This year's roster of judges on "The Voice" -- Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, and Blake Shelton -- is a stellar combination that is bound to attract quality contestants and more viewers. And based on the first two episodes, it appears this season could be one of the best yet to come for the show, thanks to the great chemistry between the coaches and this year's crop of contestants (so far).
"We've noticed that the caliber of talent is just getting a little bit better every single cycle, a little bit stronger, a little bit better because people who normally have an interest going on a TV show now have a place to go," observed "The Voice" host Carson Daly, as noted by The Huffington Post.
That definitely sounds very promising.
So, how much did it take to bring musicdom's biggest names together on "The Voice"?
The Hollywood Reporter said that this job "can be hugely lucrative" and can involve salaries that range from $1 million per season (Demi Lovato got that on her first run with "The X Factor") to $18 million. It can be recalled that Mariah Carey was paid this hefty sum for her participation as judge in "American Idol" last year.
Christina Aguilera, a former coach on "The Voice," was believed to have been paid $12 million per season on the said show. And talks have it that Gwen "would likely command a similar fee."
TV Guide said that Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and former judge Cee Lo Green was paid $100,000 per episode of the show. This rate has earned all three a place amongst TVdom's highest paid talents. Former coach Christina Aguilera was paid a whopping $225,000 per episode. Talk about serious star power!
"After starting on the lower scale, Levine's loyalty to the show (he has been on every season) has now earned him a reported base pay of $10-12 million per cycle of 'The Voice,'" noted FeelGuide.com. Meanwhile, Blake Shelton "earns an estimated $6 million per season."
Further, the site speculated that Gwen may be getting about $10 million for season 7 of "The Voice," and that Pharrell may be getting around $8 million.
Aside from these lucrative pay packets, the star judges on the show also have the opportunity to use "The Voice" as a platform for "enormous crossover appeal and publicity for artists to showcase their newest work." As such, it can be said that these musicians can stand to earn even more than those projected figures per season, given the exposure they get.