[theqoo] The cost of training a single trainee for a year at Bighit

[satoori]

Netizens talk about the cost of training a single trainee for a year at Big Hit

In an interview, Bang Shi Hyuk shared just how much it takes to fully train a trainee at BigHit Entertainment just for a year.

It costs about a hundred and twenty million KRW ($110,000 USD) to train a trainee for a year. This value, although provided by Bang Shi Hyuk himself, is not specific to BigHit Entertainment. The CEO claims it to be the average cost for any company to invest in a trainee, given all the proper lessons and training. This value can rise if the company decides to send the trainee for an expensive experience such as overseas training.

Not only this, but the trainees may be provided with dorms, depending on the company. Some trainees may continue to live with their family until their debut team is confirmed. Once their debut teams have been formed, the team will begin living together in dorms for a year and a half. During this time, the company will pay for lodging and food.

Thankfully, companies such as SM, JYP, YG and BigHit Entertainment do not request for trainees to pay this back after debut. This means their artists get to earn money from the moment they start promoting. Other companies may ask their trainees to pay this back after debut and they only start receiving income after the debt is paid back. cr.

Spoiler

These were Bang Sihyuk's answers in an interview with a foreign media. 

'The average cost for a trainee annually is 120M KRW and covered by the agency'
TMI) Companies like Big Hit, SM, JYP, and YG cover the cost of investment100%. The trainees don't have to repay the company, they can start earning money as soon as they debuted. 

When the debut team is formed, the trainees have to live in a dorm at least for 1.5 years before their debut. As they prepare for their debut, they're required to do peer review for 3 to 6 months. Such as deciding who makes the best leader, which aspects they want the group to improve in, and they also decide their role in their group.

TMI) They're doing the 'Leader Test' during this period of time. 
E.g: TXT

Beomgyu
Q: You said you did 'Leader Test' before the debut. What are you exactly doing for that test?
A: Each of us tried out being the leader of the group for 2 to 3 weeks. We would score each other and the one with the highest score becomes the leader...

The curriculum for Big Hit's trainees takes longer time and costs more than any other company. It's because Big Hit doesn't only train the trainees as singers, but also prepares for their social life, takes care of their mental health, physical, and also hold a mentoring program. We're not a formal educational institution, but we're trying to do our best as the member of society. -Bang PD

We also include 'Listening to the music' as a part of our training program because occasionally there are some trainees who aren't able to identify the kind of music they whole-heartedly like (Not just singing). -Trainee Development Team

TMI) Big Hit doesn't require acting class at all

The majority of companies now have changed their policy regarding their contracts, respecting their artists to decide. While Big Hit has already applied this policy since the very beginning

 

original post: theqoo

1. I love Big Hit because they always invest a lot of money in the trainees

2. I think acting practice will be necessary because idols need to show their acting on stage

3. It’s like the cost of R&D in other fields, is there anything special?

4. There’s nothing to argue with if you look at BTS and TXT

5. I thought it was 20 million won, but it was 120 million won;;

6. It costs more money than I thought

7. It’s good, I think I’ll apply for Big Hit if I want to be a trainee

8. Well, 120 million won…

9. The Big Hit system is so good

10. It’s good for the trainees cr.

(more comments)

11. How do they cost that much? That equals to the amount of money you need to attend university in South Korea

12. That's so much more money than I expected

13. But trainees from small companies still have to pay the money they were invested in back, right? Even though I'm sure it's not as much as stated on this post. I hope my biases would hit big as soon as possibleㅠㅠ

14. Big Hit seems to have a really great system. But I don't think they could release another group like BTS.

15. I just learned that they don't require any acting classes at all for their trainees. What if their idols suddenly develop an interest in acting?

16. They don't require acting classes but they still provide the acting class when needed. I heard they hold such classes before filming music videos. 

17. That 'Listening to music' program sounds really great. There are people who still haven't figured out what they like, just like me. 

18. I really want to know how it feels like to be a trainee, even though I know it's not easy at all. 

19. It's very nice of Big Hit to take care of the trainees' mental health prior to their debut. I think every celebrity needs that.

20. I wonder how they take care of the trainees' mental health and hold the mentoring for the social life... I want to experience such thing. cr.

[Hairband]

Big Hit changing the industry for the better since god knows when... 

[Mrs. Morale]

All of this money & some of them talent quality is still low (for the amount money spend)

[felidae]

30 minutes ago, satoori said:

if the company decides to send the trainee for an expensive experience such as overseas training

Overseas training? Anyone knows an example because my memory is empty

[Guest]

Thats why big companies have groups with more members, cause they dont request the payback

[penyair]

35 minutes ago, loveablejoy said:

All of this money & some of them talent quality is still low (for the amount money spend)

[HB23]

23 minutes ago, felidae said:

Overseas training? Anyone knows an example because my memory is empty

jk went for dance training in LA during his predebut days. he blogged quite extensively about it 

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, felidae said:

Overseas training? Anyone knows an example because my memory is empty

ateez trained for like a month in the usa early 2018. also mcnd spent almost a year in total in the usa

son dambi got dance training in the usa back in 2007 as well

Edited April 15, 2021 by hallucinate

[satoori]

1 hour ago, felidae said:

Overseas training? Anyone knows an example because my memory is empty

it seems they send some of their trainees overseas for dance lessons.

some known examples jungkook (bts), jay (enhypen), yeonjun (txt), hueningkai (txt)..

