Music Challenge (2024)


"Hack the music"

PARTICIPATION RULES FOR THE CONTEST

These terms and conditions are generally applicable to all contests organized by ROOTEDCON within the range of activities conducted in the context of the RootedCON Congress 2024.

ROOTED CON ASSOCIATION (hereinafter referred to as ROOTEDCON), with its registered office at Juan de Juanes Street, 8 (28007 Madrid), carries out various training, awareness, and communication activities within the territorial scope of Spain, particularly in the Community of Madrid, in which users may participate in accordance with the following terms and conditions:

1. Eligibility to Participate

Any individual over the age of 18 residing in Spanish territory is eligible to participate, provided they have a valid DNI or passport in the case of Spanish citizens, or a valid NIE and residence permit in the case of foreigners, at the time of the awarding of the prize if they are a winner.

Those who have been involved in the creation and design of the contest are not eligible to participate, nor are any employees, collaborators, volunteers, or organizers of any ROOTEDCON activities or their associated organizations, or their direct family members in any of the aforementioned cases.

Minors may participate in this contest with prior approval from ROOTEDCON. As the contest involves the awarding of a prize, ROOTEDCON will require authorization from the mother, father, or legal guardian for its delivery.

2. Contest Mechanics

Participation in the 2024 edition is free of charge and will be done through registration via the system enabled on the ROOTEDCON registration website: https://reg.rootedcon.com. There is no other official registration procedure, so any form of participation in the contest that has not gone through registration on the aforementioned website will be considered invalid and, consequently, ineligible for receipt of any of the prizes.

ROOTEDCON will publish these same general conditions of participation and other associated details on its website: ways to participate, prizes, validity, etc.

ROOTEDCON may modify the contest's validity period depending on the number of contestants, committing to communicate the new conditions to the participants and always without prejudice to the rights previously acquired by a correct registration in it.

The contestant must correctly answer the questions posed and/or submit the material for the contest. The registration process on the website details the procedures for submitting materials, formal dates for submission and receipt of acceptance or rejection communications, and of the prizes, in case the contestant is a candidate for receiving one.

The winners of the contest will be those who obtain such status by meeting the criteria established in the mechanics and conditions of this, which will be published on the website. If any of the data provided by the user is not correct or if they could not be located through any of the contact means provided, the prize will be awarded to the next participant who comes closest to the winning score.

The deadline for registering creations or content for the contest is February 26 at 23:59:59. After that date and time, the form will be closed and no more content or creations can be registered.

The date of the resolution and communication of the jury's decisions will be March 1. Communication will be made by email whether you have won one of the prizes or not.

3. Prizes

For the 2024 edition, the prizes will be in music tools and materials, classified as follows:

3.1. First prize

(estimated worth in 2,000 €)

ModelVendor
SyntaktElektron
HS5 (Bundle)Yamaha / t.akustik
Symplant 2Sonic Charge
JU-06ARoland
Launchpad XNovation

3.2. Second prize

(estimated worth in 1,000 €)

ModelVendor
DB-01Erica Synths
Circuit TracksNovation
Duotime DelayNux
NT 0910 AC/PSAThomann
Launchpad XNovation

3.3. Third prize

(estimated worth in 500 €)

ModelVendor
Model:CyclesElektron
M50XAudio Technica

3.4. All prizes

Additionally, all winners will receive a complimentary ticket to the RootedCON 2024 event in Madrid.

3.5. Prize items images

The photographs of the prizes and elements associated with them that may be published on the websites or other publishing channels of ROOTEDCON are merely indicative, and variations may occur in terms of accessory features of the product, always strictly adhering to the products listed in these prize tables.

3.6. Responsability for the product warranty

The party responsible for the proper functioning and warranties of the product, which may be delivered as a prize, is the manufacturer or distributor in Spain. For these purposes, any complaint or claim about the product should be directed against these companies and their own customer service departments.

3.7. Taxes

In accordance with the regulations of the Personal Income Tax, prizes awarded for participation in games, contests, raffles, or combinations are subject to withholding tax whenever the value of the prize exceeds an amount of 300 Euros.

