American Songwriter Live: Stage One

What exactly do I submit?

A link to one song, as a performance video or a song link. Video: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, or Drive, in any orientation. Song: Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, or Bandcamp. Already posted counts. It has to open without logging in and stay public, unchanged, through the end of the contest. A link that comes down or goes private disqualifies the entry. Entering with a song link? If you make the semifinals, we will ask for a live video of the same song by a set deadline. Shot it on your phone and never posted it? Upload it to YouTube as unlisted, or to Google Drive with sharing set to "anyone with the link," and paste that link. A professionally shot video is welcome but never required: we score the performance, not the production.

Does a music video or a recording count?

Yes, as a song entry. A studio track, a demo, a live recording, or a music video all count. The live round is where we see you play: semifinalists send a live video of the same song, one take, live vocal, audio from the room. A phone video in your kitchen clears the bar.

How much does it cost to enter?

$15 per entry through the close on November 12 at 11:59 PM CT. Each entry covers one song. Enter as many times as you like and each one is judged on its own. Entry fees are non-refundable.

Who can enter?

Independent, unsigned, self-releasing, or on an indie label, from anywhere in the world. Artists signed to a major label or one of its imprints are not eligible. Online creators encouraged. Every genre. If you are performing an original, it has to be yours to perform. Under 18? You need permission from a parent or guardian to enter.

Who reviews, and when will I hear back?

The American Songwriter team, backed by a brand that has championed songwriters since 1984. They look for craft, originality, and what happens when you play. Semifinalists are named about two weeks after entries close. The Top 10 are picked from their live videos, then the vote sets the three who play. Every entrant gets a submission confirmation.

Do I need an audience to make the Top 10?

No. Our team picks the semifinalists and the Top 10 before any voting opens, and one of the three stage slots is our team's pick rather than a vote result. An audience helps you win the vote. It cannot get you into the Top 10, and it is not the only road to the stage.

How does the voting work?

Once the Top 10 are named, all ten go up on americansongwriter.com with their live videos. Voting is free. The two highest totals take two of the three stage slots, and our team names the third. The top vote-getter also takes the closing slot and walks into the final with the full online vote, 40% of the winner decision. Everyone else in the Top 10 becomes an alternate in vote order, so if a spot opens, the next in line is the first call. Full voting rules are in the official rules.

How is the winner decided?

On the night, at the show. All three play a full slot, then three things decide it: the room's vote (40%), the online vote winner (40%), and the American Songwriter team (20%). Our team's score also breaks any tie. The winner is announced from the stage, and nobody knows the result walking in.

Do I have to perform, and do you cover travel?

All three play the showcase in person. The performance is the point, for you and for the room. Each artist gets up to $750 in travel reimbursement toward getting to Nashville, against receipts submitted within 30 days of the showcase. Anything past that is on you.

Is the showcase the only thing you are picking for?

No. Our team flags the strongest entries for Savage Music A&R as they come in, before the semifinalists are named and separate from the vote. The artists we want to keep working with, we contact, and some of those conversations lead to a label, publishing, or distribution. None of that is promised and none of it is part of the prize. Making the Top 10 is not the gate, and missing it is not a no.