How much do idols earn from Bubble? Netizens break down annual income by subscriber count

Netizens are discussing how much money idols actually make from Bubble.

Bubble is a widely discussed platform among K-pop fans, primarily serving as a one-on-one chatroom-style method of communication between artists and their fans. It often becomes a hot topic when idols fail to send messages frequently or meaningfully, placing them under scrutiny for neglecting fans who pay for the service.

With a recent increase in monthly subscription fees, Bubble has once again sparked conversation among fans, netizens, and active users.

On an online forum, a netizen shared information from an X thread that allegedly outlines how revenue is divided for idols using the platform.

According to the post:

"Bubble Revenue Structure

(Example based on 5,000₩)

DearU (40%) – 2,000₩
Agency (30%) – 1,500₩
Platform (30%) – 1,500₩

If the agency’s 30% share is split 60:40, the artist receives 800₩ per Bubble subscriber.

If 10,000 people simply subscribe: 800 x 10,000 = 8 million won

If 10,000 people subscribe for the entire year: 8,000,000 x 12 = 96 million won

Conclusion:

Even with just 1,000 subscribers for a year, an artist can earn 9.6 million won annually—just by chatting."

Later, the netizen corrected the information, stating the figure was actually lower:

"Correction: It’s actually 600₩ per Bubble subscriberㅠㅠ

→ (Monthly) 6 million won
→ (Yearly) 72 million won

(And, the contract terms keep changing T_T. Please just know they earn more than you might expect.)

Please avoid quoting anything that could hurt the artist.
Also, try not to say anything that could cause misunderstandings.
I just wanted to show how the Bubble revenue structure works.
If you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment.
Please note this was based on data from two years ago, so there may be inaccuracies."

In U.S. Dollars, based on the data, an artist with 1,000 subscribers could earn around $5,312 per year, and with 10,000 subscribers, approximately $53,120 annually.

Netizens responded with a mix of opinions. Some expressed support for their favorite idols, saying they "hope they earn a lot," while others referred to it as "easy money" or "a sweet deal."

Some noted that having 10,000 subscribers is likely rare, and that even reaching 1,000 would place an idol in a very high tier—what many would consider a "top star."

Reactions included:

"How many subscribers does my idol have, I wonder. I hope they’re earning a lot."

"My favorite comes all the time, I’m so grateful...."

"Getting Bubble messages on payday or right before payday somehow feels realㅠ"

"My favorite barely sends messages—maybe once a week if I’m lucky—so whenever I see stuff like this, I used to want to smack them. But after realizing some crazies treat them like emotional dumping grounds while paying just 4,500 won, I’ve just started thinking of it like buying a tube of Churu for a stray cat that drops by sometimes."

"Easy money."

"Seriously, easy money."

"Maybe they don’t even see that as real money?"

"My idol comes more often than I do. They come every day, even multiple times a day. I sent 10 messages to my idol today and got 1 reply… I hope my idol earns a lot of money."

"Hope they earn even more. Bubble is honestly amazing.."

"Easy money.. Please come every day... This really means you should come often, damn. If you don’t, it’s basically job neglect."

"With a lot of overseas fans, 10,000 subscribers should be easy."

"I just really hate the whole concept of paid communication..."

"My favorite has a good public image, but only comes once a month? Or once every two months? Seriously frustrating aside from their looks."

"Over a million subscribers would mean earning 6 billion won a month?"

"I’m glad I canceled Bubble first when I started losing interest."

"My idol probably doesn’t even have a thousand subscribers."

"My idol comes three times a month ㅋㅋㅋughㅠㅠ please just come a bit more often."

"It’s easy money, so please just send something... Are you going to send anything this month?"

"If you have a conscience, you should at least show up three or four times a week..."

"I signed up for a few idols I like, but I’m planning to quit after this month. Some come often and I’m thankful, but others haven’t shown up in over two weeks and I’m really not. Feels like it’s all pointless. I like celebrities, but I think I need to keep more distance. My life comes first."

"Some celebrities might not want to do Bubble, and that’s fine, but if they only show up once or twice a month, they should at least tell their company to shut down their Bubble. Taking fans’ money but not wanting to do the work?"

"People defending this are hilarious. If they don’t want to do it, then don’t. It’s not a matter of 'how could they not,' there are plenty of idols who don’t. If you’re getting paid, you should work hard. 'It’s not much so I’ll just do the bare minimum'—would you be okay with that if this was your coworker? Even if they’re just saying what they ate on Bubble, fans still love it."

"No matter how busy they are, I bet they still make time to talk to their significant other or family. So why don’t they message fans? Feels like they lack professional ethics."

"But seriously, is getting 10,000 Bubble subscribers that hard? Is the trend with concert and merch sales different from Bubble?"

"If you have a conscience, please come more often."

"Getting paid millions just for chatting? That’s easy money."

"The more I think about it, the weirder to ask fans to pay for communication."

"Only top idols probably get 10,000 subscribers. And at that level, they’re already raking it in with ads and tours, so Bubble revenue is nothing. If 1,000 subscribers mean 600,000 won a month, and they have to constantly think about Bubble to make that—honestly, I’d rather not take the 600 and just rest. Bubble is just a service. And there are tons of idols who don’t even have 1,000 subscribers."

"So jealous..."

"In the end, idols do all the work and third parties take all the money. Even if the agency is considered part of them. DearU gets a bigger share? People rage over Baemin food delivery fees but not this?"

"Do you seriously think delivery workers and idols are being exploited under the same conditions?"

"Looks like they get paid less than you’d think, considering the Bubble subscription price and the risk of receiving malicious comments."

"Saying a few things and making hundreds of thousands—easy money."

"I’m honestly amazed at people who say once a week is enough..."

"People saying it’s not much money are hilarious… They’re making hundreds of thousands a month just sending a few texts. My idol comes twice a month^^ㅜ"

"100 subscribers = 60,000 won per month
1,000 subscribers = 600,000 won per month
10,000 subscribers = 6 million won per month
But realistically, only top-tier idols could reach 1,000."

"I want to do Bubble too. Anyone want to subscribe to mine?"

"People defending this by saying they don’t make much—what’s wrong with you? Are you brain-dead? Fans who don’t even make 96 million a year are defending idols who ignore them. Pathetic."

What are your thoughts?