SUBMISSION & JUDGING GUIDELINES
SONGWRITING/STRUCTURE
VOCAL DELIVERY
BEAT SELECTION
PRODUCTION/MIXING
REPLAY VALUE
LYRICS:
What it measures: The content and quality of the words in the song.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Creativity, originality, and cleverness of the words.
Depth of meaning or storytelling.
Emotional impact or relatability.
Flow and how well the lyrics fit the rhythym and melody.
LYRICS (0-10):
0-2.5: Weak, cliché, confusing, or poorly written
2.6-5: Average, some interesting lines, but inconsistent
5.1-7.5: Strong, creative, meaningful, mostly engaging
7.6-10: Exceptional, highly creative, impactful, memorable
DELIVERY:
What it measures: How the artist performs the song.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Vocal or rap technique: pitch, tone, timing, enunciation.
Emotion and expression conveyed.
Energy, charisma, and overall presence.
How well the delivery complements the lyrics and beat.
DELIVERY (0-10):
0–2.5: Flat, off-key, weak emotion, disengaging
2.6–5: Solid performance, minor issues with timing or energy
5.1–7.5: Strong, expressive, confident, fits song well
7.6–10: Outstanding, emotionally powerful, highly compelling
REPLAY VALUE:
What it measures: How enjoyable the song is over multiple listens.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Catchiness and memorability.
Emotional or entertainment impact over time.
Versatility in different listening situations.
Likelihood the listener will want to play it again.
REPLAY VALUE (0-10):
0–2.5: Hardly listenable again, forgettable
2.6–5: Somewhat enjoyable, may skip parts
5.1–7.5: Engaging, enjoyable, worth repeating
7.6–10: Highly addictive, instantly memorable, strong repeat appeal
BEAT SELECTION:
What it measures: The choice and effectiveness of the instrumental track or beat.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Originality and creativity of the beat.
How well the beat fits the artist’s style and delivery.
Mood, energy, and vibe of the track.
Interest and variation within the beat (avoiding monotony).
BEAT SELECTION (0-10):
0–2.5: Generic, unoriginal, poorly matched to artist
2.6–5: Decent, somewhat interesting or fitting
5.1–7.5: Good, complements artist, creative, engaging
7.6–10: Excellent, unique, perfectly complements song, highly memorable
PRODUCTION:
What it measures: The technical and creative quality of the recorded song.
CONSIDERATIONS:
Mixing and mastering: clarity, balance, loudness, and depth.
Use of effects, layering, and sound design.
Overall polish and professional quality.
Cohesion between vocals, beat, and instrumentation.
PRODUCTION (0-10):
0–2.5: Poor sound quality, unbalanced, amateur
2.6–5: Adequate, some rough edges, but listenable
5.1–7.5: Well-produced, clear, polished, professional
7.6–10: Exceptional, studio-quality, very polished and dynamic