Filmmakers Win BIG with Musicbed Challenge 2022
Musicbed makes it possible to pair the right music with your film and video projects. Whether you’re searching for the ideal score for your feature film or need a song for a commercial or video essay, Musicbed works with talented artists who create original music. In fact, the music-licensing company stands as a pillar for filmmakers seeking to make a name for themselves with its annual Musicbed Challenge.
The Musicbed Challenge is a competition that’s designed to encourage filmmakers to produce their own films within 30 days using music from Musicbed’s pre-selected playlist. Filmmakers can choose from three categories: Documentary, Narrative, or Spec Ad.
Plus, the spoils for the winners this year are insane! Altogether, they amount to over $100K in gear and film grants, including $15,000 grants as the top prize for each of the aforementioned categories, as well as a prize pack of high-end creative tools and assets. (But, more on that below!)
So, um, where do we sign up?
Musicbed Challenge Download Starter Kit
In order to take the challenge, just download the Starter Kit. You will be directed to supply an email address – to which Musicbed will send an email that will contain the link to download the starter kit.
The competition opens on April 12th and closes on May 10th, so be sure to mark your calendars! If you’re a finalist, your work will appear on the Musicbed Challenge website where a jury of your peers can vote for People’s Choice from May 13th until May 27th. The winners of each category will be announced on June 7th, selected by a panel of industry-leading judges.
Meet the Musicbed Challenge Judges
So, who chooses the winners of the Musicbed Challenge?
Well, by competing in the Musicbed Challenge, you aren’t just contending for a ton of amazing prizes, but you’ll also get your work in front of 12 industry-leading judges. Now, that’s a great opportunity to showcase your skills to DPs, writers, directors, creative directors – and get this – a festival programmer at Sundance!
If that wasn’t cool enough, there are even three prior Musicbed Challenge winners that are part of the judging staff. Talk about shooting for the moon and landing among the stars!
- Maya Bankovic, CSC
Director of Photography—The Prison in Twelve Landscapes, What is Democracy, This is Pop - Drea Clark
Festival Programmer at Sundance, Bentonville Film Festival, Producer-in-Residence at Film Independent - Kristina Delp
Director of Photography, 2019 Musicbed Challenge Winner: Spec-ad — Memento Mori - Takashi Doscher
Writer, Director — Only, A Fighting Chance - Mohammad Gorjestani
Director, Founder at Even/Odd - Jesse Hunt
Director, 2020 Musicbed Reopen Challenge Winner: Documentary — Meet Me at the Stairs - Kyndra Kennedy
Writer/Director/Producer at KYNA Media Films, 2020 Musicbed Reopen Challenge Winner — Black.Matters - Zoe Kessler
Group Creative Director at Johannes Leonardo - Kaki Orr
Associate Creative Director, Brand Creative at The North Face - Ricky Staub
Director — Concrete Cowboy (Netflix), Founder at Neighborhood Film Co. - Aaron and Winston Tao
Directing duo — tao/s - Phil Wall
Director — The Book Keepers, The Standard (Hulu)
The Musicbed Challenge Prizes
Each submitted film will be judged by a set of criteria that includes creativity, craftsmanship, storytelling aptitude, and of course, song usage.
For reference, here’s the winner of the 2019 Narrative Musicbed Film Challenge.
Scarecrow from Jake Viramontez on Vimeo.
Once the judging concludes, the category winners (Best Narrative, Best Documentary, and Best Spec Ad) along with the People’s Choice winners will be announced.
Let’s check out the rundown of prizes that are on the table…
Per Category—Narrative, Spec Ad, and Documentary
- $15,000 Grant
- Freefly Systems Wave High-Speed Camera
- GoPro Hero10 Black, plus accessories
- Vault Rentals Custom Camera Package
- $500 Teradek Gift Card
- $1,000 Filmsupply onsite licensing credit
- $500 SmallHD Gift Card
- $500 Wooden Camera Gift Card
- RØDE gear bundle, custom to category
- BOOM Library Annual Subscription—The Complete BOOM Ultimate Sound Effects Bundle
- WeTransfer Annual Premium Subscription
- Musicbed Annual Subscription
People’s Choice
- $5,000 Grant
Musicbed Sessions Package Including:
- 1 Invitation to an exclusive live recording at Musicbed HQ
- $1,000 in travel and accommodations
- $1,000 Filmsupply onsite licensing credit
- RØDE gear bundle, custom to category
- BOOM Library Annual Subscription—The Complete BOOM Ultimate Sound Effects Bundle
- WeTransfer Annual Premium Subscription
- Musicbed Annual Subscription
Important FAQs
How long should my submission be?
Narrative and Documentary – keep your submission between 1-10 minutes in length.
Spec-ad – keep your submission between 30-90 seconds.
Which platform should I use to upload my video submission?
YouTube or Vimeo are preferred. We will also accept BiliBili, YouKu, and TuDou for submissions.
How old do I have to be to enter?
You must be at least 18 years of age to submit a film to Musicbed Challenge 2022.
Can a team submit?
Yes, prizes will be shared among the team.
Can I use music that isn’t from Musicbed?
You must use at least 10 seconds of one of the provided Musicbed songs. If you incorporate non-Musicbed music, you must have a valid license or own the rights to the audio.
How do I download the Musicbed songs for my submission?
When you download your Starter Kit, you’ll get access to a private playlist where you can download songs – individually or all at once.
Can I submit this film to other film festivals or competitions?
The music license provided by Musicbed for your submission does not legally permit the selected songs to be published anywhere other than Musicbed Challenge. If you’d like to submit your entry elsewhere, and it contains Musicbed audio, proper license(s) must be purchased.
Is the challenge open internationally?
Yes, international winners are subject to applicable taxes and fees on all winnings within their country.
Can my film promote an existing brand?
If your video is for an existing brand or client, you will need the appropriate rights and approvals to feature their logo(s). Additionally, you will need to ensure your music and footage have the respective business licenses.
The Bottom Line
The Musicbed Challenge is one of the biggest competitions of the year that allows filmmakers to stand out from their peers and truly make a name for themselves while also winning really impressive prizes in the form of grants, gear, memberships, and more!
To compete in the Musicbed Challenge, remember to mark your schedule for the starting date of April 12th. You will have 30 days to complete a project for one of the three categories: Documentary, Narrative, or Spec Ad. Finalists will be published on the Musicbed Challenge website for the People’s Choice awards from May 13th until May 27th. Then, the category winner will be announced on June 7th.
Important Dates:
- Submissions Open: April 12
- Submissions Close: May 10
- People’s Choice Voting: May 13 – May 27
- Announce Category Winners: June 7
Download the Starter Kit to learn about the competition and how to compete in the 2022 challenge!
