SXSW invites hackers, creators, makers, and coders to converge to solve problems, create new tools, and push the boundaries of existing tech across entertainment media from Tuesday, March 13 through Wednesday, March 14. Over the course of 24 hours during SXSW, hackers collaborate and compete in three media categories that span the rich universe of SXSW: Music, Film, and VR/AR.

Questions our hackers can/will address within or across each category:

Commerce & Industry
How is money getting to artists, creators, and rights-holders and can emerging technology like blockchain or micro-licensing help facilitate and manage the process? How can creatives connect with the right industry players to mutually further careers?

Creation and Performance
How can musicians, filmmakers, or VR/AR designers use tech to create, perform, and display in new ways? What tools can we create to make the process easier, more inventive, more compelling?

Distribution
With the fragmentation of distribution systems, physical media, and streaming options, how do I get my work out to the public and in front of my ideal audience?

Consumer
How can we improve the fan, customer, listener, viewer or user experience?

Cross-discipline
How can creators collaborate more easily and more creatively across audio, visual, and immersive fields?

Participating hackers get to show off their skills, play with the coolest APIs and SDKs from each category, work with our Artist/Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and present to high-profile industry celeb judges in one crazy, marathon 24-hour coding experience. A variety of programming/hacking expertise is welcome to join, and you can apply solo, as part of an existing team, or be partnered up with other hackers during the event!

The winning teams will be awarded cash prizes and the opportunity to join the three-day SXSW Hackathon Incubator, working with a group of industry mentors to fine tune their projects March 15-17.

Mentors are Gerome Vanherf (Leansquare/ Wallfornia Music Tech), Lily Chen (Universal), Ty Roberts (Ty Roberts Innovation), Danny Lee (YG Entertainment), Andee Gardiner (Founders Embassy), Dano Leman (Reven8te/Ticket Galaxy) and Louise-Marie Marguet (Emojam).

Produced in coordination with Travis Laurendine of CODEMKRS and Outlier Group.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$8,136 in prizes

1st Place

$3,000

2nd Place

$2,000

3rd Place

$1,000

Facebook

Invitation to Facebook’s F8 Conference to Participate in the Invite-only F8 Hackathon (Airfare and Lodging Included!)

Facebook’s flagship developer conference, F8, is less than two months away! This year, we are focused on rooting the conference in Hacker culture by kicking off our F8 Hackathon, happening onsite in San Jose during the conference. We are excited to extend invitations to the winning teams of the SXSW Hackathon to join fellow hackers flown in from around the world to participate in the 18-hour, overnight experience!

AWS - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Challenge (2)

The winners of the Rock Challenge will receive two tickets to the Rock Hall along with one group guided vault tour.

AWS will have a prize table containing:

Marshall Acton Speaker, in black
Retro Arcade Gaming Kit
NASA Apollo Saturn Building Kit
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit
Ring Video Doorbell
Echo Show in Black

Amazon Alexa (2)

Best voice experience using Amazon Alexa.
4x Echo Spot for 1st prize team
4 x Echo Dot for 2nd prize team

Consensys (3)

3 Ethereal tickets for Consensys New York Ethereal Summit, May 2018 (valued at $900 each)

Capitol Music Group (2)

Guaranteed acceptance to participate in the upcoming Hackathon (June 2-3) at Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA
1-week of office space in the Capitol Tower, inclusive

Cloudinary (2)

1-year Cloudinary Plus plan ($1068 value) award to the hack team chosen as best use of Cloudinary API. The most creative hack projects (that make use of Cloudinary API) will be featured on our Blog.