X Factor is a popular program created in the UK by Simon Cowell, a famous talent discoverer and former member of the American Idol jury. The show has spread across the world, from the United States to Southeast Asia. The X Factor jury has an active role in building talent and preparing applicants for popularity. If you are lucky enough to be one of the shortlisted applicants to be on the show, you need to know how to negotiate your entry into the performing arts, pass your auditions, stay focused, and stand out from the crowd throughout the competition..
Steps
Part 1 of 4: find your voice
Step 1. Find your range
Unless you're lucky enough to have a naturally perfect tone of voice, developing vocal skills takes a lot of work. To learn how to develop and grow your voice, you must first understand your range in order to find songs that match your timbre and thus begin to expand your repertoire.
To start developing your vocal skills, sit in front of a piano and sing notes that you are comfortable enough to sing clearly, then try to find those notes on the piano. If it's a G (G), find songs in the treble clef or any other clef that suits you
Step 2. Take singing lessons
One of the cool things about X Factor, unlike other music programs, is the help you get from a teacher if you get far enough into the show. But that doesn't mean you have to start from scratch. Building a good reputation with a vocal teacher will help you improve your voice and vocal skills, and learn the techniques needed to become a good singer.
- A good teacher will help you learn the basics as well as expand your vocal range. You can't listen to everything, so a good teacher should be able to come up with good songs (that you might never have heard) that enhance your voice.
- Learning to heed constructive criticism is extremely important and can be the difference between becoming a good singer and becoming a really great singer and winning the show. Find a good teacher to work with, a teacher who will help you improve and learn to take negative remarks which are, despite what you might think, a great help.
Step 3. Try to improve your accuracy and range
Try to reach the highest and then the lowest notes in your vocal range. What are you going to do if you make it to X Factor training camp and are asked to sing the song "Tiny Dancer" in D when you are used to singing it in B flat major? ? If you practice expanding your range and practicing your voice, you'll be fine.
Step 4. Try to develop your stage presence
Even being a very good singer, if you don't have charisma on stage it will be difficult to win X Factor. This is why it is as important to develop your steps on stage as your voice. It's not just a singing competition, you have to have that little extra to stand out and one of the ways to improve yourself is to work on your stage presence.
- The word "presence" may seem difficult to define, but it is nevertheless quite easy to recognize. Go to YouTube to watch old Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Robert Plant music videos and see that little something that makes an artist so talented.
- Singing with a microphone is more complicated than it sounds. It is good to practice with a microphone to learn how to strengthen your voice. You certainly don't want to be in front of the jury, blowing into the microphone or holding it too far away from you and losing the essence of your voice.
Step 5. Watch the previous seasons of X Factor
Even if you know the winner ahead of time, one of the best exercises is to watch how the winners fared throughout the show. Who seemed to be the big favorite from the start of the show? Who seemed to have no chance? Watching what previous applicants have done can go a long way in helping you market yourself and stand out from other applicants.
- Each X Factor finalist has something unique about them that sets them apart from the rest. Find your own qualities, the ones that will make you unique, and decide how you are going to showcase them throughout the show. Plan for the long term.
- Think about the ideal trajectory to achieve your goals during the show. What to do to avoid losing in the middle of the season?
Part 2 of 4: Pass the auditions
Step 1. Find the location of the auditions closest to you
They take place in several cities in France and in Brussels in Belgium. The locations and dates of the auditions are announced to the general public several months in advance, so stay tuned and visit the X Factor website from time to time. Follow the program on social networks to be up to date and no longer fear of missing the auditions.
- You can register online and submit your registration file before arriving at the open hearings. Otherwise, you can complete the registration form on D-Day, you will just have to wait longer.
- In the United States, open hearing sites are plentiful on the east coast, the west coast and across the south of the country. Open auditions have recently been established in Los Angeles, New Orleans and New York.
- In the UK there are a lot more opportunities. Smaller-scale selections take place in the "mobile van" that travels across the country.
Step 2. Prepare your song for audition
Before you go to the audition, your song should be ready, memorized perfectly, and rehearsed intensively. These are the three points you should focus on as you prepare for the hearing. A good song doesn't have to be famous, but above all it should emphasize your voice perfectly. You earn points if you perform a song that is not well known to the jury (because they will not be able to compare you to the other candidates) or a song that you have written yourself.
Step 3. Arrive relatively early well rested and fully prepared
Make sure you get a good restful night's sleep the day before the audition, don't drink alcohol 24 hours before, and stay hydrated. Eat something before the hearing, as you may wait a while or even all day.
- Most auditions do not allow overnight camping the day before the event, but try to find a solution to get there as soon as possible. Either way, you are likely going to be spending the whole day there and there is no evidence that going to the auditions earlier will work better than going to the last ones and vice versa. Show up when it suits you and focus on your performance instead.
