September 27, 2024 | Jennifer McDougall

Behind the Scenes Facts The Voice


Gettin’ The Goods On The Voice

You hear the incredible tunes belted out. You see the drama unfold before your eyes. You make your choices and hope they align with the judges’. But do you know some of the secrets behind the award-winning spectacle The Voice?

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Longest-Lasting Judge

Although the judging panel on The Voice has changed throughout its 21 seasons, there is one whose name will long be associated with the show. The artist to be awarded the longest-lasting coaching award is country singer Blake Shelton.

Blake Shelton in black shirtDoD News, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Other Coaches

Other coaches you may recognize include Kelly Clarkson and John Legend. Along with Shelton, the original judges included Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and CeeLo Green. There is a reason that the judging panel feels like a revolving door.

Kelly Clarkson in black topvagueonthehow, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

New Judges = Lower Budget

There are constantly new and different judges on The Voice. The reason behind this decision involves money. Costs are kept lower when new judges—with lower pay—are introduced.

Black microphoneTeemu R, Pexels

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Blake’s Paycheck

The budget can quickly get out of hand when a star is paid major money to host the show. Sources claim Blake Shelton brought in over $21 million a season.

Blake Shelton in black shirtMark Runyon, Flickr

New Hosts = Higher Ratings

Producers bank success on ratings. They expect that new, popular hosts will bring them a greater number of viewers. Except, sometimes they don’t. Ariana Grande was cut after her appearances in the 21st season. OK Magazine reported that she made between $20 to $25 million for 26 episodes.

Ariana Grande in white outfitEmma, Flickr

What Singers Make

Participants aren’t paid. Contestants are fed and housed in a Los Angeles hotel for the duration of their on-air run. But monetarily, they make nothing.

Hotel in Los AngelesDowntowngal, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

How Singers Are Chosen

Anyone can audition. The Voice has an “open casting call” that attracts tens of thousands of applicants a year. Every person gets one minute and 30 seconds in which to introduce themselves and sing part of their song. There is another way contestants can become part of the process.

People waiting in lineRosenfeld Media, Flickr

Occasional Recruitment

Sometimes singers will be approached and enlisted. In the very first season, Vicci Martinez was “’persistently’” chased.

Vicci Martinez in black shirtJeff Hitchcock, Flickr

Virtual Auditions

Believe it or not, tryouts for The Voice don’t even take place in person. Casting director Michelle McNulty explains that this makes it easier—and cheaper—for candidates. “Now, people can actually just do this from the comfort of their home”.

Michelle McNulty in black outfitJohn Wolfsohn, Getty Images

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Unlimited Attempts

Participants who don’t make the cut can try, try again. There is no max on the number of times someone can audition.

The voice chairsRTP, Flickr

Minimum Age

Wanna sing your heart out on The Voice? You need to be at least 13 years old. The youngest winner ever was barely older than that.

Brynn Cartelli in nude topIlya S. Savenok, Getty Images

Youngest Victor

The youngest winner ever was Brynn Cartelli in Season 14. She celebrated her 15th birthday on set.

Brynn Cartelli in colorful shirtDavid Becker, Getty Images

Coach Availability

Contestants can text or call their mentors pretty much 24/7. Both Blake Shelton and Adam Levine were quick to respond to their mentees. Whenever runner-up from Season 1, Dia Frampton, was nervous or worried, she would send a message to Shelton. He “always texted her back”.

Adam Levine in gray t-shirtkarina3094, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Substantial Prizes

Not only does the winner of The Voice get $100,000 but they also obtain a record contract. This is huge. And yet, there was one winner who refused to accept his prize.

A person is holding a recordSerg Alesenko, Pexels

The Champ Gives It Up

After a year with Universal Republic Records, the victor of Season 1 refused to continue with the prize’s record deal. The details aren’t fully known, but Javier Colon claimed it was due to fraught relations.

Javier Colon  in black jacketMark Sullivan, Getty Images

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Intensive Training

Training schedules are rigorous: “The Voice is your life 24/7 until you get eliminated or win”. It’s impossible to keep up with even a part-time job. “’I couldn’t really work. No one can work,’’ clarified Season 2 contestant Charlotte Sometimes. Relationships have been destroyed.

Charlotte Sometimes in black and white t-shirtJoey Foley, Getty Images

Forget Having A Fiancé

Vicci Martinez, who came in third place in the first season, ended an engagement. “We had to break up because of [The Voice]. I had just bought a house in my hometown [Tacoma, Washington], and I actually just ended up giving the house away and staying in LA.” Along with painstaking vocal instruction, the singers are also trained for other, extraordinary circumstances.

Vicci Martinez in black topGregg DeGuire, Getty Images

Don’t Puke Training

Being on stage in front of celebrity judges and an audience can be nerve-wracking. Competitors go through rigorous training so that they know what to do if they faint or feel sick while singing. They also get lessons on “reacting to failure or success, social media training, and even interview prep”. This huge bonus isn’t offered by most other reality shows.

People in front of stageHarrison Haines, Pexels

Who Chooses The Songs

The Voice picks which songs will be sung, and by whom. “It’s always hysterical when the judges say, ‘I don’t think that was a good song choice for you,’ and I’m thinking, You picked that song,” declared Season 1 contestant Frenchie Davis.

Frenchie Davis in black dressJeff Kern, Flickr

Who Chooses Clothing

After the blind auditions, singers hit the wardrobe jackpot. Before they’re chosen by a judge, they wear their own clothing. Afterward, the show shops for them.

Variety of clothes on rackLos Muertos Crew, Pexels

Food Pros

The Voice knows that competing is hard work, and it provides an incredible spread. The catering is superb—and they also hand out a stipend so contestants can use it at restaurants of their choice. There’s even a Starbucks on set with snacks. There’s only one downside to the menu.

