NBC.COM BRINGS THE AUDITION EXPERIENCE DIRECTLY TO VIEWERS WITH NEW INTERACTIVE TOOL FOR UPCOMING REALITY COMPETITION SERIES 'THE VOICE'

In a First for Network Reality Competitions, "The Voice Online Audition Tool" -- Available at NBC.com -- Will Allow Users to Showcase Their Talents from Home Via a Personal Computer and Webcam as the Tool Records the Performance and Rates It Based on Pitch and Expression

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. � February 18, 2011� In a first for network reality competitions, NBC's new series "The Voice" (premiering spring 2011), will bring the audition experience to viewers at home by allowing users to showcase their talents online via a new interactive tool available on NBC.COM (http://www.nbc.com/thevoice).

While the show's casting team is searching the nation, working with music industry experts and hosting casting calls in an effort to find the nation's top talent, "The Voice Online Audition Tool" takes the process one step further -- allowing the show to find potential contestants right in their own homes via the use of a personal computer and a webcam.

"This unique interactive online experience that provides immediate feedback and scoring is an evolution in the casting process. This technology will exponentially expand our reach but, of course, only the best of the best will make it on to the show," said Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming and Production, NBC. "The possibility that the next global superstar could be discovered through this innovative tool is incredibly exciting to all of us involved."

The tool records performances and then rates them on a scale from 1 to 10 based on pitch and expression. Once submitted, eligible performances will be showcased on NBC.COM; they can then be rated by fans and shared via social networks.

"The Voice" casting team will review submitted videos, seeking the ones that boast the highest scores and the best performances. Users interested in a chance to compete in this season of the show are encouraged to submit their best performances by March 1, the current casting cut-off.

Unlike an open casting call, users of the online tool have the opportunity to practice and hone their performance, rate themselves against others, work to raise their score and submit multiple times.

ABOUT THE SERIES

"The Voice" is modeled after Holland's top-rated vocal talent discovery show, "The Voice of Holland."

Hosted by Carson Daly, "The Voice" is a show about real talent. Four famous musicians search for the best voices in America and will mentor these singers to become artists. America will decide which singer will be worthy of the grand prize.

The show's innovative format features three stages of competition.

The first begins with the blind audition, then the competition enters into a battle phase, and finally, the live performance shows.

During the blind auditions the decisions from the coaches are based solely on voice and not on looks.

The coaches hear the contestants perform but they don't get to see them thanks to rotating chairs. If a coach is impressed by the contestant's voice, he/she pushes a button to select the contestant for his/her team.

At this point, the coach's chair will swivel so that he/she can face the contestant he/she has selected.

If more than one coach selects the talent, the power shifts to the contestant, who may choose which coach he/she wants to work with throughout the competition.

Once the teams are set, the battle is on. Coaches will mentor the contestants and dedicate themselves to developing their singers, giving them advice, and sharing the secrets of their success. During the battle rounds, the coaches will pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together in front of a studio audience. After the vocal face-off, the coach must choose which of his/her singers will advance.

At the end of the battle episodes, only the strongest members of each coach's roster remain and proceed to the live stage shows.

In this final performance phase of the competition, the top contestants from each team will compete against each other during a live broadcast. The television audience will vote to save one talent on each team, leaving the coach to decide live who they want to save and who will not move on. At last, each coach will have his or her best contestant left standing to compete in the finale. From these four, one will be named "The Voice" and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract and $100,000.

"The Voice" is a presentation of Talpa Productions, Mark Burnett and Warner Horizon Television. Created by John de Mol, he will executive produce along with Burnett and Audrey Morrissey.