- To participate in the hearing, you must present identity papers. If you are under 18, you must be accompanied by an adult who will present their identity card. After completing the registration form, you will receive a bracelet and a ticket, you just have to wait a long time before you are called.
Step 4. Start warming up
Knowing how to look after that long wait is the least fun part of hearing. You will certainly be anxious while bored, reproduce the exercises learned with your singing teacher and try to keep calm.
You will surely see a lot of intimidating looking singers with some pretty weird rituals, do everything you can to ignore what is going on around you and stay focused. Do what you are used to doing. Now is not the time to change
Step 5. Be confident and calm
When you hear your name, you are going to have an inevitable surge in stress. Stay calm ! If you have practiced effectively, be confident in your song and your skills for a successful audition. Repeat to yourself "I can do this."
- Concentrate on the small details of your performance: singing right, hitting the notes and immersing yourself fully in your performance. Don't worry about cameras, celebrities, and whatever an audition suggests. Just think about your song. Part of what the jury notes is the dedication you bring to your song.
- Don't flatter the jury members just because they are famous. If you're feeling nervous, don't mask your nervousness with false enthusiasm. They are just human beings, so answer their questions sincerely and get down to singing quickly.
- While you need to stay calm, it's true that creating a strong emotion can go a long way. Like, for example, telling about how you almost missed your bus to get to the audition or you are afraid of losing your job because of the hearing and your love for music.
Step 6. Sing the best you can
The first thing the jury will hear and evaluate is your vocal performance. Your little something and your style are important, but these are things that can be transformed and improved upon through competition. Don't worry and sing with all your heart.
- Don't worry about winning the show during the audition, you don't have to go so fast, every thing in its time. Just worry about taking the next step.
- Be clear that you really want a career in music. The jury is out looking for people with dreams, they want stars who want to become the star, they want to give the audience someone to support.
Step 7. Leave the strange things aside
Wearing a quirky outfit, playing the tambourine, or trying anything else fancy in the hopes of standing out will do nothing but get you out of the race. This will sound strange and the jury will laugh at you and will certainly not be impressed. Don't overthink auditioning, it's used to show your voice and not your sense of humor.
However, the acoustic guitar can help you stand out from the crowd. If you are able to play the guitar and offer a song with acoustic accompaniment, bring it to the audition
Step 8. Bring in people around you to support you
You have to make people want to support you and people tend to appreciate people who have tremendous support from family, friends, and locals. If you can, bring in as many friends and family as possible to scream with you when you come out of the audition with a ticket to the next step.
Part 3 of 4: Ensuring the emission
Step 1. Focus on the next event
X Factor is a marathon, not a sprint. No performance, episode, or moment guarantees victory, so try to stay focused on the smallest tasks. Listen to the members of the jury, use the reviews wisely, work hard to improve your level and thus take the next step.
Not all of your performances will have to be amazing, but they have to be good enough. Don't get too crazy trying to be the best singer every night, but instead try to stay consistent and believable as an artist
Step 2. Take the training step by learning as much as possible
You will be working alongside the members of the jury and you will probably not appreciate everything they tell you. Your ability to take criticism and work hard to improve your performance will earn you points. It is therefore important to keep a cool head and respond well to comments. X Factor isn't for divas, so swallow your pride when you get to training camp.
- One facet of training involves a makeover and it can be a good idea to look a little scruffy before the makeover. Indeed, a spectacular transition from a simple "you" to a superstar can work in your favor in front of the jury and the viewers. One of the goals of the program is to find interesting people and to create characters that the viewer can relate to. Therefore, a major change can be good for you.
- According to Demi Lovato, one of the X Factor jury members, looks are just as important, if not more, as your voice. So take this very seriously.
Step 3. Show several aspects of your personality
Present yourself as a multi-talented person who has a lot to offer their audience. Simple singers, while talented, will quickly be cast aside unlike more complex performers and likeable characters. Knowing how to dance well, having unusual hobbies or an eccentric life can work in your favor against the jury and record label managers who watch the show in search of new talent.
Do you know how to play the piano? Sing in German? Do breakdance? Save these artistic talents for later to impress everyone when the time comes. If you feel like one of your performances is poor and the jury is out, surprise them by playing a new card
Step 4. Rally people in your area to vote
The winners of X Factor, no matter their different styles or skills, all have one thing in common: immense support from their hometowns. If you want to win, you have to stay in touch with your roots and make sure you have immense support and a large group of fans who will vote overwhelmingly for you.
