“Playing Chords,” the songwriting contest created by the Saint Louis College of Music, has officially opened submissions for its sixth edition, inviting singer-songwriters under 30 and bands with original songs to apply.
Playing Chords is the contest designed by Saint Louis to promote and showcase new songwriting talent. After the great success of previous editions, the opportunity for young songwriters to perform live with their original songs, the result of an intense artistic training, is back.
From Game of Chords to Playing Chords: the evolution of the format
From the 6th edition, the Saint Louis College of Music contest changes its name: Game of Chords becomes Playing Chords, marking an evolution that goes beyond the competitive dimension into a structured path of artistic growth and music production.
Born as a competition dedicated to writing, Playing Chords has evolved to become a space for work, comparison and experimentation, where music is the starting point for building a conscious and coherent project, accompanied at every stage of its development.
Auditions are now officially open for singer-songwriters and bands composed of musicians under 30 who are ready to showcase their original songs in a professional, educational, and creative setting.
A structured artistic journey between training and live
The path of Playing Chords consists of several stages: from initial selection, to training and production within a Creative Factory, to live performances and the final stage. A path that focuses on artistic identity, writing, and the ability to turn ideas into music and materialize them into a record product.
Those selected will attend music growth tracks from February to June 2026, arranging, production, ensemble guided by artistic teachers and producers, while performing in several live gigs.
Night after night, contestants will compete on stage with original songs, offering their repertoire in front of the audience and a panel of judges consisting of established songwriters, composers, record producers, journalists and music critics.
A record production opportunity
A central element of this new edition is an even greater focus on opportunities to produce and distribute one’s own music. The winner of the contest will gain access to the production and recording of an EP of four unreleased tracks at Saint Louis studios, in collaboration with Leave Music, an independent record label that has contributed to the production and development of important projects in the Italian singer-songwriter scene, including Mannarino‘s.
The EP will also be released with distribution handled by a major record company.
Specifically, the winning songwriter of Playing Chords VI will have the opportunity to:
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- Perform live during festivals, festivals and events Saint Louis
- Recording, mixing & mastering a. EP of 4 original and unreleased tracks at Saint Louis recording studio, in collaboration with Leave Music
- Make a video of one of the songs produced during the contest
- Publish and distribute the EP on streaming platforms
Additional prizes will be offered by the contest’s partners and awarded by the jury and the audience to the finalists during the contest’s final evening, which will take place in December 2026.
Playing Chords is an opportunity to transform writing into a professional artistic project, accompanied on the path of artistic growth by a nationally and internationally recognized training and production structure.
How to participate in Playing Chords
Registration for the contest is free and due by February 10, 2026. Songwriters under 30, as well as bands with an original repertoire of at least three songs, are eligible to participate.
You are advised to read the Rules and Regulations of the 6th edition of the contest carefully before submitting your application.
