How to apply to the USA Talent Show — and film an audition video the jury will remember

Applying to the USA Talent Show takes about fifteen minutes — but the audition video you attach is what the jury will actually judge. Here is how to fill in the form step by step, and how to film a video that shows your talent at its best.

Before you start

• Dates. Applications are open from October 8 to December 17, 2026.
• One act — one application. The same act cannot be submitted twice. A group submits one application for the whole team.
• Minors apply together with a parent or guardian, who fills in the form and confirms the participation.
• Read the Rules. By applying you agree to them, including the family-friendly content rules and the use of photos and video for promotion.

The application form, step by step

1. Participant information. Full name, date of birth, state and city, email and phone. Instagram and Facebook are optional, but they help us tag you when we share your performance.
2. Group & school. Choose solo, duet or group; for a group, add its name and the number of members. Mention your dance studio, music school or theatre if you have one.
3. Parents & emergency contact. Required for minors: a parent or guardian’s name and phone, plus an emergency contact.
4. Performance details. Pick one of six categories — Vocal, Dance, Music Instrumental, Acting & Theater, Circus & Acrobatics, Variety & Specialty — and describe your act: its name, what happens in it and any props you use. The organizers may move an act to a better-fitting category.
5. Media. Upload a profile photo and paste a link to your audition video on YouTube or Google Drive.
6. Confirmations. Confirm that you have read the rules and agree to the terms of participation.

Once your application is registered you receive a personal Participant ID. Keep it — it identifies you at every stage of the show.

How to film an audition video the jury will remember

You do not need a studio. A modern phone is enough — what matters is that the jury can clearly see and hear your talent.

Light

Face a window or a bright light source; never stand with your back to it. Avoid mixed coloured lighting in the room. If you dance or perform acrobatics, light the whole space, not just your face.

Sound

For singers and musicians sound is everything. Film in a quiet room with soft surfaces — curtains, carpet, furniture — to cut echo. Keep the phone close enough to pick up your voice clearly, and make sure a backing track never drowns out the live vocal.

Framing

• Film horizontally and put the phone on a stand or tripod — a shaking camera distracts from the performance.
• Vocal and music: from the waist up, so the jury sees your face and your hands on the instrument.
• Dance, circus and acrobatics: your whole body in the frame from the first move to the last, with a little space around you.
• Acting: a steady medium shot, with your partners in frame if the scene has them.

The first ten seconds

Start strong. Open with a short introduction — your name, city, category and the name of your act — and then go straight into the strongest part. The jury watches hundreds of videos; a confident start makes them lean in.

Content

• Show one complete act, filmed in one continuous take if you can. Heavy editing and filters hide exactly what the jury wants to see.
• Keep it family-friendly: no profanity, offensive or provocative content — in the lyrics, the costume or the music.
• Use music, choreography and backing videos you have the right to use.
• Dress as you would for the stage. A costume tells the jury you take the performance seriously.

Uploading the link

Upload the video to YouTube (as “Unlisted” if you prefer) or to Google Drive with access set to “Anyone with the link”. Open the link in a private browser window before you submit — if you can’t watch it without signing in, neither can the jury.

What happens next

From December 18 to January 18 the jury reviews every video online, and fragments of performances appear on the show’s social media. The strongest acts are invited to live auditions in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago between January 19 and February 19, 2027 — participants audition free of charge. Follow the news and the stages page for every update.