"You're really not away" John Legend reveals the way The Voice seasons are filmed

John Legend revealed a startling behind-the-scenes detail regarding NBC's popular singing competition The Voice during a recent interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Legend disclosed an unforeseen production schedule that few people knew when asked if he missed the program during his Season 26 hiatus.

"The way we're taping these days, we do two seasons per, like, summer and early fall. So even when you're away, you're really not away. So they were taping Season 26, and then I would go tape Season 27 the next week. Back to back, so Michael was doing both, but the rest of us were only doing one or the other," Legend explained.

Fans now get an intriguing look into the inner workings of the adored singing competition thanks to this discovery. Coaches Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini, and Michael Bublé compete to assemble teams of gifted vocalists found through Blind Auditions on The Voice, which is in its 27th season.

The idea behind the program is that coaches listen to these first auditions with their backs to the audience and press buttons to turn their seats if they wish the talent to join their squad. With the current season broadcast as part of the 2025 TV schedule, the distinctive format has maintained viewer engagement since 2011.

John Legend reveals how The Voice filming happens

Legend's comments reveal a significant shift in how The Voice organizes its production calendar. Rather than filming each season separately throughout the year, NBC now produces two consecutive seasons during the summer and early fall. This condensed shooting schedule creates an unusual situation where two coaching panels work almost simultaneously.

This meant that Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini, and Michael Bublé (the only coach doing double duty) taped The Voice Season 27 just after Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, and Michael Bublé shot The Voice Season 26. By calling the timetable "crazy for producers," Legend brought attention to the practical difficulties.

This approach explains how Adam Levine's highly anticipated return to The Voice after a six-year absence happened months before viewers saw it on television now. The condensed filming schedule raises interesting questions about contestant experiences and production logistics.

The back-to-back filming schedule creates unique situations for both contestants and production staff. For example, 19-year-old Iris Herrera failed to turn chairs during her Season 26 audition but successfully joined Team Kelsea in Season 27. Under the new filming arrangement, these auditions likely occurred within days or weeks of each other rather than months apart.

This compressed timeline also affects how contestants experience the show. Those who made it through to the later rounds of Season 27 are only now watching their initial auditions on television, months after they performed them. The gap between filming and airing creates a strange time warp for participants.

For crew members of The Voice and hosts like Carson Daly, this intensified schedule means working on two seasons with different coaching dynamics in rapid succession. Michael Bublé faced perhaps the most demanding schedule as the only coach participating in both seasons back-to-back.

What is The Voice’s application process?

While Legend's revelations shed light on filming schedules, the show's rigorous application process remains consistent. Contestants must clear several hurdles before reaching those famous spinning chairs.

The journey begins online, with all potential contestants creating an artist account and submitting a virtual audition. These initial auditions give performers 90 seconds to introduce themselves and perform a verse and chorus of their chosen song. Season 1 contestant Vicci Martinez told Cosmopolitan, explaining how producers sometimes recruit local musicians directly:

"What I realized is they wanted to make it a show that had real artists, people who were serious about doing music and not just people who sing in the bathroom"

Successful applicants advance to callback auditions in Los Angeles, where producers narrow thousands down to the select few who will appear on television. The show welcomes singers as young as 13, with solo artists competing alongside duos and trios.

The current season of The Voice has generated renewed excitement among fans, largely due to Adam Levine's return after departing in Season 16. His comeback brings a fresh dynamic to the coaching panel and resurrects some of the competitive energy the show enjoyed during its peak years.

Even with Blake Shelton's departure after Season 23, Levine has maintained their famous rivalry in spirit, frequently referencing his former nemesis and complaining about inheriting "this filthy Chair" that once belonged to Shelton.

Experienced coaches and innovative ideas are combined in the new coaching staff of Levine, Legend, Ballerini, and Bublé. The long-running series has been revitalized by its camaraderie and the exceptional pool of contestants this season.

As The Voice continues its 27th season, viewers can enjoy the performances and coaching battles with a new appreciation for the complex production schedule behind the scenes. The back-to-back filming approach may be "crazy for producers," as Legend noted, but it delivers the twice-yearly dose of musical competition that fans expect from this television staple.

---

The Voice airs live on NBC at 8 p.m. ET and streams on Peacock the next day.