The prize obtained in this contest will be subject to the relevant tax obligations. For these purposes, ROOTEDCON will send the winner a document certifying the value of the prize delivered for tax information purposes for their declaration.

4. Award decisions

The date of the resolution and communication of the jury's decisions will be March 1. Communication will be made by email whether you have won one of the prizes or not.

After the voting and evaluation period of the contest has ended, ROOTEDCON will contact the winner. If the winner cannot be located through any of the data provided within fifteen (15) days following the end of the submission deadline for the contest, the prize will become vacant.

ROOTEDCON will deliver the prize within ninety (90) days of its awarding, in the manner determined by ROOTEDCON, depending on its nature. If it has to be delivered in person and the winner does not collect it at the location designated by ROOTEDCON within one (1) month from the date indicated by the latter, the prize will be forfeited. Once the established deadlines have passed, no claims will be accepted regarding the non-delivery of any prize.

5. Privacy Policy and Personal Data Protection

We inform you that the data provided will be processed by ROOTED CON ASSOCIATION, with its registered office at Juan de Juanes Street, 8 Madrid 28007. You can contact the Data Protection Officer of RootedCON Association at the following email address: dpo@rootedcon.com

If the way of participation is through registration as a user on the ROOTEDCON website, you can consult the privacy policy and the data protection policy, as well as the general conditions, at:

  • https://reg.rootedcon.com/compliance/gdpr
  • https://reg.rootedcon.com/compliance/terms

The legal basis for this processing is the execution of the conditions accepted by the users in these terms. The personal data provided will be kept for the duration of this initiative, as well as for the legally established periods to which we are obliged.

What are your rights when you provide us with your data?: Any person has the right to obtain confirmation on whether ROOTEDCON is processing personal data concerning them, and if so, access their personal data, as well as request the rectification of inaccurate data or, where appropriate, request its deletion when, among other reasons, the data are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected.

Under certain circumstances, interested parties may request the limitation of the processing of their data, in which case we will only keep them for the exercise or the defense of claims.

Under certain circumstances and for reasons related to your particular situation, you may object to the processing of your data. In such case, ROOTEDCON will stop processing the data, except for compelling legitimate reasons or the exercise or defense of possible claims.

Also, in certain cases, the interested party may exercise their right to the portability of the data, which will be delivered in a structured, commonly used or machine-readable format to you or to the new data controller you designate.

The interested party may exercise their rights by sending a communication to the email address dpo@rootedcon.com, or by letter to the postal address Data Protection Office of ROOTEDCON, at José Sánchez Pescador Street, 12 Madrid 28007, proving their identity and specifying the right they wish to exercise.

In any case, the interested party can file a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Agency (as the competent Control Authority in data protection matters), especially when they have not obtained satisfaction in the exercise of their rights, by writing to Spanish Data Protection Agency C/ Jorge Juan, 6 28001-Madrid or through the website https://www.aepd.es.

6. Acceptance of participation rules

By participating in the promotional action and/or registering on the ROOTEDCON website, the participant accepts these terms and conditions (which can be consulted at any time on the website https://reg.rootedcon.com/compliance/musicchallenge) and the criteria of ROOTEDCON regarding the resolution of any issue arising from the contest in which they participate. To this end, ROOTEDCON reserves, as far as the law allows, the right to modify the terms and conditions at any time if circumstances require it. The modification will be announced and will come into effect from the date of its announcement, without the contestants being able to make any claim against ROOTEDCON for this.

Likewise, the participant gives their consent for the publication of their data (name) on the website, social networks, and other publishing and communication media of ROOTEDCON in case they win any of the contests and/or promotions, as well as, where appropriate, the photographs or images and audiovisual recordings of the prize delivery.

7. Full acceptance of rules on creative content

The contestants guarantee that the contents submitted to the contest are their own creation, that they possess the copyright and performance rights for all the resources used in them. They also guarantee that these are original and exclusive contents for this contest. Creations previously registered with any intellectual property rights entity are automatically excluded from participation in the contest. Contestants must communicate this situation to the organization, leaving ROOTEDCON completely exempt from any type of responsibility for lack of knowledge due to non-communication or incorrect information provided by the contestant.

