Rules of the Eurosound

A detailed set of rules and obligations which all participants in the Eurosound must uphold was produced before the very first Eurosound, and is updated ahead of each edition of the contest. The rules, drafted, approved, and updated by the Eurosound Organising Committee, outline which countries, territories, songs, and players are eligible for participation, the format of the competition, the voting system employed to select the winner, how these results may be presented to the audience, and, in general, the overall values of the Eurosound. The rules were first released in a convenient digital delegate handbook before the inaugural edition, and failure to oblige constitutes valid grounds for suspension.

## Basic Provisions

1. The Eurosound is a virtual, online, music competition, modeled after the existing Eurovision Song Contest.
2. The official working language of the Eurosound is English.
3. The purposes of the Eurosound are to promote music from all around the world, whilst enjoying fair and friendly competition.

## Participation

1. Individuals who participate in the Eurosound (hereinafter referred to as *Players*) must be at least sixteen (16) years old, and fluent in the official working language of the Eurosound.
2. Players can participate in the Eurosound by applying through this form.
3. Each player is considered their selected country’s Head of Delegation (HoD), and their duties include, among other things, selecting a song to represent their country in the Eurosound and voting during the event.

## Countries & Territories

1. The list of the seventy-five (75) eligible countries and territories for the Eurosound can be found here.
2. Each country and territory can have one (1) Head of Delegation, and each Player can be the Head of one (1) Delegation.
3. There are no limitations regarding a player’s country/territory of origin and the country they represent.
4. Countries and territories are reserved for their Heads of Delegation, unless they switch their allegiance or quit participating in the Eurosound.

## Songs

1. A participating song must have vocals. Fully instrumental pieces of music are not eligible.
2. A participating song must be no shorter than one minute and thirty seconds (1:30) and no longer than ten minutes and thirty seconds (10:30).
3. A participating song must be released on or after January 1st, 2007. This date is dynamic, and will change on January 1st of each year, to ensure that no participating song is older than sixteen (16) years old.
4. A participating song must have an official release on YouTube. While not necessary, it is preferable that the song is available on streaming services (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music).
5. Songs that have been presented competitively on any Eurovision stage are not allowed. This rule includes any covers, remixes, and translated versions of the aforementioned songs.
6. Songs from a country’s national final for the Eurovision Song Contest are allowed *after* the completion of said final.
7. Songs that were supposed to participate in Eurovision, but didn’t, *are* allowed to participate in the Eurosound.

## Performers

1. All performers must be alive. In the unfortunate event that a performer dies during the Eurosound, the participation shall move forward as normal.
2. A performer must have a legitimate and verifiable connection to the country they represent. This includes, but is not limited to:
	1. Citizenship;
	2. Place of birth;
	3. Parents’ nationality;
	4. Representing the country/territory in Eurovision.
3. In the case of a duo, a group, or a collaboration, at least one member must have a connection to the country.
4. A performer can represent only one (1) country in each edition.
5. No performer can participate in two (2) consecutive editions with the same country, except when defending their title as the previous edition’s winner.
6. Countries with a low population (typically, <100.000) can borrow performers and songs from their culturally closest neighbour(s).

## Qualification

1. The maximum number of countries and territories that can compete in the night of Eurosound’s Final is twenty-eight (28).
2. If more than twenty-eight (28) countries and territories apply to participate in the Gala, one or more Qualifying Rounds will be held.
3. If more than twenty-eight (28) countries and territories apply to participate in Eurosound, the top five countries and territories of the previous edition are directly qualified to the night of the Final. This privilege follows the country, not its Head of Delegation.

## Edition

1. Each edition of the Eurosound is held over a period of two to three weeks.
2. The first week is the Submission Week, when Heads of Delegation submit the song that will represent their country.
3. The second week is the Qualifying Round Week, which constitutes of the Qualifying Round draw, and a voting period for the Players to vote in their assigned Qualifying Round. The results are released at the end of the week. If a Qualifying Round is not necessary, then this phase is skipped.
4. The country/territory that placed 6th in the previous edition will always perform first in the Qualifying Round. In case there are two or three Qualifying Rounds, then this is applied to the 7th, and 8th place, as well.
5. The Final Week constitutes of the Final draw, and a voting period for the Players to vote. The Final results are released at the end of the week.
6. The Host Country/Territory will always perform first in the Final.

