We may have hit on part of this in another thread...the catalog of threads is getting pretty big...thank you Miguel and fellow Haliens.
Anyway, up early here, drinking lots of coffee and definitely kicking into the over-thinking mode.
The topic of how much Idol contestants make, contracts, fees, management, after show earnings was addressed on the following message board in 2011:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/show...p?t=609061
Quote:Contracts
All American Idol Contestants that reach the top 12 have to sign a contract that gives 19 Entertainment the right to sign them to an album contract if they choose. It doesn't matter if you finish first or 12th, if the AI people want you on their label, that's where you're going. So there's no truth to the notion that if you finish lower you have more artistic freedom - unless 19 Entertainment decides to cut you loose.
They can also assert the right to be your manager. From the NY Times:
Quote:
"The company can sign a management contract with any contestant it chooses, binding the contestant to pay 15 percent of his earnings, not including those from recording and merchandising contracts, to 19 Entertainment-related companies as a manager’s fee. The initial contract extends for three years, although 19 continues to collect a percentage of some of the contestant’s earnings for 10 years."
Note that's not even a record contract. Even if 19 Entertainment chooses not to give you a record contract, if you go off and sign with someone else they can exercise their option to be your 'manager', and any non-recording income you make they get a piece of.
...which referenced this Feb, 2010 NY Times article, which we have linked before:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/arts/t....html?_r=0
The Bottom Line: In the Entertainment Industry the tentacles come from all directions taking little pieces of the pie. I can see why songwriters and others would be interested in finding up-and-coming artists to have their names and creative work attached to. Haley would probably still be in that up-and-coming position and the quality of the industry professionals around her gives us a clue as to her status.