[Elessar]

Imagine how much it costed the 12 Loona members trainee period + the absurd amount of pre debut promotions they got, how is Loona even a thing after expending so much

[YooJeong]

3 hours ago, felidae said:

Overseas training? Anyone knows an example because my memory is empty

Jungkook went to study dance in the USA! 

[Hairband]

2 hours ago, HB23 said:

jk went for dance training in LA during his predebut days. he blogged quite extensively about it 

Blogged? Where can I read them? 

[Owlet]

2 hours ago, Elessar said:

Imagine how much it costed the 12 Loona members trainee period + the absurd amount of pre debut promotions they got, how is Loona even a thing after expending so much

Isn't their parent company selling military technology to the government or did I dream about this lol

But if I am right then I guess this is how they got by at the time.

[hungerbee27]

6 hours ago, loveablejoy said:

All of this money & some of them talent quality is still low (for the amount money spend)

What a relief that their job is to be stars in the pop industry. Not to win some talent shows, right~? 

[satoori]

3 hours ago, yoohyeon the unicorn said:

Blogged? Where can I read them? 

https://btsblog.ibighit.com/m/54  (jungkook diary from bts old blog)

 

Other then this, there's not much else to read. The company have mostly kept this lowkey. With Jungkook, I'm assuming he might of been one of the first trainees they've sent overseas (I'm not sure about Glam). The other BTS members didn't go. In recent years, he and the members have slightly mentioned JK's trainee.

JK was sent due to lacking emotion while dancing. 
JK fell so much in love with his new dancing life he wanted to become a dancer instead of idol singer. He was convinced by Jimin to stay tho.                                    

Edited April 15, 2021 by satoori

[Elessar]

1 hour ago, Owlet said:

Isn't their parent company selling military technology to the government or did I dream about this lol

But if I am right then I guess this is how they got by at the time.

Yes they are, but why they are spending so much money with barely any return of investment in a musical group for so long? It makes no sense, after 3 years Loona probably haven't make enough money to paid for the expenses of their pre debut promotions.

[Hairband]

43 minutes ago, satoori said:

https://btsblog.ibighit.com/m/54  (jungkook diary from bts old blog)

 

Other then this, there's not much else to read. The company have mostly kept this lowkey. With Jungkook, I'm assuming he might of been one of the first trainees they've sent overseas (I'm not sure about Glam). The other BTS members didn't go. In recent years, he and the members have slightly mentioned JK's trainee.

JK was sent due to lacking emotion while dancing. 
JK fell so much in love with his new dancing life he wanted to become a dancer instead of idol singer. He was convinced by Jimin to stay tho.                                    

Thanks a lot! I knew about the lacking emotion part but not about JK wanted to quit the idol training to become a dancer. 

Edited April 15, 2021 by yoohyeon the unicorn

[Aphrodisiac]

This is actually smart.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Aphrodisiac

[Guest]

I mean, it's like R&D investment. Sometimes it will bring benefits and other times it will be a loss. You should choose who you invest in wisely

[satoori]

15 hours ago, yoohyeon the unicorn said:

Thanks a lot! I knew about the lacking emotion part but not about JK wanted to quit the idol training to become a dancer. 

It was mentioned in a 2016 vlive and again in their docu series

 

[Taecoholic]

15. I just learned that they don't require any acting classes at all for their trainees. What if their idols suddenly develop an interest in acting?

 

Good question.

[sooa_t]

now I feel bad for trainees in small agencies, can you imagine having to pay back $110,000 or even more when your group is not that popular and active?

[Usagi.]

On 4/15/2021 at 9:25 AM, loveablejoy said:

All of this money & some of them talent quality is still low (for the amount money spend)

Their groups legit have some of the best performers in the industry, lmao

Worry about Hyunjin instead.

[Mrs. Morale]

3 minutes ago, Usagi. said:

Their groups legit have some of the best performers in the industry, lmao

Worry about Hyunjin instead.

what in this world? I know that HJ ain't no better but

The amount money they spent on their artist, they should have better vocal & dancing skills. They're all little bit above average (nothing spectacular), idk what kpop companies are teaching their trainees but for amount of training that most of them go through & still lacking is very disappointing 

[Usagi.]

34 minutes ago, loveablejoy said:

what in this world? I know that HJ ain't no better but

The amount money they spent on their artist, they should have better vocal & dancing skills. They're all little bit above average (nothing spectacular), idk what kpop companies are teaching their trainees but for amount of training that most of them go through & still lacking is very disappointing 

I'm used to kpoopies trashing on bh artists vocals but dancing skills? You gotta be kidding me.