The Voice (American TV series)

***The Voice*** is an American talent show and singing competition, based on the original The Voice of Holland from the Netherlands. The winner receives US$100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Music Group. There have been eighteen winners to date.

## Overview
The Voice began airing on April 26, 2011, as a spring program. The show proved to be a huge success for NBC and was subsequently extended into the fall season, with the third cycle premiering on September 10, 2012. 

It features a panel of four coaches who critique the artists' performances. Each coach guides their own team of chosen artists through the competition. They also work toward the goal of having their artist emerge victorious, thereby becoming winners themselves.

Singers must be at least 13 years of age to compete. The winner is determined by television viewers voting by telephone, internet, SMS text, and iTunes Store purchases of the audio-recorded artists' vocal performances.

## History
An adaptation of The Voice of Holland and part of The Voice franchise, NBC announced **The Voice of America** in December 2010 the name was soon shortened to **The Voice**.

Each season, the winner receives $100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Republic Records (seasons 1 and 2) and Universal Music Group (since season 3). The Voice premiered on April 26, 2011; it had the highest 18–49 ratings for a series on a major production company since Undercover Boss debuted after the Super Bowl in February 2010. 

It became the first new primetime series of the season (from ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX) to increase its total 18–49 viewers from week one to week two. As a result of the sheer power of The Voice, NBC offered to expand the live episodes to two hours starting June 7, following America's Got Talent, and also added a results episode.

## Format
### Blind Auditions
Each season begins with blind auditions, where coaches form their teams, which they will coach and guide throughout the season. The judges' chairs face the audience during each contestant's performance; those interested in an artist press a button, turning their chair to face the artist. The bottom of the chair lights up, reading "I Want You." 

After the performance concludes, the artist enters the team of the coach they are interested in, or if more than one coach is interested, they decide which team they will join. In Season 14, the "block" option was added. A coach can block another coach before turning their chair to look for a contestant; they can only press this button once.

### Knockout Round
The Knockout Round was also introduced in the third season. A pair of artists from the same team are selected to perform at the same time. Each artist is given the opportunity to choose their own song and also receives help and advice from their coaches. At the end of both performances, each coach selects one of their own to advance to the next round. 

Each coach receives two "steals," which allow them to save and add to their teams contestants eliminated by other coaches during that round. Starting with Season 14, a "Save" option was added; a coach can save only one contestant they have eliminated in the same Knockout
### The Playoffs
In the playoffs, artists perform individually in team rounds. At the end of their round, each coach must select three artists (out of a total of six) to advance to the next stage: live shows, top 12.

### Live Shows
Live shows are part of the final round of the competition, in which artists perform weekly, subject to public votes, until the winner is announced. The judges have the power to save any artist who did not receive the public vote that week. In the second season, these contestants had to perform one last time to earn the coaches' salvation. 

However, when selecting those who would advance to the finals, the audience and judges' votes had equal importance and power, being 50/50. With one artist from each team, in the finals, everyone faced off for the public vote, which would determine the winner. In the first two seasons, one artist from each team would advance to the finals.

However, due to the possibility of multiple potential winners within the same team, the eliminations were adjusted, and those with the fewest votes would be eliminated, so no judge is guaranteed that their team would be represented in the finals.

## References