The Voice is in the thick of its 28th season, with a new crop of aspiring musicians hoping to take their careers to the next level with help from coaches Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Michael Bublé, and Snoop Dogg.
Exposure from the show is a plus for any of these artists, regardless of whether or not they actually win the competition. But are they actually paid money for their time on the show? And how much do the coaches make? Scroll down for everything we know.
How much do contestants on The Voice get paid?
According to Newsweek, contestants who make it past the Blind Auditions are paid, but not in the form of weekly paychecks. Instead, the contestants receive a living stipend to cover their room, board, food, and any travel expenses. The exact amount of this stipend has never been revealed, but Taste of Country, citing a no longer available New York Daily News article, states the amount is “small.”
Contestants are committed to the show while it is filming, which obviously limits their opportunities to make outside income from regular jobs or casual gigs. It would seem that contestants really are hoping that their time in the spotlight will lead to a life-changing career and give them tons of great memories from recording the show and hanging out with the coaches and other contestants.
This is much different from how things work on the rival competition show American Idol, where the Top 24 contestants sign up to become members of AFTRA so they can be paid a performance fee of $1,571 for two-hour performances, $1,303 for one-hour shows, and $910 for half-hour results shows.
What does The Voice winner get paid?
There is one Voice contestant who is paid, though, and that’s the eventual winner. The season champion receives $100,000, in addition to a recording contract. According to CinemaBlend, the prize money has remained the same since the show debuted in 2011.
While the contestants don’t receive payment, the exposure of being on national television can lead to lucrative outside deals and record contracts. For example, Morgan Wallen, who was eliminated in the Playoffs when he sang on the show, went on to sign with Big Loud. He has topped the charts, broken records, and took home various awards in the years since he didn’t take on a win on The Voice.
Other non-winning contestants who achieved success off the back of the show include Loren Allred (Season 3), who released the hit track “Never Enough,” which featured in The Greatest Showman, and Nicolle Galyon (Season 2), who went on to write songs for Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Lady A, Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line, and RaeLynn.
How much are the coaches on The Voice paid?
As for the coaches, they are paid a salary, but the amounts vary based on their respective star power. According to StyleCaster.com, Bublé, John Legend, and Season 27’s new coach Kelsea Ballerini were estimated to make around $13 million for the season, while returning coach Adam Levine was previously reported to be making $14 million per season.
The highest-paid coach ever was Ariana Grande, per OK! Magazine. She was said to be earning between $20 to $25 million during her time on the show. Former longtime coach Blake Shelton was said to be making around $13 million, while original coach Christina Aguilera was estimated to be paid around $17 million.
Season 28 coaches Bublé, McEntire, and Snoop are estimated to make $13 million a season, while The Sun previous reported that Horan is making around $8 million.
The Voice, Season 28, Mondays, 8/7c, NBC