I love watching music competitions. From the talented voices to the smooth and/or powerful performances, I love it all. The competition is fierce, and the voices exhilarating. As you watch from home, I would understand if you feel intimidated, I think I might feel like that in your shoes. It doesn't have to be that way anymore, though.

Winning a music competition isn't entirely dependent on talent or skill. There's so much more involved. Many times, the winner of the show doesn't necessarily have the best voice. So what does it take to win a music competition? How can you navigate through successfully? I have eight tips for you...

8 Tips on Navigating a Music Competition

Research the competition

Before you even get into a competition, research is important. What competition are you looking at? It could be The Voice, X-Factor, America's Got Talent, or any other competition of your choice, but each competition has its peculiar rules and norms. The Voice America, for example, has four coaches from whom you must pick. America's Got Talent, on the other hand, has no such thing.

To thrive in any competition, you must understand how it works. Do the judges make the decisions? Sing something they'll like. Do fans do the voting? Be at your performing best. As the cases differ, your strategy will also have to adjust. Understanding the difference between a Simon Cowell and a Blake Shelton might very well win you the competition.

Try to invest your time in the preparation as much as you do with your performance itself.

Have a target

It's important to know exactly what you want from a competition. Having a set target will affect how you sing and behave. If your main target is to build a fanbase, you probably have to work on your stage presence more than your vocals. Do more things to endear yourself to fans than to win the approval of the judges.  If you're there to win the competition, you would have to pay better attention to the judges.

Whatever your target is, you must have one. Without a target, you'll end up floating aimlessly and leaving the competition with nothing to look back on but regret.

Find your strength and focus on it

There might be some outlier singers out there who have it all when it comes to music. They can play, they can belt high notes, can go low, and even do backflips with their voice. If you're like that, fair play to you. The odds are, you probably aren't. Like most singers, you probably have strengths and weaknesses.

As much as it's good to improve, remember that it's a competition. You must identify your strengths and get even stronger there. If you can belt out a high note, make sure you sneak one in. If you have a strong and raspy voice, make sure you sing with that raspy voice in all its glory.

Pick the right songs

One of the most important, yet most overlooked, things in a music competition is your song choice. I'll give you an example. Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars is an amazing song, but there's no reason why it should be your audition song. As awesome a song as it is, Uptown Funk won't let you showcase your full vocal range, and that's exactly what you need in a music competition.

I once saw a video where America's Got Talent judge, Simon Cowell, stopped a young singer in the middle of her audition and asked her to try a different song. The difference was unmistakable and astonishing. She went from sounding unsure of herself to sounding like an accomplished vocalist performing in front of an enthralled audience. Pick the right songs, I can't stress it enough.

Practice your singing

This one's a bit obvious. Practice your singing as much as you can. Malcolm Gladwell said, in his book called Outliers, that it takes about ten thousand hours of practice to achieve complete mastery of a subject or skill. The more you practice, the better you get. When you've picked the right song, practice it over and over. When the song becomes a part of you, it's easier to channel all the necessary emotions, be it sadness, anger, passion, or anything else.

If you want to win you have to be prepared to learn along the way. Don't get too discouraged if things don't go your way.

Practice performing live

In most singing competitions, contestants will eventually need votes from fans to qualify. Unlike the judges, fans don't necessarily focus on your voice. There are other things you can do to endear yourself to the fans. One of them is owning the stage. Don't just sing, perform. Of course, you don't have to come up with any fancy choreography or use special lights, but you need a good stage presence.

Be yourself

It sounds awfully simple, I know, but it's super effective. Many competition winners I know won over the fans with their personalities. The fans simply loved them, and that's all they needed to go all the way. So let your personality shine through, and don't be shy about who you are. There will be people who will fall in love with you because of who you are. Channel that personality whenever you get onstage. Even if you don't win the competition, the fans will remember you, and that could be the spark that will light up your music career.

Bond with the fans

Above all, bond with the fans. Whether on or off stage, build a connection with the fans. This will accomplish two things. Firstly, you'll have their support throughout the competition and by the time you need votes to get to the next round, those same fans will save you. Secondly, the support won't stop after the competition. You can build on your success and go on to enjoy a fruitful music career. Whichever competition you enter, always remember that the fans are your most powerful ally.

Final Thoughts

The Voice, X-Factor, America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, whatever competition it is, winning can change your life. To win, however, you need more than just a great voice. I've seen many talented singers exit competitions because they made avoidable mistakes, but you can avoid that. Once you figure out how to crack the competition, gold awaits you. So go get 'em, I'm rooting for you.