Sound Bound Chapter 1: A Music Contest for Independent Artists

Sound Bound is our music-driven comic from Creator Caleb White - and Chapter 1 is coming. We want its soundtrack to come from you.

We're opening Sound Bound Chapter 1, a contest for independent music creators. Five artists will join the official Chapter 1 playlist, get placed inside the story, and appear in the printed comic. There are also USD 700 in cash prizes.

Whaleden exists to help creators reach new audiences. This contest is one way we do that: winning songs land in front of Sound Bound's readers, on Spotify and YouTube Music, and inside the campaign itself.

This is the first of many community contests. Whoever you are - a band, a solo artist, or a producer with a vocalist - we'd love to hear your work.

Read the story first: the story of Sound Bound.

How to participate

Two steps are required. Two more are optional and only matter for the amplification slots.

Required:

• Create an account at collect.whaleden.com.
• Complete the form on the Contest page. Include a public link to your song and confirm you hold the rights (see the rules below).

Optional - Pass the Sticks. Needed only to compete for the Mainstage and Backbeat slots. Publish one post that:

• describes your "one impossible performance" (max 300 characters);
• names exactly one other music creator ("passing the sticks");
• tags and follows @soundboundcomic and @whaledencom, and uses #PassTheSticks;
• is an Instagram Collab post with @soundboundcomic,
• uses Sound Bound artwork we provide.

Optional - referral link. When you create your account, you get a referral link. Use it to bring verified subscribers to Sound Bound (the subscription on the Sound Bound story page). Like Pass the Sticks, this counts only toward the Mainstage and Backbeat slots.

Your song must be

• Original - no covers, no uncleared samples or interpolations.
• Human-made - not created by generative AI. Using AI as a support tool (for example, mastering or vocal tuning) is fine.
• Available - live on both Spotify and YouTube Music.
• Cleared - you control, or have written clearance for, 100% of the master and publishing, with no agreement blocking your participation.
• Appropriate - no hate speech. Explicit lyrics are allowed.

Nominations

If you take part in Pass the Sticks, these rules apply:

• One nomination per entrant.
• A nomination counts only if the person you name also enters.
• No entrant receives more than five nominations.

You must also consent to these rules and to our privacy terms.

Contest rules

This page is the official rulebook for Sound Bound Chapter 1. The sections below - eligibility, how winners are chosen, prizes, timeline, and terms - are the complete rules. Entering the contest means accepting them in full.

• Organizer: Whaleden, Inc., 1111B S Governors Avenue, STE 21470, Dover, DE 19904, United States.
• Enquiries: [email protected].
• No entry fee is charged, ever.

Eligibility

You may enter if:

• You are a band, a solo artist, or a producer with a vocalist. Instrumental acts are eligible.
• You have at least one prior release - a full album, or an EP of five or more tracks - publicly available on at least one major streaming platform before entries open.
• Everyone taking part is 18 or older, or has reached the age of majority in their territory.

The contest is open worldwide, subject to local law. Void where prohibited.

The following may not enter: the Sound Bound team, Whaleden's employees and contractors and their immediate families, and artists already on the Chapter 1 playlist together with their side projects.

Winner selection

Five slots are awarded: three Muse slots and two amplification slots (Mainstage and Backbeat).

Muse slots (3)

• Every valid entry is considered automatically. No post or nomination is needed.
• Round 1 - blind screening. An internal panel reviews entries with names, follower counts, and links removed.
• Round 2 - final selection. Caleb White, the creator of Sound Bound, picks three winners based on scene fit, musical quality and production, a distinct voice, and thematic resonance.

These choices are made at the creator's discretion and are final.

Amplification slots (2)

Both slots use the same three inputs. Each input is measured as a percentile across all entrants, then weighted:

• verified subscribers referred through your link (double opt-in, one per email address): 50%;
• engagement on your Collab post: 30%;
• peer nominations received: 20%.

(Example: the 80th percentile scores 80; weighted at 50%, that adds 40 to your total.)

The slots go to:

• Mainstage slot - the highest absolute score.
• Backbeat slot - the highest score relative to audience size (score divided by follower count), among entrants with 100 to 10,000 followers.

The scoring formula is published before entries open and does not change afterward. There is no public vote.

Music-video act

The companion music video is cut from specific Issue #1 panels, so the song must fit that scene. From the five winners, we select the music-video act based on which track best fits the sequence, at our discretion. The choice is announced with the winners.

Prizes

Total cash prizes: USD 700.

Every valid entrant receives:

• their name and a link on the public Entrants Wall;
• a free digital copy of Issue #1;
• automatic consideration for the Chapter 2 playlist, with no need to re-enter.

Each of the five winners receives:

• their song on the official Chapter 1 playlist (Spotify and YouTube Music);
• an artist card on the Sound Bound story page;
• a QR code in the comic linking to the playlist;
• a credit in the printed comic;
• an affiliate link earning commission on every backer they refer to the campaign.

Cash prizes:

• Mainstage winner: USD 250.
• Backbeat winner: USD 150.
• Music-video act: an additional USD 300. (This may also be one of the Muse winners.)

The music-video act also receives a companion music video, edited from the comic's panels and released with Issue #1. You can use it on your own channels in perpetuity. For this video, Whaleden takes a non-exclusive synchronization and master licence, worldwide, for three years. The USD 300 above is the fee for that licence. You keep your masters and publishing.

Prizes are non-transferable. No cash alternative is offered, except as stated above.

Timeline

• Entries open: Aug 8, 2026
• Entries close: Sep 8, 2026
• Winners announced: Sep 29, 2026

Entries received after the closing time are not accepted.

Additional terms

Notification and delivery. Winners are notified by the email used to create their account. You must respond and return any required documents within 14 days. In a tie, or if a winner does not respond or cooperate, we select a replacement under the same rules. Winners are announced publicly on the campaign launch day. Prizes are delivered once the required agreements are signed.

Disqualification. We may disqualify an entry for purchased followers or engagement, engagement pods, bot traffic, duplicate accounts, uncleared or ineligible material, false information, or any breach of these rules or platform guidelines. We review suspicious activity manually and may void any score or entry. We will never require you to tag yourself in artwork you don't appear in, and following an account is never the only way to enter.

Your rights. You keep full ownership of your masters and publishing. By entering, you grant Whaleden a limited, non-exclusive right to listen to and evaluate your song, and to use your name, logo, and one photo to promote the contest. Any commercial use of a winner's music - such as the companion music video - is licensed separately and paid for, as described under Prizes. We credit the author in any use of the work. No performance (PRO) royalties are waived.

Liability. Whaleden is not responsible for technical issues, data loss, or other problems that may affect participation. This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.

Privacy. We process personal data in line with data protection law (GDPR). See our Privacy Policy for details.

Changes. We may modify these rules for organizational reasons. We'll inform participants through official channels.

Acceptance. Taking part means fully accepting these official rules.

Questions?

If anything is unclear, reach out before you enter. Email us at [email protected], or contact us through our social channels. We're happy to help.

Contest: https://collect.whaleden.com/contests/sound-bound-chapter-1-6aikfn