Singing hopefuls taking part in television talent show The Voice of Holland are not sharing in the show’s commercial success, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

Contracts which all contestants have to sign with John de Mol’s Talpa agency, mean they earn just €450 gross per performance, according to union calculations.
‘The balance is extremely distorted,’ Caspar de Kiefte, of union FNV Kiem told the paper. ‘The programme rides on the back of extremely talented musicians and pays them a pittance.’
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Contestants sign a contract giving all rights to Talpa subsidiary The Voice of Holland BV. Part of the contract gives Talpa the right to deduct 10 cents from every euro in overheads. On top of that come other costs and the remaining amount is divided 50/50 between singer and company. This leaves performers with some €450 per show, before tax.
The paper points out Talpa also earns from ticket sales to the shows, text messages and music sales. In addition, the format has been sold to more than 40 countries around the globe.
A spokesman for Talpa told the paper the contract is in line with normal entertainment industry practises. The show is based on judges picking singing talent by voice alone.