The 2016 Tiny Desk Contest is now open! We're accepting your videos from now until Feb. 2, so get your friends together and send one our way. We'll begin to share some of the more intriguing submissions in our weekly newsletter and on our Tumblr, so keep an eye out for exciting happenings across the Tiny Desk community.
Here's what you need to know if you're an unsigned artist or band who's thinking about entering: Make a new video that shows you playing an original song of yours at a desk, any desk. Then put that video up on YouTube and submit it through the entry form at npr.org/tinydeskcontest/enter by Feb. 2. Check out the Official Rules for all the details, and you can even take this quiz to help make sure your entry is eligible. If you win, you'll come play a Tiny Desk show in our office, then go on a short tour with NPR Music and Lagunitas Brewing Company.
Seeing the entries come in is my favorite part of the contest. NPR Music has always been about music discovery, first and foremost. But the contest is a rare thing. It gives us a snapshot of what undiscovered musicians all across the United States are doing all at once. As always, I trust you'll blow us away.
The important thing is to make something you're proud of. And remember, this is a contest about the creativity in your music, not the polish of your video. Though we always enjoy a creative video, last year's winning entry was shot on an iPad. As you can see from the making of this year's announcement, we're always fans of the DIY.
Make friends, make music, be inspired, push yourself to do something great. We're thrilled by the thought of what's to come. And if you're not planning on submitting, follow along anyway. You might just discover your next favorite musician.
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