X Factor Tour Doesn’t Pay Well!
JLS - X Factor 2008
This years X factor contestants could be in for a shock when they find out what they can hope to earn from their upcoming UK tour.
According to The Mirror all contestants will be taxed on their income and have to pay up to 20% to their managers so the JLS boys will make from just £100 per show and Daniel Evans will make around £250.
Out of this cash the acts will be expected to pay all their own expenses including meals, phone bills etc.
“The acts are worth much more, especially when you think how much money the tour generates,” said a source.
“A show at London’s 20,000-capacity O2 arena will make as much as £600,000 in tickets alone, and more when lucrative merchandise sales are added on.”
The insider added: “The acts even have to fork out for their own breakfast if it’s not included in the price of the room. They can’t claim back any drinks or their telephone bills if they want to stay in touch with their family.”
Former X Factor contestant Tabby Callaghan commented: “I got around £400 for each live gig.
“I ended up losing money because I had to pay my expenses. Anyone who is thinking they are going on The X Factor to make big money will be in for a big shock.”
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January 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I can’t understand why this is such a big deal. I personally find the amounts very generous considering there was only one winner who would under normal circumstances have been responsible for funding herself entirely had she gone the long and winding road route.
It is therefore normal to be paying for management fees, security the hire of concert venues and to pay for the use of equipment that doesn’t belong to you, none of these things come cheap. Touring is the most expensive part of creating a fan base as once you stop, that’s it your career could be over, not everybody buys recordings. Some like merchandise, programmes, calendars, t-shirts, pens and a whole host of other things which provides an income of around 20% of the gross cost, the rest is distribution, selling costs, manufacturing etc. Merchandising percentages will only be divided of course if all those on the tour feature in it. If not then they won’t be entitled.
So even though she has won throughout the entire shows run of 10 heats or so the most music she has done is a quick job on 12 songs or so. I can assure you that whilst the next year is spent learning how to become a good live performer at the concerts she herself will only cover 4 to 6 songs, the rest of the X factor contestants on the road show will be expected to cover a couple each and then your concert is finished.
People going to see a live performance of a normal artist having learnt the art and is accustomed to performing you would normally get around 15 songs plus a support act giving around 5 – 6 songs in a 30 minute slot at the start of the night.
With other artists you might have the whole concert night and get around 24 songs divided into two halfs of say 45 mins approximately.
So the X factor concert is designed to be very similar to the shows rather than a realistic setting for an actual concert.
Any earnings received for live work is seperate to the original contract which governs the recording and studio time alone. Live work is governed by contracts with Pr firms, marketing agents, managers equipment hire bookings agencies etc for other workers essential to the smooth running of a show plus other secondaries concerned with the arenas themselves. All in all it does not come free.
It takes years aswell for an artist to build up a decent fund so its not all about making a fortune overnight, this is a mistake of naivity people make who don’t understand the music business, is a business. The lions share will never belong to the artist under any circumstances.
Maureen
Newcastle
January 11th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
That sums it all up. Anyway,they have to work hard and earn every penny. They shot to fame so fast, while others take years to have a fun base they have. So, i think it’s fair price especially for those who were offered a contract. Maybe in a few years they will earn more money and forget what they are going to get now. No one said it was going to be easy, that’s life and i tnink they should be grateful.
January 31st, 2009 at 3:40 pm
[...] Cowell has hit out at people who claimed that X Factor contestants are paid a pittance for taking part in the UK wide XF [...]
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Simon will do, and rightly so. Being a singer a singer songwriter or a musician does not give you the right to bite off the hand that feeds you.
Also we have to consider how many of these so called critics of Simon Cowell are living in cloud cuckoo land.