American Idol contestants spill on pay, perks, and other off-camera secrets

For over two decades, American Idol has launched stars like Kelly Clarkson and current judge Carrie Underwood, but now contestants are sharing what it’s like behind the scenes.

After earning their golden or platinum tickets from judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Underwood, contestants move on to Hollywood Week. “Now we’re off to the #americanidol arena,” Ryan Seacrest posted, “where things get real.”

As for the payments, Season 17 & 18 alum Margie Mays shared: “You don’t get paid until you make it to the live rounds, and then you can be paid.” She explained: “When they take you to places like Hawaii, obviously, they pay for that and then there’s things like a per diem for, like, eating…But they’re not paying you to be a contestant.”

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Season 16 winner Maddie Poppe said: “You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes. And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half… after you complete the record. So it’s just like an advance…but I’m pretty sure I have to recoup it.”

David Cook, who won Season 7, said his audition in front of the celebrity judges was actually his fifth round. “Once you get to Hollywood Week, they put you up [and] cover flights and all that,” he said. “But…for the city auditions segment, you’re on your own pocket.”

Margie confirmed: “They will fly you to Hollywood Week…They pay for that, they book for that…Hotel is paid for. Meals are provided.”

At first, contestants dress themselves. “You are responsible for dressing yourself,” Margie revealed. “However, if you make it to the live rounds…they do dress you.” In 2013, stylist Soyon An said contestants had a $400-per-episode wardrobe budget and had to cover any overages themselves.

When it comes to getting eliminated, Margie dished:“For Hollywood Week, you generally get sent home as soon as they can book you on a flight…you will literally leave the theater and go to a separate hotel and then…on a flight and leave right away.”

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Later in the competition, it changes. “Everybody flies back to L.A. on the same plane, whether they made it to the Top 20 or didn't. And then when you live in the apartments and you're doing live shows, if you get cut between like 20 and 10, I think you probably leave quickly after. But if you're in the Top 10 and you get cut, you very likely will stay in the apartments until the finale because they're gonna bring you back for the finale and you're gonna perform in the finale.”

Minors still have to attend school. “And we couldn't film more than 10 hours a day. So if we ever went over, we would be kept to the side. Or, if we ever had free time? 'Oh, you gotta go to school,'” said Danielle Finn, who was just 17 years old when she made the Top 24 during Season 20.

Victoria Johnson (Season 22) added: “They had me do the required school hours…I just did puzzles the whole time because I didn’t have any schoolwork to do....I am taking all my classes online this semester because of Idol, because I was going back and forth with filming.”

Contestants used to live in mansions, like the Season 8 house with a cinema room and pools. “The mansion was sooo awesome,” Lil Rounds wrote in 2024, “but we hardly had any sleep.”

Today, contestants live in hotels, and Season 22 winner Abi Carter and finalist Julia Gagnon were even roommates.

The schedule is intense. “Thursday we got the songs,” Ruben Studdard explained. “Friday we chose the songs. Friday-Saturday we taped commercials. Sunday we made final selections. Then Sunday night-Monday night we went to the studio to make sure everything was right for the track. And then Tuesday morning we would do a dry run of the show, like top to bottom. So when you see the package when people are like, 'You should vote for X, Y, Z' that's already been taped Tuesday morning."

Season 13 runner-up Jena Irene Asciutto told Business Insider: “As the weeks went on and people were eliminated, the people left were responsible for filling that episode of time," the season 13 runner-up told Business Insider. "So we were needed for more things. And I think at like top eight was when we started doing Ford commercials every Sunday."