However, do not take the big head. Keep in touch with the local press rather than trying to get something from the national press. If you give a long interview to your town newspaper, point out how much you love your hometown, that your roots take up a big place and are essential to your personal development and suddenly you will have a group of rabid fans who will fight for you
Step 5. Keep in touch with your fans
Take time on social media to increase your visibility and respond to your fans.
You might be overwhelmed, so ask a close friend to help you respond to that sudden deluge of emails, friend requests on Facebook and other social networks. Always be kind and polite to have them represent you online
Step 6. Expect Anything
Try to stay as flexible as possible and take the blows. It is next to impossible to be prepared for everything you are going to experience, as the shows change from season to season. The pressure of being on TV is likely to surprise you and push you out of your routine. The judges expect you to stay fair and professional. Act as if everything is normal.
Step 7. Be sympathetic
Remember that in this program you will be exposed to the public eye and a sudden onset of success can lead some opponents into self-centeredness. So don't criticize others and show the best of yourself to the audience, you have to keep it by your side. Don't make up a fake story just to get people moving. If your lie comes to light, no one will want to buy your music anymore.
Make sure the audience understands that you sincerely want this victory. If you don't want to be eliminated, be confident and make sure that you don't appear to viewers as a clown who doesn't take anything seriously
Part 4 of 4: stand out
Step 1. Choose the right song
While your performance is by far the most important aspect of the show, choosing your songs is also an essential part of your performance. If you want to become the future winner of X Factor you have to prove that you have as much talent to sing as you have to choose your songs. You have to show your good taste in the matter and put yourself out there to impress the audience.
Don't be afraid to look out of date. The "online search for buzzwords in songs sung on X Factor" yielded the following words: time, love, truth, luck, forever and ever
Step 2. Try to get out of the normality a bit
Take other alternatives while remaining accessible. The big X Factor winners tend to be seen as "new." Which means the audience needs to see things that they haven't seen before or at least recently. If you sing like Adele or move on stage like Harry Style, people are unlikely to bet on you.
- The desire to stand out from the crowd should not come at the expense of the commercial value of your music. Singing Marilyn Manson can obviously set you apart from others, but it will not be suitable for the audience watching X Factor. You need to stay true to the mainstream, that is, you shouldn't take too many risks, be too revolutionary or weird.
- Ideally, the X Factor winners appeal to a wide variety of people: rockers, pop fans, teens, and grandparents. Ask yourself the following question, "What should I do to make my music suitable for a general audience?" "
Step 3. Be polite
At some level, celebrities are expected to behave like a star. That is to say outbursts of anger, strange habits or even bowls of Lucky Charms with all the purple cereals removed, a bit like Britney Spears. To stand out, avoid appearing on the front page of magazines with the inscription "diva" under your photo. Magazines have a huge influence on people and their opinions, so be careful and show yourself as a polished artist with his feet on the ground and blessed with prodigious talent. So you will stand out from the crowd.
Don't say anything you might regret to the jury, reporters, or in front of the cameras. Being known as the girl who thought Tina Turner wrote the song “Respect” won't win you fans
Step 4. Accept what the jury tells you
The members of the jury have made their way into the recording industry and you must take everything they tell you seriously. They've been there before, know what they're talking about, and will give you constructive criticism. Keep in mind that the public doesn't want to see a killjoy. He wants someone who fights back at the right time without adding more. Be your own advocate and use your common sense.
Step 5. Build a moving story for yourself
One thing that always works on shows like X Factor: emotion. If you can show people that you deserve to win not only for your talent, but also because you had to fight and go through hardships to get there, you increase your chances of getting closer to victory. Try to create an image of a likeable person who deserves votes.
- You must have good reasons for wanting to sing. It might remind you of your recently deceased grandmother who sang songs to you when you were a child, or that the only way to communicate with your brother you no longer see is music. Or that you were bullied at school and took refuge in music. Find something that will raise awareness.
- Don't overdo it, try to create a touching character and avoid telling a completely bogus story. You just have to tell something that arouses a little emotion. No one wants to support someone who constantly smiles at luck with a comfortable little life.
Advice
- Be spontaneous! Create a personality for yourself that you would like to see in a singer. Without changing your own personality too much.
- Have confidence in yourself without having a big head. That's not what the jury wants to see.
- You have to stand out in a good way, without doing something overly weird like flirting with the jury members.
- Don't be too pretentious. You certainly don't want to be the type of person who thinks he's better than everyone else.
- Ask your family and friends to listen to you sing and give you an honest opinion. You don't want to be the type of person who thinks you've got a real talent to end up embarrassing yourself.
Warnings
- If the jury doesn't select you, don't worry. If you really want to be on the show, improve yourself and try again next year!
- A lot of people get knocked out in the first step (it has happened to many stars), but if you really want to win, work to be successful! Dreams are just a reality that hasn't happened yet!