How to Attend “The Voice” Auditions

On NBC’s “The Voice,” singers from all over the nation have been drawing attention—and chairs—for 25 seasons and counting. This is your opportunity to be heard if you believe you have the vocal skills to accomplish the same.

These new performances may encourage you to try out for Season 26, which debuted on September 23. On reality TV, how can you turn your fantasies into reality? Here is all the information you require regarding the series’ audition process.

What’s “The Voice” about?

“The Voice,” which debuted in 2011, was an adaptation of the Dutch competition show “The Voice of Holland.” During each performance, the series places unsigned singers in front of a panel of four amazing instructors, whose chairs are oriented in a different direction.

(Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton were on the first panel of the series.) Any panelist who is impressed by a contestant’s voice during these Blind Auditions can turn their chair around to watch the singer, assess their performance, and possibly add them to their team.

After that, coaches and their team members fight for the title in a series of rounds called Battles, Knockouts, Playoffs, and Live Performance Shows. These rounds involve eliminations, meetings with celebrity advisors, and the teams being reduced to one singer each. The winner, chosen by the audience, gets a record deal with Universal Music Group and $100,000.

Where to locate open casting calls and auditions for “The Voice”

Since the epidemic caused the show to find virtual substitutes, “The Voice” auditions are now done online; interested parties can upload a video to the show’s website. For the most recent updates, make sure to follow the show’s Twitter and Instagram pages. Don’t worry if you missed the audition date for the upcoming season; NBC is now accepting applications all year round.

However, candidates should be aware that on October 24 and November 7, 2024, “The Voice” will have virtual open call auditions. On the show’s website, prospective participants can create an Artist Account and sign up for a virtual open call. You will be notified via email 24 hours prior to the audition once your time slot has been chosen. What you should know is as follows:

• Prepare a song’s verse and chorus in advance.

• A personal introduction, the song you’ll be singing, and the performance should all be included in your one and a half-minute audition.

• Singing along to a backing track, performing a cappella, or playing an instrument are your options. (Make sure you have everything ready beforehand.)

• When using recording equipment, take care not to overdo effects like vocal boosters, reverb, or compression so that you can showcase your voice as it is.

• Verify your lighting conditions again. You should be well-lit from the front, not the back.

• Make sure you’re in focus and that you’re visible on camera; don’t cut your head off or move the lens too near.

• An on-screen countdown will indicate when your audition is about to start. You have the opportunity to shine once the recording starts. Phones, tablets, and computer webcams (iOS, PC, and Android are all allowed) can be used for audits. You’ll receive an email with your findings once the casting team for the show has reviewed your audition.

With whom does “The Voice” feature?

The main actors in Season 26 are:

• Carson Daly (host)
  
  
• Snoop Dogg (coach)
  
  
• Reba McEntire (coach)
  
  
• Gwen Stefani (coach)
  
  
• Michael Bublé (coach)

NBC hasn’t revealed who will provide each team with advice during the Battle Rounds, though.

Who are “The Voice” casting directors?

“The Voice” gathered talent through the eyes and ears of over a dozen casting directors, coordinators, producers, and assistants over its first eighteen seasons, which took place at huge venues like auditoriums and arenas in several cities.

Although there have been other high-profile talent seekers, Michelle McNulty, who was the main casting director for 115 episodes, was arguably the most important to the program. She then joined the show’s production team and went on to win two Emmys for her behind-the-scenes efforts.

“Someone with a good voice, that’s first and foremost,” McNulty replied when asked what qualities she and her team were looking for in a competitor. One more thing, though: a performer. When you step onto the stage, you must be aware that you will be in front of millions of people watching on television and all of these coaches in this enormous arena.

Therefore, we seek out individuals that are confident in their abilities and performance. Therefore, the main things we look for are their confidence, voice, and performance.

