7 Reasons Why Do Singers Wear Earpieces on Stage?

As a singer, you want to be able to hear yourself well onstage so that you can perform at your best. But sometimes, the noise level from the crowd can make it difficult to hear yourself clearly.

That’s where an earpiece comes in handy. By wearing an earpiece, you can hear your own voice more clearly and stay on pitch more easily.

Additionally, an earpiece can help you hear your band mates or backing vocalists better, which can be helpful when you’re trying to stay in sync with them.

Of course, not all singers use earpieces onstage. Some singers feel that they don’t need them, either because they have good enough hearing or because they’re used to performing without them.

Additionally, some singers feel that earpieces can be a bit distracting, especially if they’re not used to wearing them. Ultimately, it’s up to each singer to decide whether or not an earpiece is right for them.

Why do singers wear earpieces on stage? Well, singers wear earpieces on stage to hear themselves as well as other musicians on stage. The in-ear monitor also allows the musician to monitor their performance and listen to both backtracking and click tracking which are inaudible to the audience.

What Are In-Ears/ Earpieces?

In-ears or earpieces are small, lightweight headphones that fit snugly inside your ear canal. They’re often used by athletes and musicians to help block out external noise so they can focus on their performance.

In-ears can also provide a more immersive listening experience than traditional headphones because they seal off the ear canal, allowing you to hear the music more clearly.

There are two main types of in-ears: earbuds and canalphones. Earbuds sit outside the ear canal and are held in place by your outer ear (aka pinna). Canalphones, on the other hand, fit inside the ear canal and are held in place by your inner ear.

Both types of in-ears can provide excellent sound quality, but canalphones tend to have a better seal, which can lead to better bass response and overall sound isolation.

What Do Singers Hear in Their Earpiece?

Singers who wear in-ear devices are able to hear their own performance. In simple terms, a singer is able to listen to the song they are singing while an instrumentalist with an in-ear monitor is able to listen to the instruments they’re playing.

These devices also allow the singers to hear the performances of other singers and instrumentalists on stage.

They help the artists to perform in harmony and achieve better synchronization.

With the in-ear monitors, the artist can listen to a back track- recording of synthesized instruments recorded in a studio. Backtracking allows artists to perform sections of their music that are impossible during a live performance such as choir parts, drumming, and string sections.

The earpieces a singer wears during live performance also allows the singer to click track. Click tracking is a series of audio or beats cues that serve as metronome. It helps musician maintain a perfect tempo with better synchronization with the band members.

How Singers Earpieces Work

One of the most important pieces of equipment for any singer is their earpiece. An earpiece helps to amplify the sound of their voice so that they can be heard clearly by the audience.

There are two main types of earpieces: in-ear monitors and regular headphones.

In-ear monitors fit snugly inside the ear canal, while regular headphones rest on the outer ear. Both types of earpieces have their own advantages and disadvantages. In-ear monitors provide a more natural sound experience since they sit closer to the eardrum.

This allows the singer to hear their own voice more clearly and reduces feedback from the microphone. However, in-ear monitors can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time and can cause pain if not fitted properly.

Regular headphones are not as intrusive and can be more comfortable to wear, but they do not provide the same level of sound quality as in-ear monitors.

There are a few things to consider when choosing an earpiece for singing. The most important factor is comfort since you will be wearing the earpiece for long periods of time.

It is also important to find an earpiece that provides good sound quality so that you can hear yourself clearly.

You may also want to consider how easy the earpiece is to use, especially if you will be using it during live performances. Overall, there is no one perfect earpiece for every singer. It is important to try out different types of earpieces and find the one that works.

Why Do Singers Wear Earpieces?

Hearing Protection

If you have ever gone to a concert, then you know how the noise can be too loud even when you are back.

Now think of the people at the center of it all, the noise for them is quite loud and potentially dangerous to their hearing.

When singers are on stage performing, they are always surrounded by noise from all over the place.

Therefore, they have to wear earpieces to protect themselves from ear damage.

A loud noise will make you experience some type of ringing, which is not harmful, and it goes away after a day or two.

However, when you are constantly exposed to the noise, you’ll damage your hearing even permanently.

Singers understand this, that is why before walking to a stage, they have to wear it.

Sound Quality

Besides hearing protection, earpieces also help in improving sound quality.

