Video and Copyright Rules

Video Instructions

Please read the following instructions very carefully.  Failure to follow these instructions could result in student disqualification, which nobody wants.

Recording Location

Record your submission as you would a live audition or recital. Videos may be recorded in a home, school, church, synagogue, recital hall, rehearsal room, or voice studio with suitable acoustics, with or without an audience. Dress professionally as you would for an audition or recital; costumes and inappropriate attire are not permitted. You may submit an unedited video of a performance before a live audience, provided you can be clearly seen and heard in the video, the video was recorded after September 1st of the current NSA audition season, and the accompaniment and microphone requirements for the category are met. Remember to record and attach your verbal slate.

Recording

Record in LANDSCAPE (horizontal) orientation from a fixed, audience-centered position.

Face the camera as you would face adjudicators in a live audition.

Keep your face and at least your upper body visible in the frame; adjust as needed to capture your performance and avoid excessive headroom.

Include the required slate either as part of the recording or edited onto the beginning of the otherwise unedited performance video.

I am (Your Name)

I will perform (Title of Selection) from (Title of Larger Work when applicable)

by (Composer’s Name and Lyricist’s Name)

All video auditions must be recorded on or after September 1 of the current NSA audition season.

Submit a separate, unedited video for each song or aria Videos cannot: pan or zoom during a performance use recording equipment that alters the acoustics of the venue or the sound quality of the singer by adding distractingly unrealistic reverb, altering the pitches sung, digitally altering or filtering the vocals either during or after the video is filmed.

IMPORTANT: Teachers will register qualifiers for NSA Moving forward, the student’s primary teacher will be responsible for entering qualifying singers into the National Student Auditions Qualifying Preliminary Round and completing all required post-qualification materials, with the exception of the NATS Minor Chaperone Form, which will continue to be completed separately.

Video Audition - Performance

Each video requires that the singer complete their slate as outlined above. Perform each of your selections from memory in your video. Participants in ALL NSA Categories must perform full songs. Performing from 16-bar, 32-bar, student versions, audition cuts, etc., are not accepted and will result in ITA. The identity, logo, or image of your teacher, school, location, or NATS chapter/region must not be spoken or revealed in your video in any way or the audition will be moved to ITA. This includes posters, photographs, reflections in mirrors/glass/shiny surfaces, diplomas, flags, banners, video’s titling and description, etc.

NSA Collaborative Pianists

In CL and AS Categories Perform with a live pianist whenever possible. If one is unavailable, a piano only accompaniment track may be used. If your voice teacher serves as the pianist, their face and identity must not be visible in the video. Pianists must perform on piano or keyboard using memory or a copyright compliant score. A page-turner (other than your voice teacher) may appear on camera if needed.

YouTube Video Settings

YouTube is the only video platform accepted. No video auditions uploaded to Vimeo, Flickr, Vevo, or personal websites, etc. will be accepted. You MUST upload your video in LANDSCAPE/HORIZONTAL ORIENTATION or the platform will automatically qualify the video as a SHORT and the recording will not be eligible for adjudication. Select “Unlisted” in the privacy settings found under the Broadcasting and Sharing Options, when uploading your video files to YouTube. No other settings are accepted in NSA. Each video’s title should be in the following format: NATS NSA – Singer’s Full Name All video titles must be the same at all levels of NSA. Video titles must not contain any reference to chapter, , or region, school, teacher, etc. Type in the YouTube “Description” for each video: I DO NOT OWN THE COPYRIGHT TO THE MUSIC PERFORMED IN THIS VIDEO. THIS IS A STUDENT AUDITION NOT FOR PROFIT OR MONETIZATION. Title of Selection” Title of LARGER WORK whenever applicable Composer’s Name if a Musical Theatre selection, ADD: & Lyricist’s Name Turn OFF the video comments option on each video uploaded to YouTube. YouTube channel background, banner, titles, logos, and Images must NOT reveal teacher, school, location, NATS chapter, region, studio names, or affiliations of the teacher or the student auditioning.

Please follow these guidelines Corrections to invalid videos, broken video links, and incorrect video links will not be accepted after the submission deadline. Whenever possible, invalid video submissions will be adjudicated for comments only. Invalid video submissions are Ineligible To Advance to the next level of auditions.