I tried to reach out to the moderators to maybe change the topic title of the old thread to re-purpose it. I didn't get a response however. So I'm setting up a thread that is updated irregularly for everyone to check in, ask questions, etc. I hope this is okay and adds to the readability of this forum.




Hello there, nice people of Gearslutz.

I'd like to make all readers of this forum aware of the Mix Challenge audio community. More specifically the monthly recurring Songwriting Competition.




Image Source: Youtube, screenshot of Helmsdrums "Improvised Jam Session" on Youtube, released under Youtube Standard License



What is the Songwriting Competition (or SWC in short)?

The Songwriting Competition (SWC in short) is a monthly recurring friendly competition. At the start of each month, you're given a theme and in some cases even a genre. You then have 24 days to create a production with whatever tools you have at your disposal. The game starts on each 1st of the month, and ends on the 24th at 11:59pm Central European Time (Germany, to be precise).




Sounds interesting - how long as this been going on?

Since September 2017. As of the time stamp of this post, we're 24 months into the game and are running SWC024. But as with every community, we would love to see more participation. The more contestants, the more feedback, the more fun.




What are the general themes?

There is no definite plot thread. It's just what comes to mind to the staff, the Patrons of the community or the participants. So far we tackled topics like scary stories on Halloween, creating image themes for a video game, having dedicated Metal and Techno months each, etc. In September 2018, we covered the topic "Mental Health". In January 2019, we had a very popular "limited sound set" Songwriting Competition, where the sound sources were provided by forum members. And in May 2019, we tackled the 80s Synth-Pop/Rock genre parallel to Superbooth 2019.

There are more interesting themes and genres in queue. I'm sure there will be something available for everyone. Especially those that want to step a bit out of their comfort zone and try new things.




Interesting, so what are the rules?

Super simplified:

• check the Mix Challenge forum on the 1st of the month for the theme and desired genre
• then start to create a production with whatever tools are at your disposal, collaborate with as many people as you want - as long as the production has been made "recently" / for this game
• make your entry downloadable and present it on the Mix Challenge forum
• once the submission period has ended, grab all productions and listen to each entry
• then give feedback (this is mandatory) to your top 20 contestants and also rank them in order (1st Place = 20 points, 2nd Place = 19 Points, etc)
• after the feedback and voting period has ended, wait for the score sheet and cross your fingers to maybe even land on the Winners Podium

There is a more detailed "Rules and Guidelines" to cover all possible eventualities on the Mix Challenge forum.




Did I pique your interest? If so, then head over to the Mix Challenge homepage and take a closer look. Joining is absolutely free. And if you like it over there, please do spread the word on social media.

More on:
https://mix-challenge.com



Thank you for your time.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I try to answer them ASAP.

A friendly reminder for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 024 is still in full swing.
The deadline is the 24th August 2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST (7 days left)

Genre: Muzak / Elevator Music
Theme: "Elevator Pitch"


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design

Please do spread the word as much as you can.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

Direct link to the current game can be found here

A friendly reminder for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 026 is still in full swing.
The deadline is the 24th October 2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST (20 days left)

Genre: free to select
Theme: "Saturday Morning Breakfast Cartoons"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



Also still running:

Remix Challenge 003
The deadline is the 15th October 2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST (11 days left)

ORIGINAL GENRE: (Acoustic) Rock
DESIRED GENRE: Rock/Soundtrack Hybrid

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from MuTools, JRR Sounds, kv311 Audio, Tone2, Hornet Plugins, Luftrum, Ghostwave Audio and Rekkerd Sounds




Please do spread the word as much as you can.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

A friendly reminder for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 027 just started
The deadline is the 24th November 2019 11:59pm GMT+1/CET (24 days left)

Genre: Symphonic Metal
Theme: "Symphony of Guitars"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design




Please do spread the word as much as you can.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 028 just started.
The deadline is the 24th December 2019 11:59pm GMT+1/CET (21 days left)

Genre: Singer / Songwriter
Theme: "The End is Nigh"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



Additionally:

The Mix Challenge audio community is collecting self-created sounds and samples until 21st December 2019 in preparation for the Songwriting Competition 029 in January 2020. The material will be the sole source of sounds for this particular, yearly recurring game called "Community Scramble".

Direct link to endeavor can be found here




Please do spread the word as much as you can.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 029 just started.
The deadline is the 24th January 2020 11:59pm GMT+1/CET (24 days left)

Genre: free to select
Theme: "Community Scramble" (limited sounds challenge)

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



Additional Information:

The Mix Challenge audio community collected a handful of self-created sounds/samples from various participants in December 2019, which act as the sole sound source for this particular Songwriting Competition (SWC029/January). This special challenge is known as "Community Scramble", and it originated in December 2018.