7.1. Multiple creations

Contestants may submit multiple original creations to the contest, with the obvious advantages in terms of chances of being awarded, explicitly excluding the receipt of more than one prize per participant.

The maximum number of creations that can be sent by participant is five (5).

7.2. More on exclusive transfer of property

Contestants agree to the exclusive, free-of-charge transfer of exploitation or economic rights (reproduction, distribution, public communication, etc.) in favor of ROOTEDCON (article 48 of R.D. 1/1996 of the Intellectual Property Law in Spain) for all works and creations submitted to the contest.

ROOTEDCON commits to maintaining the author details in any publication or communication of these works, always without prejudice to the rights acquired by the exclusive transfer of the property. This exclusive transfer will be made without any time limit.

Additionally, this exclusive transfer is made in any of the forms of exploitation and in all territorial areas given ROOTEDCON's predominantly digital operation.

All works submitted to the contest may be explicitly registered in the Intellectual Property Registry or other means considered relevant for this purpose, always in accordance with the premise accepted by the contestant of the exclusive transfer.

The creative contents submitted to the contest may have been enriched through Artificial Intelligence tools and by using resources generated through this. However, creative resources that have been entirely generated through the use of these types of technologies will not be considered valid. It is a requirement of the contest to deliver the raw materials of the tools used for the creation of the submitted contents.

8. CONDITIONS FOR CONTENT SUBMISSION

The submission of audiovisual or creative material (hereinafter referred to as the Content) implies the sender's acceptance of the following conditions:

  • All types of individuals may submit Content.
  • Only residents in Spanish territory who can prove their identity with a NIF or NIE document are eligible for prizes. Additionally, only those of legal age in Spain (18 years or older) at the time of submission are eligible for prizes.
  • The contents will be subject to everything indicated in the section “Explicit acceptance of the terms regarding creative contents”.
  • Submissions must be sent through the submission formulary that can be found at https://reg.rootedcon.com/main/musicchallenge accepting the following conditions:
    • A direct link to a compressed file in any cloud storage system should be attached. The link must allow direct download. The downloaded file must be only for one creation. Do not group several creations in the same file.
    • A final version (a master file) in FLAC or WAV format, or another format with maximum quality and without loss, should be attached to the mentioned compressed file.
    • All materials necessary for the construction of the resulting media file must be available within the mentioned compressed file..
    • The tool or tools used for the generation of that master must be specified (the process will be reproduced to obtain it).
    • If that same result cannot be created with the resources provided, the work will not be eligible for the prizes.
    • The participant's data that they wish to be made public should be included (we recommend using an alias at this stage).
    • The jury's decisions will be communicated to the email account used for submission.
    • The sender will provide ROOTEDCON with all requested data, as well as any other information related to the Content and/or its acquisition, which must be absolutely truthful.
    • The sender also authorizes ROOTEDCON to use the Content in its own or third-party commercial campaigns that are disseminated through any means or system. In accordance with the above, the Contents selected by ROOTEDCON may be disseminated through the web pages and/or on social media profiles of ROOTEDCON or third parties, along with the sender's alias, or their real data if they consent and wish, being accessible from said resources by third parties.
    • By submitting the Content, the sender guarantees the following:
    • That all the requirements described in the section “Explicit acceptance of the terms regarding creative contents” have been understood and are fully accepted.
    • That the Content is original and exclusive for this contest; and its acquisition has been carried out directly by the sender, who holds the ownership and control of the rights of all the resources used in it and is capable of transferring it to ROOTEDCON under the conditions detailed in this document.
    • That the Content does not violate the right to privacy and/or dignity of any person, nor does it infringe regulations related to the protection of honor and own image.
    • That nothing in the Content constitutes defamation or slander against any person, company or association, and that nothing in it infringes intellectual property rights, industrial property, confidentiality obligations or any other exclusive right belonging to third parties.
    • That the Content is not contrary to the law, public order, nor does it in any way constitute discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, religion, nationality, or any other personal or social circumstance.
    • That, in the case of other people appearing in the Contents apart from the sender, the sender has the authorizations of these people or their parents or legal guardians to authorize the use of the Contents in accordance with the terms established in these conditions, guaranteeing ROOTEDCON the peaceful use of the Contents.
  • ROOTEDCON reserves the right not to disseminate the Content.
  • The sender will be responsible for any possible claim arising from their non-compliance with any of the statements in this document and commits to indemnify ROOTEDCON for any breach of the guarantees granted.

