Official Rules
FinalFinal x Chicago Music Nexus "CMN Producer Contest" Terms & Conditions and Official Rules. Effective .
1. Presenter
FinalFinal, 1600 National Ave, San Diego CA 92113 ("FinalFinal") is "the Presenter" of the FinalFinal x Chicago Music Nexus "CMN Producer Contest" (the "Contest"), presented in partnership with Chicago Music Nexus ("Nexus" or the "Partner"). The Contest is a skills-based competition in which eligible Participants create and submit one (1) original musical work produced in the FinalFinal application (the "FinalFinal App"), and a winner is selected by the FinalFinal team based solely on the merit of the work. The Presenter reserves the right to cancel or amend the Contest and these Terms & Conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God, or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation, or any other event outside of the Presenter's control. The Presenter will notify Participants of any changes to the Contest as soon as reasonably possible.
2. Submission Period
All entries to the Contest must be received during the Submission Period (as defined below). Any entries received after the Submission Period will not be considered. The Presenter's timestamp of receipt is the official timekeeping device for the Contest.
Submission Period shall mean: October 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time to November 15, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.
3. Participant Eligibility
The Contest is open only to Participants who are natural persons, legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico, all U.S. Territories, and all overseas military installations), at least eighteen (18) years of age as of the date of entry, and who hold a valid Day 1 ticket to Chicago Music Nexus 2026 (a "Day 1 Ticket Holder"). Day 1 Ticket Holder status is required both to submit an entry and to receive the prize. Employees, contractors, and judges of FinalFinal, BPM Music, and Nexus, their parent and affiliated companies, and the immediate family members and household members of each, are not eligible. Subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
4. Rules for Entering
By submitting an entry to this Contest, the Participant indicates their agreement to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.
THIS IS A SKILLS-BASED COMPETITION. THE WINNER IS SELECTED BY JUDGES SOLELY ON THE MERIT OF THE SUBMITTED TRACK ACCORDING TO THE CRITERIA IN SECTION 6. CHANCE PLAYS NO PART IN DETERMINING THE WINNER.
ONLY ONE (1) ENTRY PER PERSON IS PERMITTED. DUPLICATE ENTRIES WILL BE VOIDED AND DISQUALIFIED.
IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE, ALL ENTRANTS MUST PROVIDE A VALID CHICAGO MUSIC NEXUS DAY 1 TICKET REFERENCE NUMBER ON THE APPLICATION. THE WINNER'S TICKET WILL BE VERIFIED BEFORE THE PRIZE IS AWARDED.
EACH ENTRY TRACK MUST BE A COMPLETE, FINISHED TRACK BETWEEN ONE (1) MINUTE THIRTY (30) SECONDS AND SIX (6) MINUTES IN LENGTH. UNFINISHED SKETCHES, LOOPS, OR DEMOS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ENTRY TRACKS MUST NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY RELEASED COMMERCIALLY, PUBLISHED TO ANY STREAMING PLATFORM, OR SUBMITTED TO ANY OTHER CONTEST OR COMPETITION.
ENTRY TRACKS MUST NOT CONTAIN CONTENT THAT IS DEFAMATORY, OBSCENE, HATEFUL, OR THAT INFRINGES THE RIGHTS OF ANY THIRD PARTY. ANY SUCH ENTRY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
ALL MUSIC SUBMITTED MUST BE ORIGINAL. ANY SAMPLES, LOOPS, OR OTHER THIRD-PARTY MATERIAL MUST BE ROYALTY-FREE OR FULLY CLEARED FOR USE BY THE PARTICIPANT.
5. Free Trial Access
Eligible Day 1 Ticket Holders will receive a shared promotional code ("CMN26") providing thirty (30) days of free access to the FinalFinal App (the "Trial"). Nexus will distribute the code by email to its Day 1 Ticket Holder list on or about October 21, 2026. The code is active during the Submission Period only and may not be redeemed after the Submission Period closes. At the end of the thirty (30) day Trial, the Trial will automatically convert to a paid FinalFinal subscription at the then-current subscription rate unless the Participant cancels before the Trial ends. Participants may be required to provide payment information to redeem the Trial. Participants may cancel at any time before the Trial ends without charge, and cancelling the Trial, before or after submitting an entry, has no effect on a Participant's eligibility or on how their entry is judged. Any paid subscription is governed by FinalFinal's standard Terms of Service. Participants who do not receive the code may request it by emailing info@finalfinal.pro and providing their Day 1 ticket reference number.
