? I read somewhere 8th highest earner from CFs only got 1.7m USD. Even Son Heung Min only got round about 2.5m USD. That's not alot. You can earn that much with 100k-200k sales. And only about 25k ticket sales. Touring will always be the best way of earning money for any entertainer.

I think this discussion is more about which brings more money. 2m sales brought her more than 30m USD while she needs 35b GAON digital points to get 30m USD. She has gotten only 14b in last 4 years if I'm not wrong.

I think people overrate money earned from CFs especially domestic ones. If someones global ambassador then I can understand. But not everyone's global ambassador. Only top ones.

Companies, writers, and producers get most of the profits from album sales. Idols get better percentages for touring, but that is still only 50%-60%.

Your factoring makes sense if idol groups are touring extensively and to large scale audiences.

Most K-POP idols are not doing the numbers needed for that. Only a hand full of them really. So, yes, touring has the potential to make an idol more money than CFs, but only for the top 10% who have the fanbases to make touring worth that money. For female idols, the percentage may be even lower. Top 3%? In those cases, CFs and acting are way more profitable and viable to an idol.

knock knock WhyKnock , this is your cup of tea.

Quote from itiswhatitisss

omg the latest episode gave me literal ANXIETY stop

Zendaya needs an EMMY for this one she put her whole Zendussy into this performance

"Zendussy" PLSSSS

It's true though she gave it her all:

Screen Shot 2022-02-08 at 3.57.15 PM.png

(wbk fr)

Quote from killthisfenty

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That’s how much Jennie made from CFs alone imagine IU who is x10 bigger

In that same list IU isn't even in top 8.

IU individually is bigger than Jennie but Jennie is more global than IU. Domestic CFs don't pay as much as global ones. Jennie is global ambassador for many brands so she is bound to get more money per CFs than IU.

Quote from keyboardwarrior7

Companies, writers, and producers get most of the profits from album sales. Idols get better percentages for touring, but that is still only 50%-60%.

Your factoring makes sense if idol groups are touring extensively and to large scale audiences.

Most K-POP idols are not doing the numbers needed for that. Only a hand full of them really. So, yes, touring has the potential to make an idol more money than CFs, but only for the top 10% who have the fanbases to make touring worth that money. For female idols, the percentage may be even lower. Top 3%? In those cases, CFs and acting are way more profitable and viable to an idol.

Let me use BTS as an example since they are #1 in everything. Their 2021 album sales were 9.2m so that brought them more than 200m USD. Their 2 day online concert brought them 71m USD. 4 days of offline concert did around 33m USD. But their CFs brought them only 55m USD. They are global ambassadors to brands like Samsung, Hyundai, Louis Vitton, etc but only got 55m USD from CFs. This might not include their all CFs but I don't think their CFs brought them more money than physical sales or touring that's why I think physical sales, touring and merch sales bring more money than CFs.

This is same for all korean artists. I'm sure their physical sales, touring, merch sales will get them more money than CFs or acting gigs.

Quote from onlyfacts

In that same list IU isn't even in top 8.

IU individually is bigger than Jennie but Jennie is more global than IU. Domestic CFs don't pay as much as global ones. Jennie is global ambassador for many brands so she is bound to get more money per CFs than IU.

Let me use BTS as an example since they are #1 in everything. Their 2021 album sales were 9.2m so that brought them more than 200m USD. Their 2 day online concert brought them 71m USD. 4 days of offline concert did around 33m USD. But their CFs brought them only 55m USD. They are global ambassadors to brands like Samsung, Hyundai, Louis Vitton, etc but only got 55m USD from CFs. This might not include their all CFs but I don't think their CFs brought them more money than physical sales or touring that's why I think physical sales, touring and merch sales bring more money than CFs.

That works in BTS's case. But that's my point. They are an outlier. 99% of KPOP groups do not have the album sales or tour numbers they do, so you can't say this is beneficial to the ones who rarely tour or tour to much smaller venues.

The fact they were able to have a 2 day online concert already distinguishes them from groups who had absolutely no touring, no fanbase to have an online concert, or who weren't even invited to the online concerts that featured multiple groups.

Quote from bbgc

No, because different idols have a different dynamics with respect to revenues.

While concert tours, is a top earner for all categories, others are different.

BGs, the dominant source is physical albums

GGs, they don't get much physical sales, but do better in CFs

Soloists are a different category by themselves and even among soloists, IU is a different category by herself, and should not be used to judge idols on an average. She is an outlier, for the following reasons,

#1. She has immense creative control - lyrics/songwriting, production - so will earn massively from royalties and sales, compared to other idols who only perform.

