Digital music distribution platform Too Lost is hosting a series of ‘Collab For The Crown’ contests. T-Pain will host the first contest beginning November 29th.

Digital music distribution platform Too Lost is hosting a series of ‘Collab For The Crown’ contests. T-Pain is hosting the first contest, which kicked off November 29th.

Damien Ritter, Director of Communications at New York-based Too Lost, said the contest will require artists to do what they already do: ‘make music, work with others, and promote their music.’

To compete, independent artists must create an original song in collaboration with at least one other artist and submit an entry on ‘Collab For the Crown.’ Too Lost has allocated a $33,000 prize pool for the first in a series of three contests, which means that the distributor will ultimately give away $100,000 in cash prizes.

Announcing the team-up with T-Pain for the first contest, Ritter said, “I always tell artists that you should be participating in these contests not only to potentially win money, but it’s a good opportunity to pick up some new fans that come to vote on entries.”

“It’s ridiculously hard to pursue music. It’s that much harder to pursue it on your own,” Ritter stated, highlighting that independent artists ‘don’t collaborate enough.’

Ritter further explained that collaboration can be an extremely effective way to get your craft out there. “You could be building relationships with other artists, cross-promoting, sharing fans. That’s half the effort for the same results.”

“Contests like ‘Collab for the Crown‘ generate a lot of excitement. Many artists pick up new fans along the way, and ultimately, that’s the goal,” Ritter relayed.

So how can indie musicians participate in ‘Collab For the Crown?’

Artists must follow these three steps:

  1. Collaborate with at least one other artist to compose an original song.
  2. Distribute the track via Too Lost.
  3. Submit an entry on the ‘Collab for the Crown’ website, and promote your song to gain votes.

What are the rules for ‘Collab for the Crown?’

  • Collaboration with another artist is mandatory, and can be in the form of vocals, hooks, verses, composition, etc.
  • Artists must distribute the song via Too Lost before submitting the entry on the ‘Collab for the Crown’ website.
  • Create a video post on social media using an Instagram link to the collaborative song.
  • Each entry will need at least 100 votes to be eligible for Too Lost’s selection of 25 finalists.
  • There are no restrictions on who can vote. Fans can vote once every 24 hours.

Contest eligibility details:

  • All independent artists are eligible to compete.
  • Artists can only submit one entry.
  • A second entry will not qualify for the contest even if it features a collaboration with another artist.
  • All solo entries will be disqualified.
  • The contest is open to artists worldwide.
  • Artists must distribute their tracks via Too Lost before the contest closes on January 22nd, 2024.

How will the winners be selected?

  • Artists will require at least 100 fan votes on ‘Collab For the Crown’ to qualify as a finalist.
  • Too Lost will select up to 25 finalists before T-Pain reviews those submissions to select the three final winners.
  • Too Lost and T-Pain will announce ‘Collab for the Crown’ winners via Instagram live stream on February 5th.

Contest Prizes:

  • Grand first Prize: $20,000
  • Second Prize: $8,000
  • Third Prize: $5,000

All three winners also gain an opportunity to work with Too Lost label services on their next release.

Contest dates to remember:

  • November 29th, 2023: Contest start date.
  • January 22nd, 2024: Contest entries close.
  • January 29th: Too Lost announces 25 contest finalists.
  • February 5th: T-Pain announces three final winners.