PIcture of me outside "The Voice" Studio
I have watched the tapings of such talent shows like "The Voice". I have met & worked with some of the artists from the shows. See my first Steemit intro for more information. But, it made me think that alot of people don't know what happens after the show.
We’ve all watched the television talent shows like "American Idol", "The Voice", and "America’s Got Talent". They are such great entertainment, especially when a person comes up to the stage with a heart -wrenching story, then blows everyone away with their amazing talent.
Picture before "The Voice "Starts taping
You can’t help but get hooked and support your favorite contestant by following them on social media or voting, or laughing at your favorite judges’ response.
Picture at "The Voice" after party is Hollywood, CA
But, what happens to all the contestants after the show?
The problem is that the television talent shows have such high percentage of artists that don’t make the big time superstar status. The television shows are casting talent for the next season, before the winner of the current season is decided. It’s an ongoing recycling of new artists. Unfortunately, a lot of artists audition for these shows thinking they will hit the big time and the money will start rollin in. On the shows, they get paid per episode with food stipends, and payments increase if they make it to the finals of the show. Most shows promise a record deal or big performance contract after the show, if they win. The money that they receive from the show, they think will continuously rise instead of level off by the end of the show.
For the runner-ups and those that didn’t make the finals, there is a lot of hard work after the show in order for the record labels to recognize you and sign you to a deal and not enough cash to make it happen.
The record labels are looking for hit original songs. The television talent shows have the artist perform cover songs. The labels are looking for artists who perform weekly and have a stage presence. Most of the artists on the talent shows are thrown onto the stage and they have no preparation on how to engage an audience and how to work the stage. Many times, it’s the first time that they have performed on a stage so big.
The artist development is missing right now. The record labels used to develop artists, but now they look for the artist in a full package. The labels want a hit song, style, 1 million followers, and artist persona that take years to develop.
Even if you win the show and get the record deal, you might not be a household name, by the time the show is over. There are so many artists that are still working to achieve success after these talent shows. Remember Javier Colon, Danielle Bradbery, Candice Glover, the list goes on and on.
So, the artists are confused after the whirlwind popularity on a hit television talent show, after everyone tells them how fantastic they are, then they are stuck not knowing what to do next or how to get a record deal. Then, they have to take a job at the local cafe or fast food restaurant to make ends meet. Regrettably, the shows pamper them for a few weeks, then they are thrown out for the next round of artists.
It’s unfortunate that the artists aren’t aware that they are on a television show, vs. being part of the music industry. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to become a huge music star, and the television shows are just a stepping stone for most.