Organizer: Vanguard Music Platforms Inc.
Platform: Vanguard Platform
Version: May 2026
Contact: connect@vanguardnetwork.org
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| Item | Details |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Event | Vanguard AI: Command the Machine Battle |
| Series | Vanguard AI |
| Event title | Command the Machine Battle |
| Event alias | VAI-CTMB |
| Event URL | https://www.vanguardnetwork.org/battle/VAI-CTMB |
| Format | Public professional AI-assisted hip-hop music competition conducted through one or more rounds, stages, challenges, or battle formats, as published on the Event page and in the applicable Round Materials |
| Type | AI-assisted hip-hop producer / creator battle |
| Participation | Individual participation only |
| Age | 14+ |
| Minors | Participants aged 14–17 may participate only with parent or legal guardian authorization and supervision |
| Organizer | Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. |
| Organizer role | Organizer of the Event and operator of the Vanguard Platform |
| Platform | The Event is conducted through the Vanguard Platform, owned and operated by Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. |
| Submission materials | Song, audio, link, lyrics, description, AI tool disclosures, process notes, credits, license confirmations, artwork, optional short-form video / reel, verification materials, or other materials required by the applicable Round Materials |
| AI use | AI tools are permitted and encouraged for this Event, subject to these Event Terms, the Event page, applicable Round Materials, AI tool terms, rights clearance, disclosure requirements, and anti-impersonation rules |
| Results | Rankings, winner / finalist / placement status, badges, recognition, public Event records, or other results as applicable |
| Publicity | Public display of results, placements, Submission excerpts, Event-context reviews, demos, highlights, short-form clips, visual materials, and related Event records may apply as described in these Event Terms, the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License, and applicable Event Materials |
| Personal information | Handled under the Event-Specific Privacy Notice and the Vanguard Privacy Policy |
| Contact | connect@vanguardnetwork.org |
| Jurisdiction / headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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This is a professional AI-assisted hip-hop producer and creator battle on the Vanguard Platform.
You submit an original or properly licensed hip-hop or hip-hop-adjacent music work created with the help of AI tools, production tools, creative software, collaborators, or other permitted resources.
This Event is not an MC-only battle. It is designed for producers, creators, composers, AI-assisted music makers, and creative directors who use technology to shape a complete musical work.
AI tools are permitted and encouraged for this Event.
You may use AI tools for music creation, composition, beat-making, arrangement, lyrics support, vocals, hooks, backing vocals, sound design, production, editing, artwork, video, short-form visual materials, or other creative purposes, unless the Event page or applicable Round Materials restrict a specific use.
You are responsible for your Submission.
This means you are responsible for the rights, licenses, permissions, credits, disclosures, collaborators, samples, beats, loops, AI tools, voice models, visual materials, video materials, and any other third-party materials used in or connected to your Submission.
You must not use unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized imitation of a real person’s voice, misleading artist impersonation, or any use of a real person’s name, image, likeness, voice, persona, or identity without the rights or permission required by law and by the applicable Event Materials.
You keep whatever rights you own or control in your Submission.
Your rights may depend on the AI tools, samples, models, collaborators, platforms, licenses, and third-party materials you use. Vanguard does not become your label, publisher, distributor, manager, producer, agent, or owner.
By submitting, you give Vanguard only the limited rights needed to operate the Event: receive, host, review, judge, display, rank, publish Event results, keep Event records, and protect the integrity of the competition.
Broader promotional use outside the ordinary Event context is governed separately by the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another clearly accepted permission.
Participation does not guarantee winning, advancement, feedback, promotion, reposting, playlisting, distribution, sponsorship, income, views, virality, representation, or any future opportunity.
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These Event Terms set the rules for participation in Vanguard AI: Command the Machine Battle (the “Event”).
The Event is organized by Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. (“Vanguard,” the “Organizer,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) and conducted through the Vanguard Platform.
These Event Terms govern the relationship between the Organizer and each Participant in connection with this Event.
They describe, among other things:
* eligibility and participation;
* submission requirements;
* originality, authorship, AI-use, tool-use, and third-party rights rules;
* AI tool disclosure, voice-use, synthetic-media, and anti-impersonation rules;
* judging, results, rankings, prizes, and recognition;
* public display, Event records, and publicity boundaries;
* limited rights granted to operate and document the Event;
* personal information handling;
* enforcement, disqualification, technical issues, and legal terms.
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The full name of the Event is:
Vanguard AI: Command the Machine Battle
For clarity:
* Vanguard AI is the AI-assisted creative battle series;
* Command the Machine Battle is the title of this Event;
* VAI-CTMB is the Event alias used for platform, administrative, URL, communication, and display purposes.
In these Event Terms, Vanguard AI: Command the Machine Battle is referred to as the “Event.”
Short public labels such as “VAI-CTMB,” “Command the Machine Battle,” “Vanguard AI,” or “Vanguard AI: CTMB” may be used in Event pages, communications, rankings, social posts, badges, or platform displays.