#2. She (probably) owns 40% of the company - so gets the major share of revenue and further as soloist need not share.

#3. She is immensely popular in CFs - probably the longest running CF model of the largest soju brand and such.

#4. Then there are hit dramas.

So she is hardly a good sample for judging revenues. Even BTS is better than her.

Touring is difficult to judge in present times of pandemic, but in general it has always been a top revenue source for all.

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sounds reasonable. also working and having time to invest the earinings for how long 13-14 years compaired to 5-7? And its only one IU. no need to divide the cash between 4-9 guys.

Quote from neigl

sounds reasonable. also working and having time to invest the earinings for how long 13-14 years compaired to 5-7? And its only one IU. no need to divide the cash between 4-9 guys.

Well investment revenues should not be considered for such discussions or even inheritances, otherwise Choi Siwon would buy all the K-pop companies, and might not not feel any loss of money.

It is only idol associated professional earnings that should be considered - songs, concerts, physicals, royalties etc., even CFs and Acting are kind of grey area.

For example, Sejeong's singing career did not take off, but she probably is the most successful of IOI girls in terms of revenue from CFs, Variety and Drama.

She's the exception, she's probably earned millions in royalties from digitals and that's not counting her CF deals and acting gigs. She could probably retire now and be comfy the rest of her life.

Most idols are lucky to retire with no debt.

Quote from onlyfacts

Spotify numbers because they are not that good.

They are, she's the 8th most streamed Korean act.

Quote from laleria

Is it pure profit? to be honest, to be a model for CF is much easier and cheaper for artist than to produce album (songs, photobook production, MVs, promotions) or go on tour (logistics and all the stuff you need for your concert).

Idk about profit.

CFs don't pay as much as people here think. Especially domestic ones. Not many get global CFs. If the 8th highest Korean CF earner has only 1.7m USD then you can imagine average pay per CF.

Jennie got 4m USD from her CFs last year while Lisa's 900k sales brought her more than 12m USD. Lisa recorded only 2 songs and MVs and promoted her album for a week. Jennie recorded 5 CFs.

Quote from MassiveKpopFan

They are, she's the 8th most streamed Korean act.

I meant relative to her yearly earnings from other metrics. Even if she has 1b career streams on Spotify that's like 3m USD career earnings from Spotify not even yearly.

Quote from onlyfacts

I meant relative to her yearly earnings from other metrics. Even if she has 1b career streams on Spotify that's like 3m USD career earnings from Spotify not even yearly.

Relative to Kpop, only BTS and maybe Twice and BP earn good money through Spotify.

I think this is kind of obvious though. Album sales and touring benefit the companies more than the idols. If I’m not mistaken, there was an article that described that very little of idols reached a certain threshold of the very rich even if they’re in the top tier. IU is a veteran, ridiculously popular, and diverse in revenue so it’s obvious she will gain more because she isn’t as constricted like idol groups. At this point, the only idols that likely sit within relevant range of her revenue is BTS, BP, BB, and likely Taeyeon because of various reasons.

A lot of data being crunched, but the effective answer to the question is "No",

IU is too much of an outlier even among the top tier of K-pop to be used to judge such things, then forget the average idol.

Secondly should CFs, acting even be considered as a professional revenue source for an idol? Then as well include real estate investments, or inheritances - then SuJu Siwon might be the richest of them all.

Touring, digital sales, physical sales, royalties - are the core competency earnings.

Since not all idols earn royalties, only the first 3 should be considered.

There touring is common, GGs do better digitally on the average and BGs do better in physical sales.

It really depends on their contracts.

A K-pop album is sold for $15. You have store profit (30%), distributor fee (10%), songwriter royalties (10%). It leaves $7.5. Then you have to deduct printing costs (idk, $3?). It leaves a $4.5 (30%) profit to be split between artist and label.

When a song is streamed 35% goes to the DSP, 12.5% to the songwriters, 3% to the band and 3.25% to the singer. The remaining 48.25% is split between the artist and the record label, usually on a 40:60. That leaves the artist with a 20% profit.

A CF fee for a S-tier celebrity is 1B won, for an A-tier celebrity it's 800M won. Then you have to split it with your management company.

Tours you have to deduct the costs and then split it with your record label / management company. If you're booked to perform, you have to split your fee with your record label / management company.

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Groups also have to split the profit between all the members, while IU doesn't. She's also on her 5th label contract, so she must have very good splits. But there are group members making bank. G-Dragon spent $1M on a chair. Solar bought a $4M building.