The X Factor

The X Factor is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company SYCOtv. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol (2001–2003), and has been adapted in various countries. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality.

The prize is usually a recording contract, in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates, not only for the winner but also for other highly ranked contestants.

Unlike Idols, where the judges only critique the contestants' performances, on The X Factor each judge "mentors" the finalists in a particular category, aiding them with song selection and styling, while also participating together in judging the contestants in the other categories. Not only Idols, but also new singing shows such as The Voice, The Four and All Together Now have become rivals and popular in recent years.

Similar to Got Talent, the franchise maintains a YouTube channel, called X Factor Global. The channel uploads clips of X Factor shows from around the world. The channel currently has over 3 million subscribers. There are many more channels like this. Additionally, many individual X Factor shows have their own YouTube channels such as X Factor India.