Catering with mini sandwichesUniversity of Exeter, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Food Con

The one food con is weight gain. In Season 2, the once-homeless Jesse Campbell gained some pounds. “’It was basically like being an adult without having to be one….I ate really well,’” she said.

Jesse Campbell in grey jacketJonathan Leibson, Getty Images

Super Clean Stage

Between filming, a major cleaning is done on the stage. “They even wipe up any fingerprints that could be left on the floor”.

Man sweeps away beer cupsChrisGoldNY, Flickr

There Is No “Whoosh”

During episodes, the red chairs turn with a loud “whoosh” sound. This is added post-filming. Unfortunately, there is no dramatic sound. The sound adds excitement. But there is a very logical rationale behind the decision to add the “whoosh” in post-production rather than while the singers are performing—it would be a massive distraction.

The Voice stageHedda Gabler, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Controversies Galore

The Voice has had its fair share of contention. Soul singer CeeLo Green was promised he could return after a break from the show. This was recanted after he was accused of assault. Other controversies have happened as well.

CeeLo Green in white shirtAnna Hanks, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Stefani-Shelton Romance

In a nutshell: longtime judge Blake Shelton was in the middle of a divorce. Singer Gwen Stefani showed up on the panel in 2014 and sparks flew. They were open about their new relationship—which added a touch of “soap opera” to The Voice.

Gwen Stefani with blonde hairLorie Shaull, Flickr

The Aguilera Hullabaloo

Christina Aguilera was a popular and celebrated judge. After Season 10, she left with no explanation. Rumor has it that she was angry about Shelton’s desire to have his girlfriend remain as a judge. Adam Levine backed Shelton and Stefani.

Christina Aguilera with blonde hairMoesi, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, Wikimedia Commons

Coach Regrets

Like buyer’s regret, judges have been known to be unhappy with some of their button presses and chair turns. Adam Levine refers to it as “chair-turner’s remorse”. Even when they make mistakes, previous judge Jennifer Hudson shares that mentors will “’invest in somebody who wants to be invested in’”.

Jennifer Hudson with braided hairRodin Eckenroth, Getty Images

Singers Watch Each Other

Contestants are able to see their fellow competitors—but not in person. They take in the acts from another building.

Silhouette of a singerRiccardo Vespa, Pexels

Non-Winners Who Won

There are some non-victors who have reaped the benefit of exposure on The Voice. Koryn Hawthorne and Cassadee Pope became better known after their performances on The Voice. Melanie Martinez, a former loser on the show, is now a particularly well-known pop star. She was kicked off in week five of Season 3 and yet now has a net worth of about $8 million.

Melanie Martinez with painted faceDeShaun Craddock, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Advancement Assisted

Nicolle Galyon was eliminated in Season 2’s battle rounds. She has since had two Grammy nominations for songs she has written. She’s extremely grateful for meeting Raelynn and Miranda Lambert as she feels it “kickstarted her songwriting career”.

Nicolle Galyon wearing white topGilbert Flores, Getty Images

Pro: Meeting Famous People

Galyon met and interacted with the Lamberts. Vicci Martinez, in Season 1, was over-the-moon when she ran into Rihanna backstage.

Rihanna in black topLahore Herald, Flickr

Con: Famous People Ignore You

Some coaches are very active in music choice and performance arrangement and details. Sadly, others are not. Ddendyl Hoyt was disappointed in her Season 6 mentor, Shakira, who spent little time with her team. “’The majority of our growth was left to us on our own,’” related Hoyt, who was eliminated in the second battle round.

Shakira with blonde hairWorld Economic Forum, Flickr

No Official Bye-Bye

After contestants are cut from the competition, they aren’t even given time to say farewell. Semi-finalist Kat Perkins explained that once eliminated, she had to leave the show—and hotel paid for by NBC—immediately. It felt very “’abrupt’”. There was one benefit provided that really helped, though.

Kat Perkins in black topHannah Foslien, Getty Images

On-Site Psychologists

After being discharged from the competition, contestants are offered counseling. Psychologists, provided by the show, work with the singers. It isn’t until these professionals okay the participants that they are allowed to go home.

A psychiatrist listening to a patientKampus Production, Pixels

Not Homegrown In The USA

The Voice didn’t originate in the USA. It was modeled from a popular show in the Netherlands called The Voice of Holland.

Colorful houses in AmsterdamJavier M. jmelpri, Wikimedia Commons

The Plus Sides

Contestants develop deep friendships with fellow singers. They learn a lot from their coaches—at least from the ones who are more “hands-on”. But there are also some negatives to the show.

Two people huggingRTP, Flickr

Contractual Put-Downs

Incredibly, The Voice’s contracts state that hosts may belittle competitors. A leaked document shows that "the show 'may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing and may expose them to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation'". The contract also allows for other oddities.

Person writing on a contractRDNE Stock project, Pexels

Forced Psych Evaluations

The same leaked document revealed that contenders may have to take compulsory medical and psychological evaluations. The network can even make the results public.

Person signing on paperPixabay, Pexels

Managing The Future

Even the future of singers is controlled. There are clauses in the contract that tether a performer to Universal Music Group, the recording label connected to the show. Singers’ futures can be linked to The Voice for years after they took part on the show.

Universal Music buildingTony Webster, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Live Voice Tour Flop

It was an intriguing idea by NBC to have Season 1’s top two singers from each judge’s team perform a series of concerts. Unfortunately, the fans didn’t agree. In 2014, the New York Beacon Theater sold tickets for every seat. Other stops, however, had dismal sales. The tour was canceled.

Beacon Theater New York CityAndreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons


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