Use one NEXT SOUND account to submit music, listen and rate.
THE AWARDS / 2026
ONE STAGE.
CLEAR RULES.
Music made with AI tools deserves to be heard for the music itself. Enter NEXT SOUND 2026, explore the awards and see exactly how works are judged. Generative AI is welcome, but it is not required.
01HOW IT WORKS
MUSIC FIRST.
A SIMPLE WAY IN.
Your first eligible standalone single is free. Submit one LP for $10, or enter additional eligible singles and LPs with the $20 Unlimited Competition Pass.
An eligible LP competes as a complete release. Its 8–16 tracks also enter the applicable individual song award automatically, at no extra entry cost.
Eligible music can be heard and rated on NEXT SOUND. The professional jury provides 80% of the final score; validated audience ratings provide 20%.
Finalists may be asked to verify their identity, creative process and rights before a prize is confirmed. Winners will be announced by 31 March 2027.
02ENTRY + PRICING
FREE.
Enter one eligible standalone MP3 track. You may earn extra complimentary single entries through qualifying listening, sharing or referrals under the Competition Rules.
SUBMIT A SINGLE →$10
ONE LP.
Enter one complete release of 8–16 tracks. Every eligible track also competes in the applicable individual song award.
SUBMIT AN LP →$20
UNLIMITED ENTRIES.
Submit additional genuine, distinct singles and LPs during the 2026 entry window. Duplicate or manipulative submissions are excluded.
GET UNLIMITED →Prices are in USD. Any applicable taxes and the final amount are shown before payment. Paying does not improve a work's score or guarantee publication, finalist status or a prize. Read the Competition Rules & Entry Terms for eligibility, refunds and entry details.
03PRIZES
$10,0002026 PRIZE POOL
01Best Pop Single$1,000
02Best Electronic Single$1,000
03Best Cinematic Single$1,000
04Best Experimental Single$1,000
05Best Pop LP$1,000
06Best Electronic LP$1,000
07Best Cinematic LP$1,000
08Best Experimental LP$1,000
09NEXT SOUND — Best Single$1,000
10NEXT SOUND — Best LP$1,000
Prize amounts are gross USD amounts, subject only to any tax withholding required by law. If a category has no eligible entry, its $1,000 is shared among the winners of the other awarded categories. Full award and payment rules are in the Competition Rules.
04JUDGING
NOT A POPULARITY
CONTEST.
PROFESSIONAL JURY · 80%
The jury judges singles as finished songs and LPs as complete releases. It considers musical quality, originality, artistic direction, emotional impact, coherence, production and the creative use of AI. No particular tool or amount of AI use receives an automatic advantage.
VALIDATED AUDIENCE · 20%
Eligible listener ratings provide the remaining 20%. The public component is adjusted for sample size and invalid activity; it is not a raw popularity count. For LP awards, it is based on validated ratings across the release's tracks.
ONE WORK, TWO LEVELS
An LP track can win a song award even if its LP does not win an LP award, and vice versa. Being on an LP gives no automatic scoring bonus over a standalone single.
05KEY RULES
KNOW WHAT
YOU'RE ENTERING.
DATES + ELIGIBILITY
Entries open 1 October 2026 at 00:00 UTC and close 1 December 2026 at 23:59 UTC. Entrants must be at least 18, control the rights needed to enter their work and describe the AI tools used in creating or producing it.
ONE GENRE CATEGORY
Each Single or LP enters exactly one of Pop, Electronic, Cinematic or Experimental. Every eligible Single also enters NEXT SOUND — Best Single, and every eligible LP also enters NEXT SOUND — Best LP.
MP3 + ONE ACCOUNT
Audio must be MP3. One person may not create multiple accounts to gain extra entries, ratings or other competition benefits.
YOUR MUSIC STAYS YOURS
Entering gives NEXT SOUND a non-exclusive, five-year licence to host and stream the work on its website and apps and use it to promote the Awards. It does not grant NEXT SOUND a business music catalogue licence, third-party commercial licensing rights or ownership of your music.
Read the full Competition Rules & Entry Terms before entering. They are linked again before each submission and before paid checkout.
READ COMPETITION RULES & ENTRY TERMS →06CONTACT