9. Additional comments on data protection

What is the purpose of processing your personal data?: The data provided will be processed by ROOTEDCON for the purpose of managing the material received for publication and/or broadcast in different media.

Likewise, based on the legitimate interest of ROOTEDCON, the data provided will become part of the documentary fund of ROOTEDCON for the purpose of broadcasting, reproducing and/or distributing them.

How long will we keep your data?: The Contents provided that are ultimately included in the programs will be kept together with the rest of the content of the program in which they have been broadcast, as well as for the legally established periods to which we are obliged.

Recipients: The Contents and, where appropriate, the identifying data of the person sending them, may be communicated to the companies in charge of the production of the creative contents or channels in which they are to be broadcast, as well as to other collaborating companies of ROOTEDCON for their use in their own media.

The specific provisions on data protection can be consulted on the website: https://reg.rootedcon.com/compliance/gdpr.

10. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND JURY

The evaluation panel will be composed of members of ROOTEDCON, División Sonora, Mondo Sonoro and other individuals deemed relevant to the evaluation process.

10.1. Criteria

The criteria for eligibility for the prizes will be assessed in terms of impact percentages on the final score out of a maximum of 100 points. These criteria are:

  • A master must be delivered in the highest possible quality and without compression processes that degrade the content (FLAC or WAV recommended). The contestant may, if they wish, submit other versions in different formats as long as the quality requirement is met. Criterion: delivery or non-delivery. If not delivered, eligibility for prizes is not possible.
  • The raw materials of whatever tools used in the creation process must be presented, clearly indicating the name of the software and the specific version used. Criterion: delivery or non-delivery. If not delivered, eligibility for prizes is not possible.
  • Any material that cannot be opened and examined using the tools mentioned in point 1 will be automatically disqualified for awards, notwithstanding the exclusive transfer mentioned in the section “Explicit acceptance of the terms regarding creative contents”. Criterion: delivery or non-delivery. If not delivered, eligibility for prizes is not possible.
  • If creative content requires any additional resources that may be necessary for a complete evaluation, it is the contestant's responsibility to attach them and provide an explanation of their use. Criterion: delivery or non-delivery. If not delivered, eligibility for prizes is not possible.
  • All contents wishing to be eligible for prizes must include, at least once, the word “Rooted” or “RootedCON”. Criterion: whether or not one of the terms appears in the song.
  • The maximum score that can be obtained for content is ten (10) points.
  • The recommended duration for content is more than two (2) minutes and less than five (5) minutes. This duration may be different if the quality of the content justifies it. Criterion: 20% of the possible score or two (2) points.
  • An evaluation of the levels of the complete content will be made. Abrupt, unjustified variations due to creative facts or poor “leveling” will impact the score. Criterion: 10% of the possible score or one (1) point.
  • An evaluation of the effective use of stereo will be made. Content in mono and/or incongruent uses of stereo will be penalized. Criterion: 20% of the possible score or two (2) points.
  • An evaluation of the dynamic ranges (Dynamic Range) will be made, ensuring that the content fits the most standard commercial styles (between 10 and 13 RMS). If the song makes use of drop resources, the positive or negative effect of these on the content and an RMS of between 7 and 9 in these will be carefully analyzed. Criterion: 10% of the possible score or one (1) point.
  • Artistic criterion of each evaluator. Criterion: 40% or four (4) points.
  • The result of the average of all the evaluations of the judges will be the definitive evaluation.