How much does it cost for one underground idol to take lessons?

To start with the conclusion,the lesson costs per underground idol vary widely, ranging from several thousand yen to several tens of thousands of yen per month.This is because,

• the size of the group

• the frequency of lessons

• the fame of the instructor

• the difficulty of the dance

• whether or not there is voice training

can cause it to change significantly.

In the case of dance lessons

Dance is the most common type of lesson for underground idols. For example, suppose the payment to a dance instructor is about 10,000 to 30,000 yen per session. If a group of 5 people takes this, it comes to about 2,000 to 6,000 yen per person.

If it is a group of 10, it is about 1,000 to 3,000 yen per person. In other words, the more people there are, the lower the burden per person.

In the case of voice training

Voice training is often done as individual instruction, so it tends to be more expensive than dance. Even for a general voice trainer, 5,000 to 15,000 yen per hour is not uncommon. If the instructor has entertainment experience, it will be even higher.

Therefore, in the case of underground idols, there are cases where voice training is omitted or done as group lessons.

Thinking in terms of monthly costs

For example,

• dance lessons once a week

• voice training twice a month

If it is about this much, the burden on the management side is often about 5,000 to 20,000 yen per person per month. Of course, for a full-scale group, it costs more.

Conversely, there are also groups that hardly do any lessons.

There are also costs greater than lesson fees

Actually, in underground idol management, rather than lesson fees,

• studio rental fees

• music production costs

• costume expenses

• choreography production fees

• music video production costs

• live venue rental fees

can sometimes be higher. For example,

a single original song can cost several hundred thousand yen.

A music video can cost from several hundred thousand to several million yen.

Costumes are also required for every member.

Therefore, lesson fees are not the only operational cost.

Cases where the idol themselves bears the cost

In the underground idol industry, there are cases where management covers the full amount, and cases where members pay for lesson fees. Especially in small-scale groups,

self-funded lesson fees

are not uncommon. Because of this, even if it looks like entertainment work, it can sometimes be closer to a hobby or extracurricular lesson.

Looking at underground idols as a whole

Even though we say "underground idol," the reality varies quite a bit. For example, there are groups that operate on a budget of several tens of thousands of yen per month, while others have management companies investing in the millions of yen. Therefore,

regarding "how much are the lesson fees per underground idol?"

while 5,000 to 20,000 yen per month is one benchmark, it is realistic to consider that in reality, it fluctuates significantly from almost zero to several tens of thousands of yen or more.

To give you the conclusion first, in the underground idol industry, it is not rare for the individuals to bear the costs themselves. In fact, the smaller the group, the more likely it is that

"the management covers the full cost"

rather than

"the members also share the burden"

is a trend that is increasing. However, there are no unified rules across the industry, and it varies greatly depending on the group.

Why do the individuals have to bear the costs?

The biggest problem for underground idol management is funding. Large talent agencies can make upfront investments in anticipation of future profits. However, underground idol management does not necessarily have sufficient funds. For example,

• lesson fees

• studio rental fees

• costume fees

• song production fees

• choreography fees

• photography fees

and so on are incurred. If there are 10 members, the costs also multiply by 10. Therefore, it can be difficult for the management to cover everything on their own.

There are several forms of individual cost-sharing

Simply put,

There are cases where a monthly lesson fee is charged.

On the other hand, it may also be collected under names such as:

Affiliation fees.

Activity fees.

Registration fees.

Training fees.

In some cases, these effectively include lesson fees.

There are also completely free groups

Of course, not everything is paid for by the individual. Some groups have management companies that provide the funds and cover the full cost of lessons and costumes. In particular, management companies that are serious about future debuts and monetization tend to cover these costs as an investment.

However, looking at underground idols as a whole, not all groups are like that.

Sometimes travel expenses are a heavier burden than lesson fees

Surprisingly, for underground idols themselves, travel expenses can sometimes be more of a burden than lesson fees. For example:

Lessons.

Live performances.

Merchandise sales.

Photo shoots.

Meetings.

They travel frequently for these reasons. If they live in a rural area, the burden increases even more. Therefore, in reality,

lessons may be free, but the overall activity is in the red.

There are cases like that.

Why do they participate even if they have to pay for it themselves?

From an outside perspective, this might seem strange. However, many underground idols do not start out expecting a high income.

• Wanting to stand on stage

• Wanting to sing

• Loving to dance

• Wanting to interact with fans

• Aiming for a career in the entertainment industry in the future

There are many people who are active for motives such as these. Therefore, there are cases where they bear the costs with a feeling similar to lessons or hobbies.

There is also debate within the industry

In the underground idol industry,

there is the idea that "it is natural for the individual to pay,"

and there is also the idea that

"management should bear the training costs."

In particular, there has long been controversy regarding management that collects high lesson fees and activity expenses. Therefore, it is not necessarily a problem just because the individual pays, but the assessment changes significantly depending on the amount and the content of the contract.

Conclusion

Since many underground idol management companies lack financial resources, it is not rare for the idols themselves to bear some or all of the lesson fees and activity expenses. Especially for small-scale underground idols, it is less of

"an entertainment activity where management invests the full amount"

and more of

"an activity where management and the individual share the costs."

There are many cases that are close to this. Therefore, as a general rule, it is safe to assume that a significant portion of the costs for lessons and training for underground idols is borne by the individuals themselves, not just by the management.

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