Winners Can Earn Big Bucks on 'Name That Tune,' but Do the Losers Get Anything?

Clearly, reboots are in style.

The second season of the revived hit musical game show Name That Tune is back and more entertaining than ever. Each week, two contestants compete against each other to correctly identify a song performed by the on-stage band; however, we viewers at home are, of course, attempting to guess the track before the show's contenders because we want the bragging rights.

Now, there's much more to the game than simply identifying a tune — there are plenty of prizes to win, including monetary rewards. As one would expect, the more you guess correctly, the more money you earn. Naturally, there can only be one winner, and the one who has the most cash reigns victorious. But do the losers get to keep their money as well? Let's find out!

When it comes to the 2021 reboot of Name That Tune, the rules are pretty simple: Each game consists of two contestants playing for cash through two challenging rounds of musical competitions.

The first round consists of various games from the original format, and each tune is worth $1,000–$6,000; the second, dubbed "Bid-A-Note," contains four songs ranging from $10,000–$25,000.

The person with the most money at the end of the second round wins the game and takes their earnings to the final "Golden Medley" round for a chance to win additional cash or the $100,000 grand prize.

As for the losing contestant, while we don't know for sure, it may be safe to assume they do not get to keep their earnings. During the episode, host Jane Krakowski never tells them they will leave the show with money; she only thanks them for taking the time to be on the series and play the game.

However, according to U.S. Game Shows Wiki, the losers retained their earnings in the 1974 and 1984 versions. Following the "Melody Roulette," all contestants kept the cash they won, but the winner received a bonus prize. On the other hand, when it comes to the 1990 version hosted by Jim Lange, "only the winner of Melody Roulette got to keep the cash with no bonus."

So, if anything, the 2021 version of Name That Tune appears to resemble that of the 1990 revival the most.

After working their way through the show, the winning contestant can breathe a sigh of relief because the "Golden Medley" does not withdraw money from their bank. No, the intimidating final round only has the power to offer the show's winner additional cash and the chance to acquire the massive grand prize.

Honestly, the "Golden Medley" round is incredibly tense. The winner must identify seven tunes in 30-second intervals, and while it might sound easy, it's a difficult feat. We don't know about you, but we would struggle to recognize a song without any vocals. For every correct guess, the contestant earns $10,000; if you correctly identify all seven, then you're walking away with $100,000.

New episodes of Name That Tune air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Fox.