Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do you want to know what lip syncing is? Do you want to know how to ethically do it? When it comes to both live performance and recordings, lips syncing is a controversial topic. There are some circumstances where it is brazenly dishonest, and others where it has become an industry standard. Keep reading Why Do Some Singers Brazenly Lip Sync? to learn more.
Why Do Singers Lip Sync: What Is Lip Syncing and Why Is it Used in Movies?
Lips syncing is when a performer pretends to sing:
- Lip syncing has long been used in movies.
- In a film, when an actor needs to “sing” and acting ability outweighs vocal ability, it’s not uncommon to have the actor lip sync to a prerecorded track.
- Often, it’s obvious that the actor isn’t singing (see the second song in the video below), and as long as the singer who actually sang the track gets credited, it’s not deceptive.
Video: Earth Angel & Johnny B. Goode
Why Do Singers Lip Sync: Lip Syncing in Music Videos and TV
Unless it’s a video of a live concert, music videos will routinely have the musicians lip syncing and miming playing their instruments:
- This is so the music can be the same as the studio album, which most fans like.
- And it’s not new either, you can find this in the Monkees.
- In fact, at the end of each Partridge family episode, they had a disclaimer stating that session musicians supplemented the actors when the music was recorded.
Conversely, on variety shows, musicians are often forced to lip sync so that they won’t be able to sing inappropriate lyrics on live television.
Video: I Woke Up in Love This Morning
Why Do Singers Lip Sync: Unethical Practices
…and then there’s Milli Vanilli:
- Milli Vanilli didn’t sing on their albums (despite being credited), nor did they sing live.
- Theirs was a brazen misuse of lip syncing, because they had no real role at all in performing the music. Basically, they were eye candy, not musicians.
- Why did they do it? Presumably, for fame and money.
Video: Milli Vanilli
Conversely, I remember (in the late 90’s or early 2000s) seeing a news announcement that Paula Abdul’s shows would incorporate lips syncing:
- The sound bite said that due to the difficult choreography, she would not be singing all the time.
- Adbul made her name first as a dancer and choreographer, and only later did she transition to a singing career.
- So, it makes sense that, since her shows were dance-oriented entertainment, she would prioritize dancing over singing.
- However, the most important aspect is that she was honest and forthcoming about lip syncing.
- Why is this important? So that her listeners could make informed decisions about whether they wanted to go to her shows or not.
Final Thoughts
Takeaway points:
- Why do some singers brazenly lip sync? Sometimes it has to do with standard media practices, while at other times it has the feel of a scam.
- Be aware that widespread media lip syncing practices will create situations that vocal artists often have no control over.
- The most important thing is to be transparent, because it’s never acceptable to steal the credit for someone else’s performance.
Have fun singing!
Related Posts:
- 10 Elements that Impact Singing in Tune
- How to Record Vocals for a Professional Sound
- How to Employ Effective Equalization on Your Song
© 2025 Geoffrey Keith
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