The twist, is to create a production with just these sounds and samples. But there is absolutely no limit on how you get there - you are allowed to use any tool that is at your disposal. You can use resampling, wavetable synthesis, various types of modulation, etc. As long as you don't use any additional synth or instruments (vocals are allowed though). Else, the rules of the Songwriting Competition apply.

More about the concept can be read here, and the game thread can be found through this link.




Please do spread the word as much as you can.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

Like Iron Chef, but better; nobody has to ingest the result.

Well, yeah...

Only with "Iron Chef" (depending on the version), you get one secret ingredient to be featured. You also have one major "boss" and a 4-person judges panel.

This Songwriting Competition offers a bit more selection (albeit this month you need to be a bit more creative than usual), no "big boss" and the panel consists of all other participants giving feedback to each other.

Less limitations overall, more interaction and fun in the long run.

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 030 just started.
The deadline is the 24th February 2020 11:59pm GMT+1/CET (24 days left)

Genre: (Contemporary) Pop
Theme: "Spread the Love"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



Please do spread the word as much as you can.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 031 just started.
The deadline is the 24th March 2020 11:59pm GMT+1/CET (24 days left)

Genre: Chill-out
Theme: "Take a break"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



Please do spread the word as much as you can.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 032 just started.
The deadline is the 24th April 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)

Genre: free to select (with a small twist)
Theme: "Together At Home"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



Please do spread the word as much as you can. Last month we had more than 15 participants. The more, the merrier!


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

I love this idea, thanks soooo much for creating this!

It's such a great tool for people like myself getting into the craft of songwriting!

It's one thing to have a good idea, but it's another to invest energy into it manifesting and bringing it to life.

I look forward to it!

Thank you for the kind words. Looking forward to listen to your entry.

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 033 just started.
The deadline is the 24th May 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)

Genre: Avant-garde Metal / Funk Metal (try to fuse several genres into one)
Theme: "Madness rising"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



Please do spread the word as much as you can. Last month we had more than 15 participants. The more, the merrier!


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 034 just started.
The deadline is the 24th June 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)

Genre: Big Beat
Theme: "Reboot"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



The Mix Challenge audio community is also celebrating it's 6th Anniversary. Please do spread the word as much as you can. The more participants, the merrier.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 035 just started.
The deadline is the 24th July 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)

Genre: Conscious Rap
Theme: "Hip Hop Politics"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



The Mix Challenge audio community is also still celebrating it's 6th Anniversary. Please do spread the word as much as you can. The more participants, the merrier.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 036 just started.
The deadline is the 24th August 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)

Genre: Drum and Bass
Theme: "Video Game Soundtrack - Race to the Top"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



If you don't feel comfortable enough to join yourself, or don't have the skill sets. Then it would help tremendously if you could spread the word about the Songwriting Competition. It would be nice to reach 15-20 participants per month on average by the end of the year.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

Hello everyone, a short information for you:

Due to the recent heatwave all over the northern hemisphere, and due to the newly introduced game mechanics of the game (focusing on more interaction and offering you to revisit your production until the deadline has been reached), the Songwriting Competition has been extended.

Songwriting Competition 036 will now end on 28th August 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (5 days left)

Genre: "Drum and Bass"
Theme: "Video Game Soundtrack - Race to the Top"


Direct link to the current game can be found here



The Songwriting Competition in September 2020 will revert back to it's usual 24-days time frame.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 037 just started.
The deadline is the 24th September 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)

Genre: Lo-Fi Hip Hop
Theme: "How are you?" (Mental Health Awareness Month)

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



The focus of this game is to "just make music". Giving and receiving constructive criticism/feedback being one of the main game mechanics, with the added bonus of also being able to edit/enhance your production until the the deadline has been reached. We've tried this new more interactive approach throughout August 2020, and it has been taken very well so far.

If you don't feel comfortable enough to join yourself, or don't have the skill sets. Then it would help tremendously if you could spread the word about the Songwriting Competition. It would be nice to reach 15-20 participants per month on average by the end of the year.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 038 just started.
The deadline is the 24th October 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)




Image Source: Pexels, photo by Francesco Ungaro, released under Creative Commons CC0, slightly modified



Genre: Soundtrack
Theme: "The Things That Scare Us"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



The focus of this game is to "just make music". Giving and receiving constructive criticism/feedback being one of the main game mechanics, with the added bonus of also being able to edit/enhance your production until the the deadline has been reached. This new game mechanic has been adapted in August 2020 and has been very well received.

If you don't feel comfortable enough to join yourself, or don't have the skill sets. Then it would help tremendously if you could spread the word about the Songwriting Competition. It would be nice to reach 15-20 participants per month on average by the end of the year.