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The Organizer of the Event is Vanguard Music Platforms Inc.
The Vanguard Platform is also owned and operated by Vanguard Music Platforms Inc.
For this Event, Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. acts in two capacities:
* as the operator of the Vanguard Platform, including infrastructure, accounts, logs, technical workflows, notifications, submission tools, judging tools, security systems, and related platform functions; and
* as the Organizer of the Event, including Event content, Event rules, judging structure, results, prizes, recognition, publicity decisions, and related Event operations.
Rights and obligations relating to the conduct of the Event arise with Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. in its capacity as the Organizer.
Platform access, accounts, security, and general use of the Vanguard ecosystem are governed by the Vanguard Terms of Service and related platform documents.
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These Event Terms apply together with the following documents, to the extent they are applicable to this Event and clearly made available to the Participant:
1. the Vanguard Terms of Service;
2. the Vanguard Privacy Policy;
3. the Universal Event Operations Framework;
4. the Vanguard AI: Command the Machine Battle Event-Specific Privacy Notice;
5. the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License, where required for participation, public showcase, short-form content, visual materials, or promotional use;
6. the Event page, Round pages, submission instructions, judging criteria, AI-use and disclosure rules, schedules, notices, FAQs, and other official materials published for this Event.
Together, these documents form the rules that apply to this Event.
No document will be treated as binding on a Participant under these Event Terms unless it is clearly identified and made available in connection with the Event.
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If there is a conflict between applicable documents, the following order applies within each document’s proper subject matter:
1. Applicable law;
2. Vanguard Terms of Service — for platform access, account use, platform conduct, security, and core platform rules;
3. Vanguard Privacy Policy — for platform-level personal information handling;
4. Event-Specific Privacy Notice — for Event-level personal information handling;
5. Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License — for promotional, editorial, showcase, marketing, short-form, visual, social, or ecosystem-wide use of submitted content where that License is required and accepted;
6. Universal Event Operations Framework — for baseline event procedures, integrity standards, judging standards, conduct rules, and platform-level event operations;
7. These Event Terms — for the specific Organizer–Participant relationship in this Event;
8. Event Materials — for detailed operational rules of the relevant round, stage, battle, submission, deadline, judging method, AI-use condition, disclosure requirement, or prize condition.
Event Materials may define detailed submission requirements, technical conditions, judging criteria, deadlines, publicity conditions, AI-use rules, disclosure requirements, and round-specific rules.
Event Materials may not override higher-priority documents unless the higher-priority document expressly allows it.
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“Event Materials” means the official materials made available by the Organizer for this Event, including:
* the Event page;
* Round pages;
* round descriptions;
* submission instructions;
* technical requirements;
* judging criteria;
* scoring or advancement rules;
* schedules and deadlines;
* prize information;
* AI-use rules;
* AI disclosure requirements;
* tool-use rules;
* voice-use, synthetic-media, and anti-impersonation rules;
* optional visual or short-form video requirements;
* notices, updates, FAQs, and support instructions;
* any other official materials expressly identified by the Organizer as applying to the Event.
Event Materials are part of the practical operating rules of the Event.
Participants are responsible for reviewing the Event page and applicable Round Materials before submitting.
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A Participant accepts these Event Terms through actions taken in the Vanguard Platform interface, including:
* clicking “I Agree,” “Register,” “Join,” “Join Round,” “Submit,” or any equivalent confirmation mechanism;
* checking required acceptance boxes;
* submitting a Submission;
* entering a Round;
* completing another participation step where these Event Terms are presented or linked.
By taking such action, the Participant confirms that they have read, understood, and accepted these Event Terms and any other Vanguard or Event documents clearly presented as required for participation.
From that moment, these Event Terms become binding between the Participant and the Organizer in relation to the Event.
The Organizer may maintain electronic records of acceptance, including:
* checkbox selections;
* timestamps;
* account identifiers;
* document names and versions;
* submission records;
* AI-use disclosures;
* rights confirmations;
* Content Promotion & Media License acceptance records, where applicable;
* technical metadata;
* related audit and integrity logs.
These records may be used for contract administration, Event administration, compliance, security, dispute handling, and recordkeeping.
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Participation in this Event is permitted from age 14.
Participants aged 14–17 may participate only with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
The Organizer may require confirmation of parent or legal guardian authorization in a form reasonably acceptable to the Organizer.
Detailed eligibility and minor-participation rules are set out later in these Event Terms and in the applicable Event Materials.
Participation is void where prohibited by applicable law.
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For the purposes of these Event Terms:
“Participant” means a person wh* r*gisters for, joins, submits to, or otherwise participates in the Event.
“Submission” or “Entry” means any material, content, file, link, audio, text, lyrics, image, video, short-form visual material, artwork, description, credit, AI disclosure, tool disclosure, process note, metadata, or other item submitted by a Participant for the Event.
