Innovation challenge takes on Covid-19 in Europe

Some of Europe’s leading music tech companies are joining forces in a bid to tackle the coronavirus’s devastating effect on the live music industry.

#NextStageChallenge – a collaborative effort between Music Innovation Hub (Italy), Music Norway, Music Tech Germany, Music Ally (UK), Sacem (France), Sound Diplomacy (UK), STHLM Music City (Sweden), Technoport (Luxembourg), Teosto (Finland), TheLynk (France) and Wallifornia Music Tech (Belgium) – aims to “explore exciting new ways to futureproof the industry” through a hackathon, accelerator programme and conference.

Beginning with an open call for submissions (deadline 24 April), #NextStageChallenge will begin on 27 April and last two weeks, with participants focusing on solutions in three areas: Access (creation, production, broadcasting, curation), fan engagement (audience, user experience, immersive technologies) and value (monetisation, monitoring, rights management).

The best submissions from each category will then be chosen to join an accelerator programme, followed by a conference to showcase their solutions to the wider industry.

Yvan Boudillet, founder of TheLynk, says: “We are calling on Europe’s best start-ups, developers, designers, researchers, music professionals and creators to transform the live music experience for good. We hope these trying times will lead to the most creative and sustainable digital solutions.”

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