In a concert, several things are working at the same time to provide the audience with a nice music performance.

Speakers, for instance, help in amplifying the songs for the audience to hear well.

The sound monitors help in producing clear music without adding other frequencies such as bass and treble.

When all these are at work together with the singer’s performance and the crowd’s cheering, there will be issues with the sound quality.

They cause feedback and also phase problems that affect the performance of the singer.

The earpiece helps in countering that by providing clear sound quality.

The eliminate the live audio, ensuring the singer only hears what is necessary.

Move Around the Stage

Earpieces also help the singer in moving around the stage when performing.

The presence of the stage monitors makes it harder for singers to move around the stage freely.

They take up lots of spaces on the stage which constrict the singer in one area, which is not an ideal good performance.

These stage monitors also have many wires which could trip the singer leading to a fall and injuries.

Singers also have to take a certain angle for them to hear properly, which is not good. For this reason, earpieces are ideal.

Earpieces help to prevent all this and provide the singer with the luxury to move around the stage freely.

The singer will focus more on giving an outstanding performance instead of worrying about falling or distorted sound.

Mix Customization

Another reason why singers wear earpieces is to have a mix fully customized.

When on stage performing, the band will rely on a certain arrangement to achieve an excellent performance.

A singer may want to know that they are pitching all the notes correctly during a performance. They will do this by having their voices at the forefront of the monitor.

However, with the help of earpieces, everyone can perform without limiting the other person.

Help in Metronome Use

Earpieces help singers stay on track and avoid appearing unprofessional. In a live performance, a singer may start on different temp, which may damage the whole performance.

A metronome is used to avoid the embarrassment that comes with this.

The metronome allows the singer to stay in time by producing a click sound on the marked time at the selected tempo.

Metronome is a device used to steady music when performing on a live stage or when practicing. The metronome has to be set on the precise tempo.

The click sound alerts the singer. However, the audience cannot hear the click sound as it is only meant for the singer, thanks to the earpiece.

The earpiece is also essential, especially for singers who have pre-recorded backing tracks in their performance.

If they are not careful with time, the track will not rhyme with the actual performance.

Provides Sound Consistency

Earpieces also provide sound consistency by allowing singers to hear the exact mix throughout the performance.

The size of the room where the artist performs determines the performance of the band or the singer.

This is because each venue produces a different sound, which the singers have to circumvent to come up with fantastic performance.

A singer on tour will have to perform on different venues, which might confuse them and affect their performance. Also, the location of a drummer or a guitarist on the stage will affect the singer.

The singer will struggle to hear what sound one is producing from the other. A singer will wear an earpiece to avoid this confusion.

The singer can also move around freely without the worry of not hearing the drummer or guitarist when wearing an earpiece.

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What are the Advantages of In-Ear Monitors?

Better Synchronization– as earlier mentioned, musicians wear earpieces to listen to their own performances. This allows for a better harmony with other band members to ensure that their performance flows smoothly just as their recorded versions of their songs.

Noise Reduction and Safety- According to research published on British Medical Journal, musicians are four times likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss compared to the general public. They are also 57% more likely to develop tinnitus (ringing sound in the ear) than the general public. (Source)

The reason is that they are frequently subjected to loud sounds and with time repeated exposures results to the loss of hair cells in the inner ear. These hair cells contain sensory receptors that send sound to the brain.

Using IEM’s will significantly help reduce exposure to loud sound hence preventing hearing loss.

But according to research there’s need for massive education on the use of IEM’s should be introduced as most performers tend to set their in-ear monitor to similar loudness levels to that of the previously used floor monitors.

Additionally, some singers take off one of their two IEM’s during a live performance to allow them to hear more ambient sound. However, this also increases the chances of noise induced hearing loss.

Even though some IEM’s have compressors or peak limiters to help reduce potential damage to sudden loud sounds, however this function does not limit the singer from increasing the sounds of the IEMs to unsafe levels.

Conclusion

There are two types of earpieces you’ll find in the market, the generic type, and those that are custom sized.

Both are effective at monitoring a playlist; however, they will differ in terms of comfort.

People have different ear sizes, so when you buy a generic earpiece, the chance is it may not fit you perfectly.

Customized earpieces, on the other hand, are designed depending on the size of your ears.

Whenever you wear them, you will feel comfortable, and you won’t have to worry about them falling when performing.