The Voice’s Historic Rule Changes for Season 28 Give Artists & Fans More Power

From the Carson Callback to the Mic Drop button, The Voice is remixing its usual format.

New season, new rules.

How to Watch

Watch The Voice Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.

The Voice kicks off its highly-anticipated 28th season in September, and so much of what fans love will be there. We have another all-star lineup of Coaches: Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, Niall Horan, and Snoop Dogg. A new crop of Artists will raise the bar with some truly epic Blind Auditions. The big red chairs are “suited and booted,” as Snoop would say, with their seat warmers and signature buttons. And Carson Daly will be hosting the festivities, as he’s done since the show’s premiere in 2011.

But there will be some changes to Season 28, as well: exciting updates and format remixes that up the ante and shift power to Daly, the Artists, and the fans. Read more, below, about what updates are coming to the competition this fall:

The Carson Callback during Blind Auditions

As teased in The Voice’s trailer, Daly will have the power during Blinds to give one Artist who didn’t get any chair turns the Carson Callback card. The selected Artist will have 24 hours to prepare a new Blind Audition and try out again for the Coaches in hopes of landing on a team.

Artists pick their own pairs during Battles

Typically, the Coaches select the pairs who go head to head during Battles. For Season 28, the power shifts to the Artists. They’ll form their own pairs, then sing their hearts out for a spot in the Knockouts.

Snoop Dogg appears on The Voice Season 28.

Photo: Trae Patton/NBC

The Mic Drop button during Knockouts

For Knockouts, each Coach gets to hit their Mic Drop button for the one Artist on their team who truly rises above the rest. Once those four Artists are selected, fans at home will vote for their Mic Drop winner. The winning Artist gets to perform during the Rose Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2026.

RELATED: Snoop Dogg Beautifully Harmonizes with Reba, Niall, & Bublé: Hear His Singing Voice

Fans get to vote two Artists into Live Shows

Only six Artists will advance from Playoffs to Live Shows. Each Coach will select only one Artist from their teams to advance. The fifth and sixth singers will be determined by fans’ votes, a historic first.

All the Coaches are hungry for wins this season. Bublé and Horan are both currently two-for-two and gunning for three-peats. McEntire is hoping for her second victory after winning with Asher HaVon in Season 25. And Snoop Dogg is eager to get his first-ever win. Place your bets now on who takes it all home.