“Round” means a stage, phase, battle, selection step, challenge, or other Event segment described in the Event Materials.
“Judge,” “Reviewer,” “Expert,” or “Evaluator” means a person authorized by the Organizer to review, assess, score, comment on, verify, or otherwise evaluate Submissions.
“Result” means the recorded outcome of participation in the Event, including ranking, placement, winner or finalist status, badge, recognition, public Event record, advancement status, disqualification, or other result-related designation, as applicable.
“AI Tool” means any artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative, synthetic-media, voice, music, image, video, text, editing, production, or creative-assistance tool used in connection with a Submission.
“AI-Assisted Content” means content created, modified, generated, edited, arranged, produced, enhanced, or materially influenced with the assistance of an AI Tool.
“Synthetic Voice” means any AI-generated, AI-assisted, cloned, converted, simulated, or artificially produced voice, vocal performance, rap delivery, singing, speech, ad-lib, backing vocal, hook, or vocal likeness.
“Event Materials” has the meaning given in Section 1.6.
“Vanguard Platform” means the digital platform operated by Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. and used to conduct the Event.
“Pathfinder” means Vanguard’s navigation module, where enabled, including profile, notification, participation, achievement, mission, or trajectory-related features connected to the Vanguard ecosystem.
“Content Promotion & Media License” means the separate Vanguard document that governs promotional, editorial, showcase, marketing, short-form, visual, social, or ecosystem-wide use of Participant content outside the ordinary operation and documentation of the Event.
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These Event Terms are intended to be read together with the Event page and applicable Round Materials.
The legal terms protect the integrity of the Event, the rights of Participants, the operation of the Vanguard Platform, and the ability of the Organizer to run the competition fairly.
Where the Event page gives practical instructions, those instructions apply to the relevant Round or participation step, provided they are consistent with these Event Terms and the higher-priority documents listed above.
For this Event, AI tools are permitted and encouraged, but Participants remain responsible for rights, licenses, disclosures, originality, third-party materials, synthetic voice use, visual materials, linked materials, and compliance with the Event Materials.
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The Event is a public professional AI-assisted hip-hop music competition conducted through the Vanguard Platform.
The purpose of the Event is to allow eligible Participants to submit original or properly licensed AI-assisted hip-hop or hip-hop-adjacent music works, have those works reviewed under published criteria, and receive recorded Event results such as rankings, placements, finalist status, winner status, badges, recognition, or other Event-related designations.
The Event is designed for producers, creators, composers, AI-assisted music makers, and creative directors who use AI tools, production tools, creative software, and other permitted resources to shape a complete musical work.
The Event may include one or more rounds, stages, challenges, battles, qualification steps, public displays, judging processes, optional visual or short-form content components, or result-publication formats, as described on the Event page and in the applicable Event Materials.
The Organizer is responsible for publishing the practical rules that apply to each Round or participation step before that Round or participation step begins.
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Unless expressly stated otherwise on the Event page or in the applicable Event Materials, the Event is not:
* an educational service, course, school, training program, or curriculum;
* an offer of employment, a job posting, or a guarantee of receiving an offer;
* a guarantee of representation, management, label signing, sponsorship, publishing, distribution, promotion, playlisting, bookings, income, views, virality, or future collaboration;
* a commercial music-production, development, consulting, mentoring, distribution, publishing, or career-management service;
* a talent agency, record label, publisher, manager, promoter, distributor, or representative relationship;
* an AI tool provider, AI music generator, AI voice provider, AI video provider, rights-clearance service, copyright advisor, licensing advisor, or legal advisor;
* a guarantee that any AI-generated or AI-assisted content will be copyrightable, commercially exploitable, platform-safe, or accepted by any third-party service, platform, label, distributor, partner, sponsor, or rights holder.
Any review, commentary, feedback, judging note, public discussion, or expert opinion provided during the Event is part of professional evaluation and competition activity only.
It does not create an obligation for the Organizer to provide training, mentoring, career development, rights clearance, legal advice, licensing review, copyright advice, AI tool support, distribution, promotion, a fixed number of feedback hours, a specific level of exposure, or any guaranteed outcome.
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Participation in the Event does not guarantee:
* acceptance of a Submission;
* advancement to another Round;
* a score, ranking, placement, badge, finalist status, or winner status;
* a prize or award;
* publication, promotion, reposting, playlisting, distribution, or showcase placement;
* feedback from Judges or the Organizer;
* representation, sponsorship, label attention, distribution, collaboration, income, views, virality, or any future opportunity;
* that any AI tool, partner, sponsor, platform, distributor, label, media channel, or third-party service will approve, feature, repost, publish, distribute, monetize, or otherwise support the Submission.
The Organizer may, in its discretion, contact selected Participants regarding possible future opportunities.
Any such future opportunity is separate from the Event and requires a separate written agreement if the parties decide to proceed.
