Fourteen years since its premiere and with 27 seasons in tow, NBC’s The Voice has cemented its status among reality competition singing shows, including predecessors like American Idol and America’s Got Talent. However, while the coach-led series has amassed ratings, it has struggled to produce enduring talent within the music industry, unlike Idol, which launched musicians like Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson.
The Voice's format is the major gimmick, seeing (or rather not seeing) contestants sing their way through the Blind Auditions — in a bid to avoid stereotyping or prejudice on part of the celebrity coaches — for a chance to be on one of four teams. What follows are competition rounds, including the so-called Battle Rounds, Knockouts, Playoffs and Live Performance Shows.
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With Season 27 of The Voice coming to an end, coaches Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Bublé, John Legend and Adam Levine will each be rooting for their chosen singers to take home the win.
But with all the hard vocal work and mental preparation leading up to the high-stakes finale, what do singers take home aside from exposure to mass audiences? Read on for details on contestants’ salaries:
According to previous reporting, The Voice contestants do not get paid, per se, leading up to the grand cash prize and record deal. Instead, similarly with Idol, once performers make it past the Blind Auditions (to become one of 12 on a team), they receive a living stipend that covers room, board, necessary travel and the like, including access to catering. The amount of this stipend has never been revealed.
Charlotte Sometimes (née Jessie Poland), who competed in Season 2, told Cosmopolitanin 2021: “I couldn’t make a ton of money. And even though I worked as a film writer and played shows, I couldn’t do that while I was on The Voice. I couldn’t really work. No one can work.”
She added of the food options and stipend: “It was f—ing sweet. It was basically like being an adult without having to be one. Once you’re on the show for a while, you got money to go out and catering was really great. I ate really well.”
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Vicci Martinez, of Season 1, concurred, adding that the contestants had access to a Starbucks with snacks “all day.” Fellow Season 1 competitor Dia Frampton said she stuck to the hotel restaurant offerings.
Also similar to Idol is the fact that contestants are unable to take outside gigs (whether music-related or otherwise) while they are committed to competing on the show, meaning that there are certain barriers of entry to those who require additional compensation. Likewise, competitors are expected to arrange their own travel to and from the pre-taped scouting auditions across the country.
Another similarity is access to greater wardrobe offerings. In an interview with Emmy-winning longtime executive producer and showrunner Audrey Morrissey, SheKnowsreported that contestants are expected to supply their own outfits for the Blinds, but are guided afterward once attached to a team. “We shop for each artist to come up with great looks,” she said. “Once we get to the live shows, looks are customized for each performance.”
Frenchie Davis, who competed on Season 1, revealed that singers get access to a staff of psychologists to process the often draining format of the competition show.
“It’s emotionally frustrating,” she said, adding that she had to take personality tests before getting the final approval to be on the show. “They know exactly what they’re doing. Every second.”
Season 6 contestant Kat Perkins said the show’s psych team is on hand to help with the often abrupt exit process. For that season, the show also employed regular checkups with the top 12. “We had to start visiting to check on our well-being. The minute you are eliminated, you walk from that stage and into the psychiatrist’s office for a debriefing. They make sure that you talk about it. It’s very needed because you’ll never go through anything like it again. It’s traumatic and you’re not really emotionally set up to do something that big that quickly,” she explained.
What’s more, per Newsweek, participants are reportedly asked to sign a contractual agreement that states the series may be “disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing (and) may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation, or condemnation.” Additionally, the contract states that The Voice is permitted to “have the right at any and all times … to remove or replace me as a participant in the series, for any reason whatsoever, in their sole discretion.” Those who break the contract can reportedly be sued for up to $1 million.
Related: Get the Details on 'The Voice' Season 27, Including the Amazing Four-Chair Turns and the Battle Advisors
What does The Voice winner get?
Since its premiere in 2011, The Voice winner has received $100,000 upon their triumph, as well as a record deal with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records.
Of course, a large part of the draw is the national exposure the series offers to up-and-coming hopefuls, as well as the personal connections made via the coaches, their network and mentors (this season, LeAnn Rimes and Sheryl Crow). Most notably, former coach Blake Shelton is said to keep up with his previous teammates throughout the years, helping them book gigs after the show is over.
Additionally, contestants don’t necessarily have to win to land outside recording contracts or lucrative deals. Take Season 6’s Morgan Wallen, among one of the most successful contestants, who was eliminated in the Playoffs but went on to sign with Big Loud to top the charts and earn two Grammy nods. Season 3’s Loren Allred also left after the Playoffs but ended up making a Billboard Hot 100 debut with the platinum-selling “Never Enough,” featured on The Greatest Showman soundtrack. Meanwhile, Season 2’s Nicolle Galyon, eliminated during the Battle Rounds, has successfully penned tracks for the likes of Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Lady A, Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and fellow The Voice alumna RaeLynn.
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