1. The music-making hours for the 50 Hour Music Challenge are scheduled to begin from Sep 2, 8pm IST to Sep 4, 10pm IST.
  - Participants need to submit their song via the upload link provided to the Team Leader
  - The upload link will be sent as soon as the challenge begins.

2. The song can be in any language.

3. The entire song should be made within the given time frame of 50 hours only. If it is found out that the composition or lyrics of the track were pre-composed, the entry will be disqualified. Compulsory element has to be a mandatory part of the song.

4. Each team will select their genre during the registration. Teams are free to change their genres in the registration form, before the registrations close.

5. Team members will get the theme online on Sep 2, 8pm IST on IFP’s social media handles – Facebook & Instagram as well as on the registered Team Leader’s Email ID and SMS/Whatsapp.

6. Along with the theme, a compulsory element will also be given on the basis of your genre. Teams have to adhere to the theme, genre and include the compulsory element in order to qualify for the challenge.

7. The finished song should be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes.

8. The final master should be recorded professionally via microphones (condenser or dynamic), properly mixed and mastered. Teams should use a noiseless environment to ensure better sound quality. The final song should be mastered in 16bits, stereo and 44.1kHz to be uploaded in an uncompressed WAV format. 

9. Along with the song, you will also have to submit the lyrics typed in Courier font and in the font size 12. The lyrics document should be converted to PDF before submission. The file size limit is 5MB. For songs in languages other than English, the lyrics will have to be in Roman English. For Songs in languages other than English/Hindi, you will have to submit the translation of the lyrics to English in the same document. (Download Lyrics Document Sample for your reference).

10. The uploaded song should be strictly below 100 MB. The uploaded file name should be your Creator ID. For instance, if your creator’s ID is MU2100, your song file name should be MU2100.wav and your lyrics file name should be MU2100.pdf

11. Each team must submit the signed creator’s agreement for all team members along with the upload. All these documents will be sent to the team leader via email at the beginning of the 50 hours challenge. The track will not be evaluated until the documents are signed and received. Check out the agreement here.

12. The track should be an original work of creation of the team and should not infringe any third – party’s rights and must be suitable for publication.

13. The track must not contain any material that hurts or violates someone’s personal rights, religious beliefs, incites violence or creates derogatory remarks about someone’s sexuality or belief. The track must not invade privacy or other rights of a person, firm or entity.

14. The track must not in any other way violate applicable laws and regulations and must not contain any copyrighted elements not owned by the team.

15. Tracks containing prohibited or inappropriate content as determined by IFP in its sole discretion will be disqualified.

16. Using sound samples and sampling from already existing songs is prohibited. However, royalty-free sound samples are allowed.

17. Teams are ideally expected to keep 48 hours for music making and 2 hours for upload. We understand that some teams face genuine challenges during the upload due to technical issues. For teams who are genuinely unable to upload their music in the 50 hour period due to technical reasons, an extension of 4 hours will be provided. However, to keep the challenge fair, the teams who upload the music past the 50 hour deadline will face the deduction as below from their total jury scores.
   - 0 to 1 hours - 5%
   - 1 to 2 hours - 7.5%
   - 2 to 4 hours - 10%

18. IFP team may add to or amend these rules at any time prior to the beginning of the music challenge, without informing the participants.

Q. I am not from India. Can I participate?
A. Yes. IFP is a globally participated challenge and people from all over the world participate each year.

Q. Is there a registration fee?
A. Yes, there is a registration fee of INR 1500 (USD 20). The payment is to be made online to confirm your registration. You will receive a unique Creator ID once the registration is confirmed.

Q. In what language can I make my song?
A. This season we have opened the entries to all languages. You can make your song in the language of your choice. However, if it is in a language other than English or Hindi, you’ll have to submit a translation of the same in the lyrics document.

Q. What is the evaluation criteria?
A. Your submission will be evaluated on the basis of the following criterias - Creativity and originality, lyrics, melody, structure, and adherence to the theme. Make sure that you pay attention to these points.

Q. What should be the duration of the song?
A. The song should be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes.

Q. Does the maximum length of the song include end credits?
A. No, the maximum length of the song does not include end credits. The 20 seconds credits are excluded from the maximum limit.

Q. Can I use more than one genre?
A. No. You can only use one genre.

Q. Can my song be only music or only be vocals?
A. No. Your song needs to have music and lyrics as a part of composition.

Q. Can I modify the song after the challenge?
A. Yes, you can modify the song but the title track saying “the song was made for IFP – 50 Hour Music Challenge” should be there in the song.

Q. Can I participate in multiple challenges at IFP?
A. Yes, with the same email ID, you can participate in other IFP challenges as well. However, each challenge will have a separate fee and you will receive a separate Creator ID.

Q. Who will judge my song?
A. Your song will be judged by an eminent pre-jury and jury with rich industry experience. The finalists will interact with the jury for mentoring session where they will be trained to become performance ready - ready to perform in front of huge audience at IFP Fest.

Q. Can I use a stock sound?
A. Stock music and backing tracks sourced from stock music websites is strictly prohibited. The idea is to create a track from scratch, not use an existing backing track. However, any royalty free sound samples can be used. Sounds from various samples pack, sounds that come with the DAW, sounds sourced from websites like Splice , Loopcloud etc are allowed.

Q. Is there a limit on the number of instruments we can use?
A. No, there is no limit on the number of instruments used.

Q. Can we have additional singers in our team?
A. The total number of people in your team including singers cannot exceed 10.

Q. Can I modify my team after I have registered?
A. Yes. You can modify your team anytime before Sep 5, 11:59pm.m

Q. How can I modify my team?
A. On IFP’s official website, go to the 50 Hour Music Challenge page and scroll at bottom to click on ‘Edit Profile’. Once the popup opens, on the right hand corner, you will find the ‘Edit Profile’ button on the top right corner.

Q. Can we add our band Intro to the start/end of the song?
A. You can only add your band intro or any additional information to the song in the 20 seconds end credits.

Q. I am a participant from out of India. What standard time should we follow for the 50 Hours?
A. The standard time for the challenge will be Indian Standard Time.

Q. What can be the team size?
A. A team can have a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 10 people. Each team member will receive an E-certificate from IFP.

Q. What about our song after the challenge?
A. You can use the song in various ways, once the final results are announced at the festival.

Q. I can’t find a team member. Can IFP help?
A. IFP will provide you with a link, which will redirect you to our instagram post curated specifically to help you connect with creators from all around. Please check out the post at - IFP's Instagram

Q. Can I sponsor this event?
A. Please mail us at [email protected]

Q. Is it compulsory for me to upload song lyrics?
A. Yes. The lyrics have to be typed in Courier font and in the font size 12. The lyrics should be converted to PDF before submission. (Download Sample Lyrics Sheet from here for your reference)

Q. Where do I upload my song and lyrics?
A. The upload link will be sent to the Team Leader’s email at the beginning of the challenge

Q. Do I need to sign a Creator Agreement?
A. Yes. Everyone who participates in the 50 Hour Music Challenge needs to sign a creator’s agreement. The agreement will help protect your rights as a creator and our rights as a platform.