2023 Write Out Loud Contest

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

2023 Write Out Loud Contest (the "Contest") starts on January 1, 2023 and ends on February 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) ("Contest Period").

ELIGIBILITY: Contest is open to individuals who are 13 years of age or older. An eligible minor must have a parent’s or legal guardian’s permission to participate. Winners of previous Write Out Loud contests are not eligible for this Contest. Past finalists are eligible provided they have not won or been a finalist in more than two past contests. Employees of Write Out Loud Project ("Sponsor"), its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, and members of their immediate family (spouse and parent, children and siblings and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and persons living in their same household, whether or not related, are not eligible. Void where prohibited by law. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. By participating, each entrant (and, if an eligible minor, entrant’s parent or legal guardian) agrees to abide by these Official Rules and decisions of Sponsor and judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Contest.

HOW TO ENTER: During the Contest Period, create an original song (“Composition”) then visit writeoutloudcontest.com and follow the directions to submit it via the submission form (each, an “Entry”). All Entries must be received by February 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Limit two (2) Entries per person for the entire Contest Period. Entries received from any person in excess of the stated limitation will be void.

REQUIREMENTS OF ENTRIES: Entry may not contain, as determined by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion, any content that:

Entry must be the original work of the entrant, may not have won previous awards, and must not infringe upon the copyrights, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity. If the Entry contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant, and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the Entry, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the use and exhibition of the Entry by Sponsor in the manner set forth in these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of these permissions in a form acceptable to Sponsor from any entrant at any time. Failure to provide such proof may, if requested, render Entry null and void. 

By submitting an Entry, entrant agrees that the Entry conforms to these Official Rules and that Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may disqualify the Entry for any reason, including if it determines that the Entry fails to conform to these Official Rules in any way or otherwise contains unacceptable content.

COMPOSITION REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES: Entrant (and, if an eligible minor, his/her parent or legal guardian) hereby represent and warrant that: (a) subject to any assignments and grant of rights herein, entrant owns and/or controls 100% of the copyright in the lyrics and composition of the Composition, and the sole and unencumbered right to grant the rights granted to Sponsor under this Contest; (b) the Composition is completely original and will not violate, conflict with, or infringe upon any rights of any nature whatsoever of any entity or individual, or cause Sponsor to incur any fees; (c) no assignment has been or will be made of any of the rights to the Composition; (d) entrant is not under any recording or publishing agreement or a member of any union having jurisdiction (if any) over the creation, recording or use of the Composition, including, without limitation, music publishers; and (e) entrant agrees to execute any and all documents necessary to grant the rights to the Composition set forth in these Official Rules.

WINNER DETERMINATION:  Following the conclusion of the Contest Period, all eligible Entries received will be judged by a panel of qualified judges based on the following equally weighted criteria:

The entrants who submit the five (5) Entries that receive the highest scores will be deemed the potential winners. The entrants who submit the ten (10) Entries that receive the next highest scores will be deemed “Finalists.” In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker judge will judge the tied Entries using the Criteria to determine the potential winner and/finalist (as applicable). Sponsor reserves the right to not award all prizes and/or select fewer finalists if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Entries. All decisions of the Sponsor and judges are final and binding. Sponsor will not reveal the judging scores for any Entry. An entrant cannot win multiple times in the same contest.

FINALIST AND WINNER NOTIFICATION: Potential winners and finalists will be notified by email in the Spring of 2023 and will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability and, unless prohibited, Publicity Release within fourteen (14) days of date of issuance. If a potential winner or finalist does not respond to the initial notification within the time period stated in the email notification, does not return all required documentation within the time period stated, or if any notification is returned as undeliverable, or such potential winner or finalist is not in compliance with these rules, prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsor’s discretion, a runner-up will be notified. If any potential winner or finalist is an eligible minor, their parent or legal guardian will be required to execute all required document on behalf of the potential winner or finalist.

PRIZES: GRAND PRIZE (5): The prize consists of: (i) Sponsor will include a performance of the Composition in a concert at 54 Below (or another venue selected by Sponsor) by an artist from the Broadway community selected by Sponsor, (ii) in advance of the concert, Sponsor will provide the winner with an invitation to collaborate with the Artist and/or the Write Out Loud team with respect to the performance (travel and accommodations will not be provided and are the sole responsibility of the winner), (iii) Sponsor will produce a recording of a performance of the Composition by an artist selected by Sponsor (“Recording”). Without limiting Sponsor’s rights hereunder, the Recording will be initially released to Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes, and a video footage of the recording session of the Recording will be released on YouTube. FINALIST PRIZE (up to 10): The prize consists of: (i) Sponsor will include a performance of the Composition in a concert at 54 Below (or another venue selected by Sponsor) by an artist from the Broadway community selected by Sponsor; and (ii) in advance of the concert, Sponsor will provide the finalist with an invitation to collaborate with the artist and/or Write Out Loud team with respect to the performance (travel and accommodations will not be provided and are the sole responsibility of the winner). Prizes have no retail value. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied. All federal, state and local taxes, if any, and all other costs and expenses associated with prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided are the sole responsibility of the winners and finalists. Prizes may not be substituted, assigned or transferred, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize of comparable or greater value. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion.

