One of the most popular singing reality television franchises, The Voice, has arrived in Nepal – finally! And well, there are quite a lot of reasons to be excited about it. Just in case you needed all the info on the show, you’ve come to the right place. Read on.

The Voice of Nepal — we call it a “No Bullshit” show. All they are looking for is talent, some real genuine talent. They just want to listen to your voice and for that, they won’t be making you queue all day. All you got to do is use your phone to show them what you’ve got.

What the hell is The Voice and why is everyone freaking out about it?

The Voice is an international reality television singing competition created by John de Mol (also the creator of Big Brother) in Netherlands as The Voice of Holland (TVOH). The show developed by Talpa Content had premiered in 2010 on RTL4 and it instantly became popular – having been adapted in over a hundred countries around the globe. ANC Pvt. Ltd. has brought the franchise for Nepal straight from Talpa in Netherlands.

The former director of Nepal Idol, Laxman Poudel, is directing the show, with Firoj Timilsina as the Chief Assistant Director. Sushil Nepal, another former team member of Nepal Idol, is set to host the show, while he is also the Public Relations Director for ANC. Pralhad Singh Mahat is the chairperson of the company that has Vivek Singh Thakuri as its Operations and Marketing Director.

The Format

The format of Voice of Nepal would be similar to that of TVOH. The Producer’s Auditions are currently open and to be part of it, all you need to do is install the official app of The Voice of Nepal on your phone (available both on App Store and Play Store). You will then need to press the Audition Now button where you will be required to fill up your information, followed by the procedure to record yourself singing a song. After your digital audition is registered, you will later be informed if you made it to the next level or not. You can register yourself from anywhere.

Here, watch this video to understand the digital audition part well.

If you make it to the next round – the Blind Auditions – you will be required to be in Kathmandu where you will have your first live audition in front of the mentor-judges panel (officially called the Coaches). This will also be the first televised round of the show — another reason why we call it a No Bullshit show as only the people who can sing, at least to some extent, are invited to be part of it – not just anyone. Again, if the coaches don’t think your voice is not good enough, they won’t even see your face.

All the coaches would be sitting on their chairs that are turned back from the stage while you sing the song. They will push a button by their chair that would turn the chair around to face the stage for the first time and that will be the moment when they see you — if only they like your singing. The coach who turns their chair would be the one who would be mentoring you through out your The Voice journey. If more than one coach turn their chair, you will have the chance to pick a coach for yourself. If none of the coaches turn their chair, your journey on the show is over.

If you make it through the Blind Auditions, you will advance to the Battle Rounds where two artists are mentored by their respective coach. Every member of their team battle against another member from their team; and they also sing the same song. Their coach then decides who would continue in the competition. The next stage is The Knockouts, followed by the final stage called ‘Live Shows’ where the contestants would perform in front of the coaches, audience and broadcast live. They would go head-to-head in the competition to win the public votes which will determine which contestants advance to the final eight.

The final eight contestants will then compete in a live broadcast. Along with the public votes, the coaches will have a 50/50 say in deciding which contestants move on to the final four phase. Each coach will then have one member who will represent them in the final (the winner round). That’s where Nepal will get its The Voice of Nepal.

The Coaches

While most of the singing reality shows have the judges, The Voice has the coaches who play a significant role in not only choosing the winner, but they also help, mentor and guide them throughout the show. The four coaches of The Voice of Nepal in its first season will be Deep Shrestha, Abhaya Subba, Sanup Poudel and Pramod Kharel.

The Prizes

The organizers claim the show to be the most expensive television show in Nepal so far. A studio is currently under construction in Kathmandu. It’s not just the production that the organizers are spending all their money on, and there are quite a lot of amazing prizes to be won by the winner. The winner gets a cash prize of Rs. 25 lakh, a brand new car, a record deal worth Rs. 20 lakh and an opportunity to tour around the world.

Phew. That’s a lot.

It’s not yet announced which television channel will have the show’s broadcast rights. The show, however, is expected to star airing in June this year.

This is definitely going to be huge. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up your phone and audition NOW!! Just one thing, you need to be 16 or above.

The answers to some FAQs.