AOA is finally getting some money

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

AOA has accomplished what few girl groups are able to do – they have broken even with their management company, FNC Entertainment, within three years and are now getting paid!

According to an industry representative, AOA has recently gotten paid for their broadcast and promotional activities last year.

To break even and get paid within three years of debuting is incredibly fast for a girl group. This means that they have made enough money to compensate for the financial investments made for their pre-debut training and all of the costs that went into their promotions until now.

Compared to boy groups, girl groups have a smaller fandom and so the representative explained that this was quite the exceptional feat. AOA has amassed an array of hits in the past few years, including “Miniskirt,” “Short Hair,” “Like a Cat,” and “Heart Attack.”

An FNC representative explained, “It is true that AOA members recently have started to receive an income due to their successful promotions last year. We cannot say how much that income was, however. From now on, the members will continue to get paid for their activities.”

Currently, the subunit of Yuna, Chanmi, and Hyejeong is promoting as AOA Cream and dropped their first song, “I’m Jelly Baby.”



Soompi

Comments

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

INCREDIBLE!

ugh - now I feel obligated to support that AOA cream song or, at the very least, listen to it a second time. Hrm.

[sayuridoll.livejournal.com]

Congrats to the girls! That's a huge accomplishment.

It's interesting how companies pay the groups. I know Jackson mentioned that the company gave him an allowance every month and I don't think GOT7 had/has broken even at that point. Is that normal for groups since usually the company pays for everything?

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how companies do it, but for Jackson comments I guess GOT7 gets a part of their incomes and other part is to pay the debt. Bambam had enough money to buy a house to her mother lol

[ohcrepe.livejournal.com]

Jackson already has his salary, not allowance. JYPE doesn't have trainee debt so their artistes get paid almost as soon as they debuted and paid by the year quarterly. SME and YGE don't have trainee debt too.

[sayuridoll.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying!

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

Oh! I thought don't having trainee debt was only for the ones who left the company. Good to know.

[hibaalhadid.livejournal.com]

I read somewhere that Big 3 pay their groups from the start, no trainee debt

[hearttaek.livejournal.com]

Is the gap really different from girlgroup and boygroups when it comes to getting paid?
Pretty sure FNC has a lot to do with it too

VIXX was already talking about salary in 2013 and they don't even have cfs (to this day... Only 2 or 3 endorsements, and those aren't even major endorsements with tv ads) and lbr, VIXX is so nugu compared to AOA and the other 2012 debut girlgroups who are known today. VIXX don't even do 행사

ehh maybe jelpi is generous then. Sung sikyung mentioned having an 80%-20% split with the company. (Bec didn't exid only talk about getting paid last year)

cruel world. girlgroups are way more popular with the public than their male counterparts so they get invited to more events, and have more opportunities to film CFs... Guess the touring and merch bring in much more for boygroups then

[dickslikejesus.livejournal.com]

It depends, but generally in Korea male groups generate money much faster. I'm not sure how much different the actual cost for training/housing/etc is for girl groups vs guy groups, but it also differs between amount of people + the label.

While it's true girl groups get CFs and stuff more often nothing will make you money like actually selling stuff to people. AOA is also one of the more CF pushed groups in Korea and it still took them this long. It's just harder for the smaller labels where the debt is a big hurdle to cross and the bigger labels (SM, JYP, YG) don't have that for their artists. :(

[hearttaek.livejournal.com]

I don't know why FNC still have the debt system when they are publicly traded too.

VIXX got paid on their second year debut even when they spent their first year completely nugu. And jelpi is much smaller than FNC O_o

I get girlgroups have it harder to break even, but AOA is from FNC, not some broke nugu label. This sounds like FNC is ripping them off hard (while giving away huge signing bonus to their newly signed artists) or this is bs PR from their team

[dickslikejesus.livejournal.com]

Well if you're talking strictly business it makes sense. You're offering them housing, food, and training so that you can eventually handle promoting them and spending money to make the music etc. In terms of profit, if you can make them pay you back for some of the costs of effort then you're coming out ahead.

It's surprising VIXX got paid, but it was probably in their contract. The thing with the smaller labels is you have to convince people to sign too, a lot of smaller labels have nicer splits on contracts.

Right don't get me wrong FNC is totally ripping AOA off, and the idea of a contract where you have to use your early accomplishments to pay off a large debt is awful to me, but I do understand from business where it comes from. It's a really REALLY shitty practice that is only beneficial for the label.

[kaninasan.livejournal.com]

FNC may not be a broke nugu label, but I think their revenue is only a fraction of what SME and YGE have. AOA is probably their money maker now.

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

Congrats girls!!
It's still weird to hear that groups's members don't get benefits since the beginning but I'm happy anyway.

OP I hate you for using that gif. It's making me sad :(

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

I know baby, I know

[tungatunga.livejournal.com]

Calling bullshit on this PR spin, isn't EXID getting paid after one successful year and 3 years drought, 9muses talked about received income although minuscule one, and I cant at fans buying this excuse that company had to be reimbursed for all expenses before paying idols anything.

[leopolitan.livejournal.com]

i still cant believe its legal to keep idols employed without pay while they pay back their debts, like why arent those debts the responsibility of the company like every other business on earth..........

[dickslikejesus.livejournal.com]

Likely because part of the contract they sign dictates that they are to pay off their training first, and that their company will handle expenses up until that point. It's not like they're broke, they're housed and fed and they pay for it with their income, they just sign away the ability to dictate how to pay for that debt.

[dickslikejesus.livejournal.com]

These contracts are so fucking crazy honestly. I wish that it was mandatory to have legal representation to sign any and all contracts in S.Korea. You shouldn't be able to be stuck like this and they are preying on young kids that just want to get famous by any means necessary. The fact that people have the balls to leave is shocking because they're STILL hit with the debt on the way out the door.

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

I was thinking, minors don't need their parents consent to sign a contract? and if that's the case, they just think it will compensate (~for the happiness of their kids)?

[dickslikejesus.livejournal.com]

I believe minors do need the consent, but I also don't think that parents should be able to do that without legal guidance because yeah I think parents will just say "well she really wants to do it and it'll make her sooooo happy." And you know they have some company rep there who's putting icing on the shit cupcake to tell you how GREAT it'll be.

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

lol this mediaplay
FNC really knows how to do that

To break even and get paid within three years of debuting is incredibly fast for a girl group
lmao. thats all i can say.

[kittyboo17.livejournal.com]

I can't believe that a company that was able to contract both Jung Hyungdon AND Yoo Jaesuk in the same year, is not able to give a decent salary to a girlgroup that with Seolhyun on top brings in tons of cf money. AOA's outfits and MV's don't look spectacularly expensive either o.O
and don't AOA go to a lot of festivals?
hmmm

[donutism.livejournal.com]

FNC stawp

Glad they are getting paid

wonder how they distribute income

[lysblack.livejournal.com]

this kind of thing makes me hate fnc's ceo even more, he's such pos, he loves to brag over how big his company is and how much profit he's making, he keeps saying they took over jype's spot [as well using suzy to promote seolhyun while taking jabs at suzy saying she lost popularity] and all that, but how can a company that does not pay their artists not profit when they are taking all the money their acts make to themselves? i mean the girls are just now getting paid and i bet they are being paid pennies, and hongki always was very vocal over how little they got paid and how it took ages for them to see any proper money, and that is beyond their trainee fees.