6. How to Enter
Participants may enter the Contest by visiting the official Contest Page at finalfinal.pro/cmn ("Contest Page") and completing the following steps:
- Redeem the CMN26 promotional code to activate the Trial in the FinalFinal App;
- Create one (1) original, final musical track (the "Entry Track") produced in the FinalFinal App;
- Share the Entry Track with the FinalFinal team by tagging submit@finalfinal.pro in the project file within the FinalFinal App, which grants the judges access to the submission;
- Complete the application on the Contest Page, including your name, email address, and Chicago Music Nexus Day 1 ticket reference number; and
- Check the box on the Contest Page confirming that you have read and agree to these Terms & Conditions.
An entry is complete only when all of the steps above have been completed within the Submission Period. Incomplete entries, or entries received outside the Submission Period, will not be considered.
7. How and When the Winner Will Be Determined
One (1) Winner will be selected by a panel of judges from the FinalFinal team (the "Judges"). The Judges will evaluate every eligible Entry Track on the following criteria, each weighted equally:
- Originality and creativity — the distinctiveness of the musical ideas and artistic voice;
- Production quality — sound design, mixing, and overall technical execution;
- Composition and arrangement — structure, musicality, and how the track develops; and
- Use of the FinalFinal App — how effectively the track uses the app's production and collaboration tools.
In the event of a tie, the entry with the higher score in Originality and creativity will be selected. If a tie remains, the Judges will vote to select the Winner. The Winner will be verified as an eligible Day 1 Ticket Holder before the prize is awarded, and will be announced publicly on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 4:00 PM CT from the main stage at Chicago Music Nexus. The Winner does not need to be present at the announcement to receive the prize. Winners agree to be bound by these Official Rules, and the decisions of the Judges and the Presenter are final on all matters relating to the Contest.
8. Ownership and License of Entries
A. Ownership
Each Participant retains all right, title, and interest, including copyright, in their Entry Track. Nothing in these Terms & Conditions transfers ownership of any Entry Track to the Presenter or the Partner.
B. License to Presenter and Partner
By submitting an Entry Track, each Participant grants FinalFinal and Nexus a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to access, review, and evaluate the Entry Track for judging purposes. In addition, the Winner grants FinalFinal and Nexus a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to reproduce, publicly perform (including at Chicago Music Nexus), display, and distribute the winning Entry Track, in whole or in part, in connection with the winner announcement and the promotion of the Contest, FinalFinal, and Chicago Music Nexus, across all media now known or hereafter devised, for a period of twelve (12) months following the winner announcement. The Presenter may, with the Participant's prior written consent, feature non-winning Entry Tracks in Contest-related promotional content. Any commercial use of an Entry Track beyond the foregoing requires a separate written agreement with the Participant.
C. Originality and Third-Party Material
Participant represents and warrants that the Entry Track is their own original work, that it was produced in the FinalFinal App, that it does not contain any unauthorized third-party content, and that they own or are fully licensed to use all intellectual property in the Entry Track, including any samples, loops, or vocals. Participant agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold the Contest Entities (as defined in Section 13) harmless from and against any costs, expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees), losses, claims, liabilities, or obligations arising from any breach of these representations.
D. Waiver of Moral Rights
To the extent permitted by law, each Participant waives any moral rights in their Entry Track solely as necessary for the Presenter and Partner to exercise the license granted in this Section 8, including the editing of the Entry Track into shorter excerpts for promotional use. Participant will be credited by name or artist name wherever reasonably practicable.
9. Prize
One (1) Winner will receive the following prize:
- One (1) year of FinalFinal; and
- Five hundred U.S. dollars ($500 USD) in cash.
All prize payments will be administered and disbursed by FinalFinal. All federal, state, and local taxes on the prize are the sole responsibility of the Winner. No transfer, assignment, or cash substitution of the prize is permitted except at the Presenter's sole discretion. The Presenter reserves the right to substitute any portion of the prize with a prize of equal or greater value.