The number of possible competitors drops from thousands to hundreds when producers choose the candidates they like from the auditions. The remaining vocalists then sing additional songs during callbacks, when they either play an instrument or sing along to a backing track.

Before the final group is put together and prepared for television, more are eliminated through additional callbacks and auditions in Los Angeles.

Luke Wade, a participant from Season 7 who later joined the show’s casting crew, is one of the few people who is more familiar with the procedure. Since going through the audition process himself, he has made it his mission to calm anxious vocalists.

He told Variety, “I feel like that’s definitely one place I excel,” having been on the opposite side of that. “In the end, singing songs is more important than singing notes. I frequently remark, “Congratulations!” in rooms. Your voice is a tool.

You ought to be really pleased of yourself. I’m quite pleased with you. Finding out who you are and what you’re singing about is the next stage. After that, you should try to make people feel that way.

“We all actively look for fantastic talent; we all go to the open call auditions,” he added of the audition process. Following the open call, there are callbacks where we get to hear the top performers from the thousands of singers that attend.

Sometimes the singers are pretty apprehensive when they walk in, so I’m one of the individuals who takes charge of the room and helps them get the most out of it. In order to give someone the best chance to advance in the process and demonstrate to the next person down the line what we all see, [I’ll do] whatever it takes to bring out the best in them.

Which “The Voice” audition tips are the best?

• Give it your best shot: “I’ll tell you what I tell the people in the room, and that’s that it’s just about having the right moment at the right time; it’s not about being good or bad,” Wade remarked. “I only need to rely on my response to the performance. I know some incredibly amazing singers, but I have to trust my instincts if I’m not feeling anything throughout the performance. Additionally, some people will occasionally be flat or perform poorly, yet I will still have an emotional connection to them at that very moment. The most crucial thing for anyone auditioning is to feel like they belong in that room and that they deserve that moment.

• Reduce your expectations: Contestant Jaclyn Lovey, who advanced to the Battle Rounds on Season 14, suggested that contestants should reduce their expectations for the performance at any type of audition, whether it be an open call or the real blind audition. “I prefer to have low expectations going into a performance so that I can still surpass them, regardless of how good or average I am.”

• Recognize your song: “I would always get really nervous right before singing my song for the blind audition and for the auditions before,” Lovey recalled. I was like, “Oh, yeah, I know this song forward and backward and upside down,” as soon as I started listening to it. There was no need for concern because I am so familiar with it.

• Don’t worry about the outcome: “Enjoy the moment.” Don’t worry about the outcome if this is your first open call, Lovey added. “Avoid thinking, Oh, I have to make it, I have to make it. Simply consider: This is my time. I’m present. Simply stay in the present and learn as much as you can while you’re there. After that, simply enjoy yourself. In fact, regardless of how far [you get], it’s a fantastic experience. They’re continuously seeking for new artists, so you may always try again every season or year. Many people get rejected on their first attempt, but they return and succeed. You never know what will happen, so just keep trying, keep working, and keep developing.

• Share your tale: “A piece of advice I’ve gotten from Kelly [Clarkson], Mariah [Carey], and Thomas Rhett was to just really relate to the song and put my emotions in it and put myself in the song and show myself to the audience through what I’m singing,” stated Chevel Shepherd, the 16-year-old winner of Season 15.

• “The best advice I’ve ever received from Kelsea [Ballerini] was to just give it your all and put everything out on the line like it’s your last time performing—and just to have fun with it, and [don’t] worry about the nerves and messing up,” said Lynnea Moorer, Shepherd’s fellow Season 15 contestant.

Here are just a few of the helpful tips from show’s official website:

• The most crucial thing is to be authentic! Every artist is different and has an own style. Make sure your video submission reflects that.

• “Select a cover song that complements your vocal and performance style and best reflects you as an artist.”

• “Look your best! Dress as you would if you were selected for a “Blind Audition.”

• “Remember to enjoy yourself! Show us your individuality and vitality. We’d like to watch you perform!