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Participation in the Event is open only to individuals who:
* meet the age requirements for the Event;
* have a valid Vanguard account or other access method accepted by the Organizer;
* accept these Event Terms and all required Event documents;
* satisfy any eligibility requirements published on the Event page or in the applicable Event Materials;
* are legally permitted to participate from their jurisdiction;
* are not prohibited from participating under applicable law, sanctions, platform restrictions, or Event-specific restrictions.
The Organizer may impose additional eligibility requirements, including geographic, technical, identity, sanctions-related, language, category, genre, skill-level, AI-tool, disclosure, social-platform, or Round-specific requirements, provided those requirements are clearly published before the relevant participation step begins.
Participation is void where prohibited by applicable law.
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Participation in this Event is permitted from age 14.
Participants who are 14–17 years old may participate only if:
* their parent or legal guardian has authorized their participation;
* their parent or legal guardian agrees to be responsible for the minor Participant’s participation and compliance with these Event Terms;
* the Participant participates in a manner consistent with the Vanguard Terms of Service, these Event Terms, the Event-Specific Privacy Notice, and the applicable Event Materials;
* any required parent or legal guardian confirmation is provided in a form reasonably acceptable to the Organizer.
The Organizer may request reasonable confirmation of age, identity, or parent / legal guardian authorization.
The Organizer may refuse, suspend, restrict, or cancel participation if required authorization is not provided, appears invalid, or if participation may create legal, safety, privacy, publicity, rights-clearance, or compliance risk.
Individuals under age 14 may not participate in this Event.
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This Event is designed for individual participation.
A Participant submits and competes as an individual.
A Participant may use AI tools, production tools, creative software, collaborators, producers, writers, engineers, visual creators, vocal models, sample libraries, beat sources, video tools, artwork tools, or other resources only if the Participant has all required rights, permissions, licenses, consents, credits, and authority required for participation in the Event.
If a Submission includes contributions from other people, including co-writers, producers, performers, beatmakers, engineers, visual creators, prompt contributors, AI tool operators, vocal model owners, or other collaborators, the submitting Participant remains responsible for ensuring that all required rights, permissions, credits, consents, licenses, releases, and authorizations have been obtained.
Unless the Event page expressly allows team participation, a Submission will be treated as the Submission of the individual Participant who submitted it.
The Organizer is not responsible for resolving private disputes between collaborators, co-authors, producers, performers, visual creators, AI tool users, vocal model owners, rights holders, or other third parties.
If a dispute creates a credible rights, authorship, eligibility, disclosure, prize-delivery, publicity, or Event-integrity concern, the Organizer may pause review, restrict display, withhold advancement or prizes, request clarification, or take other reasonable action until the issue is resolved to the Organizer’s reasonable satisfaction.
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The Participant agrees to:
* provide accurate, complete, and current information where required for registration, participation, eligibility verification, judging administration, prize fulfillment, communication, compliance, or Event integrity;
* comply with these Event Terms, the Vanguard Terms of Service, the Universal Event Operations Framework, the Event-Specific Privacy Notice, the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License where accepted or required, and the applicable Event Materials;
* review the Event page and applicable Round Materials before submitting;
* meet all deadlines, format requirements, technical requirements, disclosure requirements, and procedural requirements applicable to the Event;
* ensure that each Submission is lawful and does not infringe third-party rights;
* ensure that the Participant has the necessary rights, permissions, licenses, consents, releases, and authority to submit the Submission and allow Event-related use of it;
* comply with all published originality, authorship, AI-use, tool-use, voice-use, synthetic-media, sample-use, beat-use, video-use, artwork-use, licensing, attribution, disclosure, and third-party-material rules;
* comply with the applicable terms, licenses, and usage rules of any AI tools, creative tools, software, sample libraries, platforms, marketplaces, social media services, or third-party services used in connection with the Submission;
* avoid unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized imitation of a real person’s voice, misleading artist impersonation, or unlawful use of any person’s name, image, likeness, voice, persona, brand, or identity;
* avoid fraud, manipulation, cheating, plagiarism, impersonation, harassment, threats, abuse, or other prohibited conduct;
* cooperate with reasonable requests for clarification, verification, AI-use disclosure, tool-use disclosure, rights information, license information, eligibility confirmation, or prize-delivery information.
Failure to comply may result in rejection, removal, disqualification, withholding of results or prizes, restriction of participation, or other enforcement measures described in these Event Terms.
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For this Event, the Organizer is responsible for:
* conducting the Event through the Vanguard Platform;
* publishing or making available the Event page and applicable Event Materials;
* defining the Event structure, including Rounds, deadlines, submission requirements, AI-use rules, disclosure requirements, judging criteria, scoring or selection methods, advancement rules, optional visual or short-form content conditions, and prize conditions;
* appointing Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or other evaluators where applicable;
* administering submission intake, review, judging workflows, results, rankings, recognition, and prize fulfillment;
* taking reasonable steps to protect Event integrity, fairness, safety, and lawful operation;
* communicating material Event updates through the Event page, platform notices, email, Pathfinder, or other Event-related communication channels where available;
* handling Event-related personal information in accordance with the Event-Specific Privacy Notice and applicable law.
