Lip Syncing is More Normal Than You Think

You may have been surprised when you discovered that Jennifer Hudson sang over a backing tape at this year’s Super Bowl, but most live, internationally televised musical performances count on pre-recordings to avoid technical problems on air.

Hank Neuberger, supervisor of the broadcast audio for the Grammy Awards telecast, told the Chicago Tribune:

“The Super Bowl performances are all on tape. There is no way you can set up a full band in five minutes with microphones, get all the settings right and expect to get quality sound. The Super Bowl has been doing that for years with virtually all the bands.”

Yo-Yo Ma also used a backing tape for his Obama inauguration performance, and the Super Bowl has done the same for years. Neuberger says that viewers shouldn’t have to be warned when a performance is recorded:

“C’mon, it’s a given. Television and music are not always a happy marriage. It’s hard to present music of the highest quality on television, and you want the audience to hear an artist at their best.”

This all sounds a bit strange, because the Grammy awards telecast has all artists performing completely live, including quick stage changes and instrument setups, all while maintaining high quality. Do you think that live telecasts could invest more in music production? Or is it more important to cut costs?

Photo via celebrity-gossip.net
Source: Chicago Tribune