Where was the ORCHESTRA? I didn’t see any band or is that the way it always is?
Recorded on tape.
Watch the video and you will see the tech push the button to start the music. They can’t afford the time and money to bring in musicians for rehearsal and count on each contestant to provide a full orchestral score so they sing to a CD which they must provide. Think karaoke.
I don’t ever watch American Idol so I don’t know but in the beginning of the you-tube tape you can clearly see someone push a button to start the recording. Must be they can record the background music. I don’t know.