The Organizer may use Vanguard Platform tools and authorized personnel, contractors, service providers, Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or other Event roles to operate and administer the Event.
The Organizer is not responsible for clearing rights, licenses, AI tool permissions, samples, voice models, likeness rights, publicity rights, distribution rights, or third-party platform permissions on behalf of Participants.
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Before a Round, stage, battle, challenge, deadline, submission window, judging step, or other participation step begins, the Organizer may clarify, refine, or update Event parameters, including:
* timing;
* deadlines;
* submission format;
* technical requirements;
* judging criteria;
* scoring method;
* advancement rules;
* prize conditions;
* AI-use or tool-use rules;
* disclosure requirements;
* voice-use, synthetic-media, anti-impersonation, sample-use, video-use, or artwork-use rules;
* optional visual or short-form video conditions;
* publication or display conditions;
* communication or verification procedures.
Any such update must be published on the Event page, Round page, or otherwise made available through the Vanguard Platform or official Event communication channels before the relevant step begins.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, updates apply prospectively only and do not retroactively change requirements, results, or validly completed actions from a completed Round or participation step.
The Organizer may make urgent changes where reasonably necessary to address security, fraud, abuse, technical failure, legal compliance, rights-clearance, safety, synthetic-media, impersonation, publicity-rights, or Event-integrity concerns.
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The Organizer may refuse registration, reject a Submission, suspend participation, disqualify a Participant, remove or restrict a Submission, withhold advancement, revoke recognition, withhold a prize, or take other reasonable Event-related action if the Organizer reasonably determines that:
* the Participant does not meet eligibility requirements;
* required parent or legal guardian authorization is missing or invalid;
* the Participant provided false, misleading, incomplete, or unverifiable information;
* the Submission violates these Event Terms, the Event Materials, platform rules, applicable law, or third-party rights;
* the Submission includes unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized imitation of a real person’s voice, misleading artist impersonation, or unlawful use of a real person’s name, image, likeness, voice, persona, brand, or identity;
* the Submission includes AI-generated, AI-assisted, synthetic, visual, audio, vocal, or other materials that the Participant does not have the right to submit, display, promote, or license for Event-related use;
* the Submission violates AI tool terms, third-party platform terms, sample licenses, beat licenses, voice model licenses, visual asset licenses, or other applicable third-party terms in a way that creates legal, rights, publicity, or Event-integrity risk;
* the Submission involves plagiarism, impersonation, fraud, manipulation, cheating, misleading disclosure, or undisclosed prohibited assistance;
* the Participant fails to provide required AI-use, tool-use, rights, license, contributor, sample, voice, visual, or process disclosures;
* the Participant attempts to interfere with judging, scoring, platform systems, other Participants, Judges, or Event operations;
* the Participant engages in harassment, threats, abuse, hate, discrimination, doxxing, or other prohibited conduct;
* rights, authorship, consent, eligibility, AI-use, disclosure, publicity, or prize-delivery issues cannot be reasonably resolved;
* action is reasonably necessary to protect Event integrity, safety, legality, third-party rights, or the Vanguard Platform.
Any enforcement measure should be reasonably related to the nature and seriousness of the issue.
Where reasonably appropriate, the Organizer may request clarification, correction, supporting information, or verification before taking action. The Organizer is not required to provide such opportunity where immediate action is reasonably necessary to protect safety, legal compliance, security, fairness, rights, publicity, or Event integrity.
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You can participate if you are eligible, old enough, authorized where required, and follow the published rules.
You compete as an individual.
You may use AI tools and creative tools where allowed, but you are responsible for everything you submit.
You are responsible for your track, lyrics, beat, samples, vocals, AI tools, voice models, artwork, video, collaborators, credits, licenses, disclosures, and permissions.
Do not submit stolen, infringing, misleading, unsafe, unlawful, uncleared, or impersonating material.
Do not clone or imitate real people, artists, public figures, or recognizable voices without the rights and permissions required by law and the Event rules.
The Organizer runs the Event, publishes the rules, appoints Judges where applicable, records results, and may take action if something creates a legal, rights, safety, cheating, AI-use, impersonation, disclosure, or fairness problem.
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A “Submission” or “Entry” means any material submitted by a Participant for the Event, including, as applicable:
* audio files;
* songs;
* tracks;
* demo recordings;
* instrumental tracks;
* beats;
* AI-generated or AI-assisted music;
* AI-generated or AI-assisted vocals;
* AI-generated or AI-assisted hooks, backing vocals, ad-libs, or vocal elements;
* lyrics;
* toplines;
* melodies;
* song concepts;
* beat, production, arrangement, or sound-design materials;
* artwork, cover art, images, or visual materials;
* short-form video, reels, clips, or other visual presentation materials;
* links to external materials, where permitted;
* AI tool disclosures;
* tool lists;
* process notes;
* descriptions, credits, notes, licenses, confirmations, or explanations;
* any other material requested or accepted by the Organizer for the relevant Round.
