The X Factor is an American television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a $1 million recording contract, lowered from the $5 Million offered in the show's first two seasons. The third season is set to premiere on Fox on September 11, 2013.

Based on the UK format, the competition consists of auditions, in front of producers and then the judges with a live audience, bootcamp, judges' houses, and then the live finals. Producer auditions began on March 6, 2013, in Los Angeles, and ended on May 4, 2013, in Denver. The judges auditions, which are televised, began on May 21, 2013, in Charleston, and ended on July 12, 2013, in Los Angeles. New for this season is the removal of the bootcamp and judges' houses rounds of the competition which have been replaced with a new middle section, more reminiscent of the live shows.