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Maybe you know the feeling… You’ve discovered this amazing musician and you know this is the real deal, still, he’s playing in a tiny maybe even empty bar. Why is he not super successful yet? Yeah, that has happened to me a lot lately. I know some musicians that are almost bursting of talent, but somehow the stars just haven’t aligned for them. The Unsigned Only Music Competition may just be exactly that platform for artists like that!

Basically everyone can enter, no matter if you’re a solo artist or a band. You can be a newcomer or been in the music scene for years. The contest is also open internationally. So really almost anyone can enter. Under one condition though, just as the name says: only unsigned artists, it does also help if you’re somewhat talented 😉

Have a look at last years winners. I was pretty surprised at all the talent that hasn’t been discovered up to that point!

Why enter? Well, of course there’s pretty nice prize money waiting for the winner… But in my eyes way more important is the chance to interact and work with big people in the music business. For the first time this year, the winner will be able to get 1-on-1 mentoring with an elite group of record label execs. And just like in many other situations in life, knowing the right people and having connections to the important ones will get you places!

Who are the judges?
A complete list is on the website, but to give you a couple of names: John Oates, 3 Doors Down, Neon Trees or Alt-J!

How can I enter? There are 3 different ways to enter the competition. Either old-school via (snail-) mail, online on the website, or through music plattforms that are linked on the Unsigned Only page. More infos can of course be found on the website.

What music genres are they looking for? Pretty much anything is welcome. There are different categories: AAA (Adult Album Alternative), Country, Folk/Singer-Songwriter or Rock. The complete list again can be found online

One big difference to last year? Not only original songs are accepted this year, also covers can be sent in!

So, are you a musician, playing in a band or solo artist and have always wanted to be heard? This can be your big chance. You should definitely give it a go!

Image source: unsignedonly.com