The accepted formats, size limits, upload method, required links, deadlines, technical requirements, optional or bonus materials, and required disclosures are stated on the Event page or in the applicable Round Materials.
A Submission may be rejected or treated as incomplete if it does not follow the published requirements.
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Submissions must be made through the Vanguard Platform or another official submission method clearly identified by the Organizer.
The Participant is responsible for ensuring that:
* the correct file, link, or material is submitted;
* the Submission is complete;
* uploaded files can be opened, played, viewed, and reviewed;
* external links remain accessible during the review period;
* required credits, descriptions, AI-use disclosures, tool-use disclosures, process notes, and rights confirmations are included;
* any passwords, private links, permissions, or access settings required for review are provided where requested;
* no secret keys, passwords, private credentials, or unrelated confidential information are included unless specifically required and safely handled under Event instructions.
The Organizer is not responsible for a Participant’s failure to submit correctly due to the Participant’s device, internet connection, incorrect file, expired link, broken access setting, wrong format, missing required materials, unavailable third-party platform, or incomplete disclosure.
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By submitting an Entry, the Participant represents and confirms that:
* the Participant created the Entry, or has the lawful right and authority to submit it;
* the Participant has all rights, licenses, permissions, releases, and consents required for participation in the Event;
* the Entry does not unlawfully infringe copyright, neighbouring rights, performer rights, trademark rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, confidentiality obligations, contractual restrictions, platform rules, or other third-party rights;
* the Entry is not plagiarized, falsely attributed, impersonating, or submitted in a misleading way;
* the Participant has accurately disclosed any required contributors, collaborators, tools, AI systems, voice models, samples, beats, sources, or third-party materials where required by the Event Materials.
The Participant remains responsible for all authorship, originality, rights, disclosure, and clearance issues relating to the Submission.
For clarity, the use of AI tools does not remove the Participant’s responsibility for the legality, originality, authorship claims, credits, permissions, licenses, disclosures, and rights-clearance status of the Submission.
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For music-related Submissions, the Participant is responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary rights, permissions, licenses, releases, and authority in relation to all relevant elements of the Submission, including, where applicable:
* lyrics;
* melody;
* composition;
* arrangement;
* beat;
* instrumental;
* sample;
* loop;
* stem;
* sound recording;
* vocal recording;
* AI-generated or AI-assisted vocal material;
* synthetic voice;
* vocal model;
* performance;
* production elements;
* mix or master;
* cover art;
* visual materials;
* video materials;
* featured voice, name, image, likeness, persona, brand, or identity;
* AI-generated or AI-assisted output;
* any other material included in or connected to the Submission.
If a Submission includes material created, performed, produced, recorded, written, mixed, mastered, generated, edited, provided, or otherwise contributed by another person, platform, tool, model, service, or rights holder, the Participant is responsible for having the necessary authorization from that person, platform, tool, service, or rights holder.
The Organizer may request reasonable proof of rights, permissions, authorship, credits, licenses, releases, tool-use rights, AI-use disclosures, or authority where necessary to address complaints, verify eligibility, administer judging, resolve disputes, or protect the lawful operation and integrity of the Event.
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The Participant is responsible for reviewing and complying with the terms, licenses, policies, restrictions, and usage rules of any AI Tool, creative tool, software platform, music platform, voice platform, video platform, image platform, sample library, beat marketplace, or third-party service used in connection with a Submission.
This includes, where applicable, confirming that the applicable tool, platform, or service permits:
* creation of the relevant output;
* submission of the output to a public competition;
* review, judging, display, ranking, and Event-related publication;
* promotional, editorial, showcase, or short-form use where the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License is accepted or required;
* use of the output in social media, video platforms, event pages, recap materials, sponsor materials, or other Event-related contexts;
* any commercial, public, or promotional use required by the Event Materials.
If an AI Tool or third-party platform does not permit a particular use, the Participant must not submit material requiring that use.
If an AI Tool, subscription tier, free plan, beta product, model, sample library, voice model, or platform license restricts public, commercial, promotional, competitive, or social-media use, the Participant is responsible for complying with those restrictions.
Vanguard does not review, approve, verify, or guarantee the rights, license status, copyrightability, commercial usability, public-use rights, platform-safety, or third-party clearance of any AI-generated or AI-assisted material.
The Organizer may request reasonable information or supporting materials concerning AI tools, subscriptions, licenses, tool terms, model permissions, voice permissions, or other rights where necessary to address a rights, compliance, publicity, or Event-integrity concern.
