How much do the ‘American Idol’ contestants get paid? It's a lot lesser than you'd expect
Ever wondered what lifestyle the contestants of 'American Idol' lead? Where do they live? Do they get a salary to perform? These are questions you might often ask as you're watching the iconic show. Well, the answers are not that simple and require a detailed explanation. If you're wondering where the contestants stay, once they "come to Hollywood," as reported by MSNBC back in 2005, the contestants all stayed together in a mansion. However, that changed as the producers then moved the contestants to an apartment complex to give them more privacy. They even had a curfew: 10 pm before live shows and 11 pm on usual days. Since then, the accommodation for 'Idol' contestants has changed again, as they now stay in pairs of two in hotel rooms, as seen in a TikTok posted by Abi Carter, the winner of 'American Idol' Season 22.
@abicartermusic Day in the life of Abi and Julia being roommates on #americanidol @✨Julia✨ ♬ original sound - abi :)
Since an entire season of 'American Idol' can last for 3-4 months, spanning the auditions to the finale, the question does arise if the contestants get paid. Various contestants throughout different seasons of 'American Idol' have chimed in on this question. Margie Mays, a contestant in seasons 17 and 18, said as per the above outlet, "You don’t get paid until you make it to the live rounds, and then you can be paid."
Richard Rushfield goes deeper into this in his book 'American Idol: The Untold Story'. As reported by TV Insider, once you make it to the top 24, you have to register yourself with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), which involves a membership fee of approximately $1,600. Once that's done, the contestants receive performance fees of $910 for half-hour results shows, $1,303 for one-hour episodes, and $1,571 for two-hour episodes.
That said, if you might have noticed, the contestants always appear in glamorous, stage-ready outfits. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, in their interview with Emmy-winning costume designer Soyon An, contestants are assigned a costume designer with a budget of $400 per episode. An said, “The contestants know they will be in front of 300 million people, and they’re creating an image, their brand.” A further elaborated, “So if the costume goes over $400, the contestants have to decide whether or not to buy it themselves if they really want to wear it.”
That said, every contestant gets to keep their wardrobe, regardless of whether they win the season. The brands love it when the contestants continue to wear the stuff at personal appearances when the show is over.” An told The Hollywood Reporter. Apart from the wardrobe, the contestants also get to choose what songs they want to perform. However, there are some conditions. As reported by MSNBC, if a song isn’t cleared for TV use due to copyright restrictions, the contestants then have to choose a different song.