Now in its fourth edition, the competition is part of the Music Tectonics conference’s focus on disruptive music innovation and aims to shine the spotlight on creative startups. It also seeks to facilitate the exchange of ideas and strong discussions.

The competition will culminate in a final pitch session during the convention in Santa Monica, California, from October 25 to 27.

how it works

An expert panel will select 10 semi-finalists to pitch to the jury, including BandLab Technologies CEO Meng Ru Kook, in an online event on 7 September. The four finalists will then showcase their products and present their final pitches before the winners are announced.

Winners will be interviewed on the Music Tectonics podcast, featured in a press release about the competition, and receive a free badge for the 2023 convention. Music Tectonics is also offering three badge scholarships to startups for whom the cost of the conference badge is a barrier to participation. Preference for the Badge Scholarship will be given to founders who are from groups that are underrepresented in the tech and music industry leadership.

Eligibility:

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Applicants must fulfill the following conditions:

The startup must be less than five years old.
Have a working demo of a product, service, platform or finished product.
Work in the music innovation ecosystem: Create, distribute, listen or monetize music by managing rights or data, attracting fans, running live music events, and more.
Purchase at least one conference badge to be eligible for the Startup Contest. Early bird rates for badges are available through August 11.
Application deadline is 29 July,

Interested candidates can apply Here,

“Making space for startups is essential to my vision for the Music Tectonics conference,” said Dmitry Weytz, Music Tectonics founder and conference director. “When I founded my own startup, attending conferences was the most important thing to my business. Plus, startups bring the creative energy and futuristic thinking that everyone in the industry needs to tune in. The contest is a win for all, not just the winners.”

Commenting on the competition, inaugural competition winner Jacquel Amanakonah Horton said: “Winning the Music Tectonics Startup Contest affected my company as a whole. This was the first time I’ve publicly talked about my vision outside of moonlighting on the project. I’ve spoken to, and the direct support I’ve had from judges, industry leaders who have seen or heard from this forum, and the wonderful fellow partner community led by it. I just a few months later raised a $2.2m seed from top industry companies Closing the round. Grateful and grateful to the MT family for this beginning.”