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If the Submission includes beats, samples, loops, stems, instrumentals, sound packs, melodies, recordings, images, videos, fonts, artwork, templates, AI outputs, AI-generated vocals, synthetic voices, voice models, datasets, visual assets, video clips, or other third-party materials, the Participant is responsible for ensuring that their use is lawful and permitted.
This includes confirming, where applicable, that:
* the Participant has a valid license, permission, or authorization;
* the license allows the material to be used in a competition submission;
* the license allows review, judging, display, publication, public Event records, and Event-related use as described in these Event Terms;
* the license allows promotional, editorial, showcase, short-form, social, or partner-related use where the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License is accepted or required;
* any required attribution is provided;
* the use does not violate the terms of any AI Tool, voice model, beat marketplace, sample library, software platform, social media platform, producer agreement, label agreement, publishing agreement, distribution agreement, or other contract.
The Organizer is not responsible for clearing third-party rights on behalf of the Participant.
If a third-party rights claim or credible complaint arises, the Organizer may request proof of rights, restrict display, pause judging, remove the Submission, disqualify the Participant, withhold prizes, or take other reasonable action.
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If a Submission includes contributions from collaborators, producers, writers, vocalists, performers, engineers, visual creators, video editors, prompt contributors, AI tool operators, vocal model owners, or other contributors, the submitting Participant is responsible for ensuring that:
* the contributor authorized the Submission;
* the contributor’s work may be used for Event participation, judging, display, recordkeeping, and publication within the Event context;
* the contributor’s work may be used for promotional, editorial, showcase, short-form, visual, social, or partner-related purposes where the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License is accepted or required;
* the contributor is credited where required;
* any performer, voice, likeness, image, name, persona, identity, or personal information included in the Submission is used lawfully;
* no collaborator agreement, label agreement, publishing agreement, management agreement, production agreement, distribution agreement, beat license, AI tool license, voice model license, platform rule, or other contract is breached.
The Organizer is not responsible for resolving private disputes between collaborators, co-authors, producers, performers, managers, labels, publishers, distributors, AI tool users, voice model owners, visual creators, or other third parties.
If such a dispute affects eligibility, authorship, rights, judging, public display, publicity, prize delivery, or Event integrity, the Organizer may take reasonable protective action.
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AI tools, generative systems, synthetic-media tools, production tools, editing tools, visual tools, and third-party creative tools are permitted and encouraged for this Event.
Such use is permitted subject to:
* these Event Terms;
* the Event page;
* applicable Round Materials;
* AI tool terms and licenses;
* third-party platform rules;
* rights clearance;
* disclosure requirements;
* voice-use and synthetic-media rules;
* anti-impersonation rules;
* applicable law.
The Organizer may require Participants to disclose AI tools, production tools, samples, voice models, external materials, collaborators, or other creative assistance used in connection with a Submission.
Where disclosure is required, the Participant must provide it accurately, completely, and in good faith.
Failure to disclose required AI use, tool use, voice use, samples, third-party materials, or other required information may result in rejection, disqualification, withholding of advancement or prizes, or other enforcement action.
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For this Event, AI Tools and other external creative tools may be used for creative, musical, production, editorial, and visual purposes, except where restricted by the Event page or applicable Round Materials.
Permitted uses may include, where lawful and properly licensed:
* brainstorming;
* lyric support;
* songwriting assistance;
* melody generation;
* composition;
* beat-making;
* instrumental generation;
* arrangement;
* sound design;
* AI-generated vocals;
* AI-assisted vocals;
* hooks;
* backing vocals;
* ad-libs;
* vocal textures;
* synthetic voice design;
* editing;
* mixing support;
* mastering support;
* artwork;
* cover art;
* visual design;
* short-form video;
* reels;
* clips;
* subtitles;
* captions;
* thumbnails;
* formatting, cleanup, or technical preparation;
* other creative, production, or presentation uses expressly allowed by the Event Materials.
Even where such use is permitted, the Participant remains responsible for:
* the originality and legality of the Submission;
* compliance with tool terms and licenses;
* third-party rights clearance;
* accurate disclosure where required;
* ensuring the final Submission complies with all Event rules.
Permitted AI or tool use does not excuse plagiarism, rights infringement, false authorship, misleading disclosure, unauthorized voice use, unauthorized likeness use, impersonation, or unlawful use of third-party materials.
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AI-generated vocals, AI-assisted vocals, synthetic vocals, AI-generated rap delivery, AI-generated singing, AI-generated hooks, AI-generated backing vocals, AI-generated ad-libs, and other synthetic vocal elements may be permitted for this Event, subject to these Event Terms, the Event page, applicable Round Materials, tool licenses, rights clearance, disclosure requirements, and anti-impersonation rules.
The Participant is responsible for ensuring that any Synthetic Voice used in a Submission is lawful, properly licensed, and permitted for Event-related use.
The Participant must not use a Synthetic Voice in a way that violates the rights of another person, artist, performer, public figure, rights holder, voice model owner, platform, tool provider, or other third party.