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 039 just started.
The deadline is the 24th November 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)




Image Source: Pexels, photo by Lucas Allmann, released under Creative Commons CC0



Genre: Ska
Theme: "There is a Pogo on the dance floor"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from MusicLab, IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



The focus of this game is to "just make music". Giving and receiving constructive criticism/feedback being one of the main game mechanics, with the added bonus of also being able to edit/enhance your production until the the deadline has been reached. This new game mechanic has been adapted in August 2020 and has been very well received.

If you don't feel comfortable enough to join yourself, or don't have the skill sets. Then it would help tremendously if you could spread the word about the Songwriting Competition. It would be nice to reach 15-20 participants per month on average by the end of the year.



We are also running a thread to collect self-created sounds and samples until 21st December 2020 in preparation for the Songwriting Competition 041 in January 2021. The material will be the sole source of sounds for this particular, yearly recurring game called "Community Scramble".


More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 040 just started.
The deadline is the 24th December 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (24 days left)




Image Source: Pixabay, photo by Free-Photos, released under Creative Commons CC0



Genre: New Age (Ambient, Electronica, World Music)
Theme: "Beginning of a New Age"

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



The focus of this game is to "just make music". Giving and receiving constructive criticism/feedback being one of the main game mechanics, with the added bonus of also being able to edit/enhance your production until the the deadline has been reached. This new game mechanic has been adapted in August 2020 and has been very well received.

If you don't feel comfortable enough to join yourself, or don't have the skill sets. Then it would help tremendously if you could spread the word about the Songwriting Competition. It would be nice to reach 15-20 participants per month on average by the end of the year.





We are also running a thread to collect self-created sounds and samples until 21st December 2020 in preparation for the Songwriting Competition 041 in January 2021. The material will be the sole source of sounds for this particular, yearly recurring game called "Community Scramble".

Direct link to this endeavor can be found here


Image Source: Pixabay, photo by Nachrichten_muc, released under Creative Commons CC0



More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

Short reminder for everyone interested:



Songwriting Competition 040 is still in full swing
The deadline is the 24th December 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (3 days left)

Genre: New Age (Ambient, Electronica, World Music)
Theme: "Beginning of a New Age"

Direct link to the current game can be found here




Furthermore, the sample collection thread for the upcoming Songwriting Competition 041 "Community Scramble" / January 2021 has been extended until 24th December 2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (3 days left)

Direct link to this endeavor can be found here



More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

An update for everyone interested:

Songwriting Competition 041 just started.
The deadline is the 24th January 2021 23:59 UTC+1/CET (24 days left)




Image Source: ArtsyBee (background, via Pixabay), released under Creative Commons CC0



Genre: free to select
Theme: "Community Scramble" (limited sound set challenge)

Direct link to the current game can be found here


Throughout December, the Mix Challenge community collected an interesting selection of self-created sounds and samples, which are used as the sole sound source for Songwriting Competition 041 (SWC #041 ). Participants can mangle this material through re-sampling, modulation, wavetable synthesis or similar. No additional instrument usage is allowed. Adding vocals being the exception. The main idea is to spark creativity with access to only a limited selection of sounds.



Participants have a chance to win prizes, e.g. from IK Multimedia, kv311 Audio, Tone2, JRR Sounds, Luftrum, Rekkerd Sounds, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins and satyatunes Graphic and Sound Design



The focus of this game is to "just make music". Giving and receiving constructive criticism/feedback being one of the main game mechanics, with the added bonus of also being able to edit/enhance your production until the the deadline has been reached. This new game mechanic has been adapted in August 2020 and has been very well received.

If you don't feel comfortable enough to join yourself, or don't have the skill sets. Then it would help tremendously if you could spread the word about the Songwriting Competition. It would be nice to reach 15-20 participants per month on average by the end of the year.



More on:
https://mix-challenge.com

I looked your site. I tried to follow some mixing competitions. I couldn't find the source, couldn't find other people's mixes other than strewn randomly through a thread. After an hour I gave up. I guess it's only for people who vitually live on your site so they can find things. Maybe I'm just thick.

Hi Zed999,

Let me quickly clarify the confusion.


Yes, these particular games are only run on the Mix Challenge audio community. But things are actually quite well structured. The first post of every thread gives a general overview, while the second post gives you a premise and/or the audio files in question.

Please keep in mind, due to legal reasons, the Mix(ing) Challenge source material is only available for the month in question, and only for the first Mix Round (meaning: 1st of the month until the start of the 22nd of the month). Additional to that, the Mix(ing) Challenge is currently on it's annual vacation (mixing games run from February until/including December). The next game starts on 1st February (if nothing goes wrong). And yes, all mix entries by the participants are seeded throughout the thread.


The Songwriting Competition on the other hand is running every month. Since the game mechanics are a bit different, there is one entry summary per month (which is handled manually), which also marks the beginning of the final feedback process.


Please check the corresponding threads again. Everything is explained and linked to from the first post.




And while we're at it:
Including today, there are still 11 days left for Songwriting Competition 041 / January 2021