"好声音"热潮席卷全球

"The voice of China" is a Chinese talent show that premiered this July, on Zhejiang television. Based on the reality singing competition "The voice of Holland," voice of China immediately proved a TV hit, with ratings soaring over five percent. So why is the voice franchise winning such huge popularity in China and around the globe?

Blind auditions, singing competitions, live performances, this is the classic format of the talent show "The voice." Its origin is a Dutch reality singing competition, created by media tycoon John de Mol in 2010.

It’s currently one of the best viewed shows on Dutch TV, with weekly viewing figures ranging between 1.6 to 3 million. That’s one fifth of the country’s population. The show’s huge success has attracted media producers worldwide, and the programme format has been purchased by more than 40 countries.

Same logo, same stage, and even same editing, "The voice" is now almost everywhere. The talented voices of the contestants are astonishing, and the coaching of the singers is impressive.

In their selection of the best singers, the judges each have to present their arguments for and against the candidates, and even sing together with their favourite contestant. All of these elements make for lively entertainment.

Na Ying, coach of "The voice of China", said, "We encourage each singer to give their best. So even if they’re not chosen as the winner, we tell them to develop their singing and follow their heart."

So "The voice" franchise phenomenon continues. In the US, The voice has started its third season. In Thailand and the Middle East, competitions are underway. And in China, the first season of the talent show ended in September. The contestants, coaches, producers and broadcasters all agree they’ve learned a lot from the show.

But despite success, there will always be some problems. Compared with other countries, where singers come from all walks of life and the age range is wide, the contestants in The voice of China are almost exclusively made up of young, professional singers trying to launch their careers. Some even use their personal stories of suffering to win favour with the panel of judges and the hearts of audiences.

Another problem has been the issue of advertising. In The voice of China, hosts’ promotion of brands has already become a part of the show, which has alienated many. How to win back the favour of its audiences is a crucial consideration for the makers of The voice of China right now.