## Voting

1. Players vote by filling out the respective web form, which is sent out at the beginning of each voting week.
2. For the Eurosound’s integrity, you must rank all countries and territories, from your most to your least favourite. Your rankings will then be converted to Eurovision-style points.
3. All Players representing a country/territory in a Qualifying Round must vote.
4. All automatic qualifiers must vote in their assigned Qualifying Rounds.
5. All Players participating in an edition must vote in the Final, regardless of whether they participate in the Final.
6. Players must not reveal their votes until after the results are published. The rankings are released in full, following the completion of each Eurosound edition.
7. The results are presented in two parts: first, the finalists' votes are revealed in full, with the previous edition's host presenting their votes first, if possible, and the current edition's host presenting their votes last. After all the finalists' points have been awarded, the total points that each country has received from the non-finalists, as well as a weighted exponential average rank that each finalist receives, will be added to the scoreboard, starting at the bottom and working up to the top.
8. Players that have confirmed their participation for the next edition can vote in the current edition. Their scores are calculated in the non-finalists part of the voting.
9. In regards to the weighted exponential average rank that will add points to each country, it is calculated as such: since the system demands a full ranking, the average placing might differ from the final result. The average ranking is translated into points for all countries, and the system is weighted, so that the lower placing is less punitive than a higher placing is rewarding, in an exact copy of the weighted exponential average rank that the Eurovision Song Contest implements. In a 26-nation final, for example, the first-placed country gets 25 points, the second-placed country gets 24, and so on, until the second-to-last-placed country gets a single point. The last-placed country receives no points from the average. This system is applied in order to prevent the Gala from being rigged with extremes.
10. All votes must be received by 23:59, UTC, on the day of the deadline. Players may check this Time Zone Converter if they are unsure when the deadline is in their time zone.
11. If a Player fails to submit their votes in time, their country/territory’s entry is disqualified, and they lose all their points. In addition, a one-edition penalty may be issued to the Player.

## Points & Ties

1. Songs will be ranked according to the number of points received.
2. If two, or more, songs receive the same number of points, the higher ranking will go to the song which received votes from the greater number of countries and territories.
3. If the tie persists, the higher ranking will go to the song which received the greater number of maximum votes, i.e. twelve (12) points. If necessary, the number of the second-highest vote received, i.e. ten (10) points, will be considered, and so on, until the fewest possible vote, i.e. one (1) point.
4. In the highly unlikely event that the tie remains unbroken, the higher ranking will go to the song with the highest average ranking.
5. In the extreme case that the tie persists, the higher ranking will go to the song drawn earlier in the running order, not including the Host Nation.

## Winning & Hosting

1. The winning Player has the first right of refusal to host the next edition.
2. Should the winning Player be unable, or unwilling, to host, the duty shall pass to the Player of the second-placed country/territory.
3. Should neither Players be able, or willing, to host, the Organising Committee will organise the Eurosound themselves.
4. The Host Player must submit a Host City, a Venue, an original Slogan, and up to four (4) presenters, who, similar to performers, must have a legitimate and verifiable connection to the country that hosts the Eurosound.

## Fair Play

1. Cheating and other forms of unfair gameplay are not allowed. Any Player who cheats will be expelled from Eurosound.
2. By participating in Eurosound, the Player agrees to abide by all its rules.
3. The Organising Committee has final authority over the eligibility of a country/territory, a song and/or an artist in Eurosound.
4. The Organising Committee may make changes to the rules of Eurosound at any time. Players will be given sufficient notice of changes that significantly affect the operation of Eurosound.
5. Players can always contact the Organising Committee via e-mail, in the official working language of Eurosound.