10. Claiming the Prize
The Winner will be notified by email and/or telephone on or before November 20, 2026 and will have three (3) business days to respond and provide the information required to verify eligibility, including confirmation of their Day 1 ticket reference number. The Presenter shall make at least two (2) notification attempts via separate methods (e.g., email and direct message or phone) before declaring a winner unreachable. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, fails to respond within the required timeframe, or cannot be verified as an eligible Day 1 Ticket Holder, the prize will be awarded to the next-highest-scoring eligible entry as determined by the Judges.
The Winner may be required to complete tax documentation (including IRS Form W-9 or equivalent) before payment is disbursed. The Contest Entities are not liable for undelivered notifications or changes in contact information not communicated to the Presenter.
11. Social Media Promotion
The Contest and the winning Entry Track may be promoted across the social media channels of FinalFinal and Chicago Music Nexus, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and X/Twitter, including as collaborative posts between both accounts. This may include announcement posts, app walkthroughs, judge introductions, live event coverage, winner reveal posts, event recaps, and follow-up interview content. The Contest is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, YouTube, or X/Twitter.
12. Publicity
The Winner agrees to the use of their name, artist name, likeness, and Entry Track in Contest publicity materials, including the live announcement at Chicago Music Nexus, without further compensation, except where prohibited by law. The Winner agrees to make reasonable efforts to participate in up to one (1) interview for use in post-event Contest content, scheduled at a mutually agreed time.
13. Hold Harmless / Release
As a condition of entering, Participants agree to hold harmless, defend, and indemnify FinalFinal, BPM Music, Nexus, and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, officers, directors, employees, agents, advertising and public relations agencies, and all others associated with the development and execution of the Contest ("Contest Entities"), from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses arising out of or related to: (a) participation in the Contest; (b) use of the Participant's entry; or (c) the awarding, receipt, possession, and/or use or misuse of any prize. All causes of action shall be resolved individually, without resort to class action. Any claims or awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, excluding attorneys' fees and court costs.
14. Delivery Disclaimer
Contest Entities disclaim all liability for any inability of an entrant to complete an online entry or access the FinalFinal App due to equipment malfunction, server outages, inadvertent disconnections, acts beyond their control, or otherwise. Contest Entities disclaim all liability for delays, mis-delivery, loss, or failure in delivery of any Contest-related communications, including the promotional code email. Contest Entities are not responsible for typographical errors, technical failures, or lost/unavailable network connections that may limit a Participant's ability to participate in the Contest.
15. Conduct and Decisions
By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the Judges and the Presenter. Persons who violate any rule, submit work that is not their own, provide a false or invalid ticket reference number, gain unfair advantage, or obtain winner status using fraudulent means will be disqualified. Unsportsmanlike, disruptive, harassing, or threatening behavior is prohibited. The Presenter will resolve any disputes or ambiguities concerning these Terms & Conditions, and its decisions are final. The Presenter may terminate or modify the Contest at its sole discretion if fraud, technical failures, or other causes beyond its control compromise the integrity of the Contest.
16. Winner List
The Winner's name will be announced from the main stage at Chicago Music Nexus and published on FinalFinal's social media channels. Any personal data relating to the Winner or other entrants will be used solely in accordance with applicable U.S. data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to any third party without the entrant's prior consent, except as described in Section 18.
17. Jurisdiction
By entering, Participants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Terms & Conditions, or the rights and obligations of the Presenter or Participants in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Participants consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state, and local courts located in San Diego, California.
18. Privacy
By entering the Contest, Participants agree to receive email communications from FinalFinal. Participants acknowledge that their name and Day 1 ticket reference number will be shared with Nexus solely to verify eligibility. FinalFinal will not share personal data with third-party companies except as required for Contest administration or as provided herein. For more details on FinalFinal's privacy policy and how personal data is handled, please email info@finalfinal.pro.
19. Acknowledgment (Contest Page Checkbox)
The following acknowledgment must appear as a required checkbox on the Contest Page. An entry cannot be submitted unless the box is checked:
☐ I confirm that I am a Chicago Music Nexus 2026 Day 1 Ticket Holder, that I am at least eighteen (18) years old, that my submission is my own original work produced in the FinalFinal App, and that I have read and agree to the FinalFinal x Chicago Music Nexus CMN Producer Contest Terms & Conditions and Official Rules.