GRANT OF RIGHTS: Entrant (and, if an eligible minor, their parent or legal guardian) understand that Entrant will retain ownership of the copyright in the Composition, subject to the rights granted herein.

Winners and finalists (and, if an eligible minor, their parents or legal guardians) hereby grant Sponsor and its successors, licensees and assigns absolute permission, in perpetuity, to create various audio and/or audio visual recordings of the Composition performed by one or more artists to be solely determined by Sponsor (sometimes individually and collectively referred to as “Talent”), which recordings may be created in a studio and/or in a live concert setting, as determined by Sponsor (collectively, the “Talent Recording(s)”). Winners and finalists (and, if an eligible minor, their parents or legal guardians) understand and agree that Sponsor shall own the Talent Recording(s) and that Sponsor and its successors, licensees and assigns shall have the irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, unlimited license to arrange, reproduce, distribute, display, exhibit, exploit, publicly perform, sell, edit, create derivatives of, and otherwise use (collectively, “Exploit” or “Exploitation”) the Talent Recording(s) (including the Composition as embodied therein) in perpetuity, worldwide, without payment or compensation (except as expressly set forth below) or approval by me in any format, manner or media now or hereafter known. In addition, Sponsor and its successors, licensees and assigns shall have the right to Exploit the title, lyrics and sheet music of the Composition in and in connection with any Exploitation of the Talent Recording(s) and advertising, publicity and promotion therefor. 

If Sponsor, in its sole discretion, invites any winner or finalist to attend or participate in any live or recorded performance of the Composition (each, a “Performance”), the winner or finalist (and, if an eligible minor, winner’s or finalist’s parent or legal guardian) agree that (a) Sponsor and its designees shall have the right to film, photograph and otherwise record such participation, (b) Sponsor and its successors, licensees and assigns shall have the irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, unlimited right to Exploit the resulting film, photography and recordings (including, without limitation, the Composition as embodied therein) in perpetuity, worldwide, without payment or compensation (except as expressly set forth below) or approval by winner, finalist or any parent or legal guardian (as applicable), in any format, manner or media now or hereafter known (including but not limited to, music recordings, printed materials such as record labels, marketing material, brochures, news releases and newsletters, videos, and digital images such as those for use with the release of music to the public or on the Sponsor website), at the sole and absolute discretion of Sponsor, and (c) the winner or finalist (and, if an eligible minor, their parents or legal guardians) agree to sign a separate work-for-hire agreement/release that will govern such activities.

For the avoidance of doubt the Talent Recording(s) shall include, without limitation, the Recording and any recordings of any Performance.

In addition, winners and finalists (and, if an eligible minor, their parents or legal guardians) grant to Sponsor and its successors, licensees and assigns the right (but not the obligation) to Exploit, throughout the world and in perpetuity, the winner’s or finalist’s name, likeness, photographs, voice, quotes, statements (including, without limitation about the Contest and/or Composition), performances, opinions, biographical information and/or hometown or state, in and in connection with the Talent Recording(s), any Performances, the Contest, Sponsor and its products, programs and services and/or any advertising, marketing or promotion related to the foregoing.

Winners and finalists (and, if an eligible minor, their parents or legal guardians) acknowledge and agree that winners and finalists will not be entitled to any payment in connection with any Exploitation of the Talent Recording(s) or the Composition; provided that nothing contained herein is intended to limit a winner’s or finalist’s rights to collect the winner’s or finalist’s respective share of publishing monies to the extent the same is paid directly to the winner or finalist by third parties, including in connection with “monetized” promotional Videos (e.g., Videos exhibited on YouTube, Vimeo or Vevo) (but in no event shall Sponsor have any obligations or liability in connection therewith).

To the extent legally permitted, winners and finalists (and, if an eligible minor, their parents or legal guardians) waive any so-called "moral rights" in and to the winner’s or finalist’s Performance, any Exploitation of the Composition or other materials to the extent permitted by law and acknowledge that in the event of any dispute regarding the subject matter hereof, my remedies will be limited to damages at law and the winner or finalist (and, if an eligible minor, a winner’s or finalist’s parent or legal guardian) will not have the right to seek or obtain injunctive relief or other equitable remedies in connection therewith.  Winners and finalists (and, if an eligible minor, their parents or legal guardians) hereby assert that they are granting the rights granted herein on a voluntary basis  

GENERAL CONDITIONS:  By participating, each entrant (and, if an eligible minor, entrant’s parent or legal guardian) agrees to indemnify, defend, release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and representatives of the forgoing (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind to persons, including death, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or any Contest-related activity or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the prize. 

Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered or garbled Entries, emails or other communications of any kind; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of Entries, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to any person's computer or other device related to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Contest or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated Entries will be void. Should any portion of the Contest be, in Sponsor’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of Entries, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential winner from all eligible, non-suspect Entries received prior to action taken using the winner determination procedure outlined above. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

USE OF DATA:  Sponsor will be collecting personal data about entrants in accordance with its privacy policy. Please review the Sponsor’s privacy policy at https://writeoutloudcontest.com/privacy-policy.

WINNERS LIST: To receive the names of the winners and finalists (available after 6/1/23), send an email to: admin@writeoutloudcontest.com, by no later than 9/30/23.

SPONSOR: Write Out Loud Project, 44-70 21st Street #1012, Long Island City, New York 11101.