More K-pop singers turn to video streaming service

More K-pop musicians struggling to succeed in the entertainment industry are turning to the local livestreaming platform AfreecaTV as a way to make money.

AfreecaTV has long been ill-received by the public due to its involvement in several social problems, including sex crimes and the abasement of disabled persons. For K-pop musicians, appearing on the platform’s video streaming service has been seen as taboo.

However, for many former idols who have devoted their youth to training to become K-pop stars, job options outside of entertainment may be limited -- especially if they gained some fame in the past. Most importantly, the potential to make money in a short time drives these former idols to become streamers.

Seo Ji-soo, a former member of the K-pop girl group Lovelyz, transitioned to a career in acting in November 2021 after her contract with Woollim Entertainment expired. Met with little success, she launched her channel on AfreecaTV in February this year.

“I am pursuing a new path as an actress, but given the current unfavorable circumstances, I thought about what I could do well. I decided that if I could happily broadcast and have the people I like enjoy watching, it would be great," Seo said during her first internet broadcast in February.

She earned 3 million won ($2,207) during the four hours of her debut stream. Unlike provocative streamers who face backlash due to excessive staging, indecent exposure and gambling-like activities during livestreaming to attract more donations, Seo only had conversations with fans about her recent life.

Other idol-turned-streamers such as Ellin of Crayon Pop, Dahee of Glam and Park Seo-ah of Brave Girls, who had ventured onto AfreecaTV before Seo, share a range of content including gaming, chatting with viewers and personal experiences.

Their staggering income from donations from fans in the form of “star balloons” on the platform explains why former K-pop members are pursuing such a path.

Top streamers on the platform can earn between 500 million won to 700 million won per month. Notably, a popular streamer named Commander Zico reportedly made over 30 billion won last year. These impressive earnings are largely driven by revenue from star balloons, which viewers purchase and send to their favorite streamers.

When viewers purchase star balloons, the revenue is shared between the streamers and AfreecaTV. Typically, the split is around 70 percent for streamers and 30 percent for AfreecaTV.

According to a report released by Soop, an operator of AfreecaTV, the total profit distribution for AfreecaTV streamers amounted to 476.1 billion won last year. This marks a 22.7 percent increase from the previous year's 388.1 billion won.

Profit distribution to streamers has grown from 153.1 billion won in 2018 to 195.7 billion won in 2019, 251.5 billion won in 2020, and 346.3 billion won in 2021.

“For celebrities past their prime, it is hard to find a job and make a living. Many former idols have turned to becoming streamers on AfreecaTV because they can make significant money in a short period of time,” a local entertainment company official said Monday. And what they do on livestreaming is not much different from what they used to do. “Communicating with fans online would have been one of their daily duties while working as an idol.”

Fans are divided about their favorite idols engaging in livestreaming activities on AfreecaTV, with many remaining pessimistic.

“There are many ways to communicate with fans, like on social media such as Instagram and YouTube as well as fan community platforms like Weverse and Bubble. K-pop stars don’t need to taint their reputation by livestreaming on AfreecaTV. The platform is already well-known for negative influences and ethical implications of provocative content, and singers should avoid it,” said Lee Hong-geun, a 33-year-old K-pop fan, on Monday.