The Organizer may require disclosure of whether vocals, hooks, backing vocals, ad-libs, spoken sections, or other vocal elements were generated, assisted, cloned, converted, simulated, or otherwise produced using AI or synthetic-media tools.
Failure to provide required Synthetic Voice disclosures, or use of Synthetic Voice in violation of these Event Terms or Event Materials, may result in rejection, disqualification, removal from display, withholding of advancement or prizes, or other enforcement action.
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A Submission must not include unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized voice imitation, unauthorized voice conversion, unauthorized synthetic reproduction, or misleading vocal simulation of a real person.
The Participant must not use any person’s name, stage name, image, likeness, voice, vocal style, persona, brand, trademark, identity, or public reputation in a way that is unlawful, misleading, infringing, deceptive, or likely to cause confusion.
This includes, without limitation:
* cloning or simulating a real artist’s voice without permission;
* imitating a real artist’s recognizable vocal likeness without permission;
* using a public figure’s voice, image, likeness, or identity without permission;
* creating a Submission that falsely suggests that a real person performed, endorsed, approved, appeared in, or participated in the Submission;
* using a real person’s name, image, voice, likeness, or identity to promote the Submission without permission;
* submitting deepfake-style vocal or visual content involving a real person without permission;
* using a tool, voice model, prompt, or process intended to create unauthorized imitation of a real person or recognizable artist.
General genre influence, broad stylistic inspiration, lawful parody, lawful reference, lawful homage, or non-identifiable synthetic voice design may be permitted only where lawful, non-misleading, and consistent with the Event Materials.
The Organizer may reject, remove, restrict, or disqualify any Submission that creates a credible impersonation, publicity-rights, likeness, trademark, voice-rights, reputational, legal, or Event-integrity concern.
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The Organizer may require Participants to provide AI-use disclosures in a form published on the Event page or in the applicable Round Materials.
Required disclosure may include, as applicable:
* AI tools used;
* music generation tools used;
* vocal tools or voice models used;
* video or image generation tools used;
* editing or enhancement tools used;
* which parts of the Submission are AI-generated, AI-assisted, human-created, sampled, licensed, or collaborator-created;
* whether vocals are human, synthetic, AI-generated, AI-assisted, cloned, converted, or otherwise tool-assisted;
* whether the Submission includes third-party samples, beats, loops, stems, visual assets, footage, or other materials;
* collaborator credits;
* short process notes;
* rights or license confirmations;
* other information reasonably required by the Event Materials.
The Organizer does not require full creative prompts unless the Event page, applicable Round Materials, or an integrity review expressly requires them.
The Participant must provide required disclosure accurately, completely, and in good faith.
Misleading, incomplete, false, or omitted disclosure may result in rejection, disqualification, withholding of advancement or prizes, removal from public display, or other reasonable enforcement action.
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Where the Event Materials permit or require a Participant to submit a link to externally hosted content, the Participant is responsible for ensuring that:
* the link is accurate and accessible;
* the content remains available during the review, judging, and result-publication period;
* the Organizer, Judges, Reviewers, or other authorized Event personnel can access the content for Event purposes;
* the linked content complies with these Event Terms and the applicable Event Materials;
* the Participant has the rights and permissions required to submit the linked content;
* the linked content may be displayed, embedded, referenced, reviewed, judged, discussed, excerpted, or otherwise used in the Event context as described in these Event Terms;
* promotional, editorial, showcase, short-form, social, or partner-related use is permitted where the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License is accepted or required.
The Organizer is not responsible if linked content becomes unavailable, restricted, removed, geo-blocked, private, deleted, modified, muted, demonetized, blocked, or otherwise inaccessible due to a third-party platform, rights claim, user action, account restriction, algorithmic decision, or technical issue.
If externally hosted content cannot be accessed or reviewed, the Submission may be treated as incomplete, invalid, late, or non-compliant, as applicable.
The Organizer may request an uploaded file, alternate link, additional permission, or supporting information where necessary to review, judge, display, promote, or preserve Event-related records.
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A Submission, and any activity connected to a Submission, must not:
* violate applicable law;
* infringe third-party rights;
* include plagiarized material;
* include unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized impersonation, or misleading synthetic voice or likeness use;
* include malware, exploits, credential theft, harmful code, or instructions intended to compromise systems;
* include unauthorized disclosure of another person’s personal information;
* include passwords, tokens, secret keys, private credentials, or access-sensitive materials not required for review;
* include content that is fraudulent, materially deceptive, or submitted in bad faith;
* include threats, harassment, doxxing, targeted abuse, hate-based conduct, or unlawful discriminatory material;
* promote violence, exploitation, unlawful activity, or serious harm;
* interfere with judging, scoring, platform systems, Event operations, or other Participants;
* violate the Vanguard Terms of Service, the Universal Event Operations Framework, these Event Terms, or the applicable Event Materials.
The Organizer may set additional content restrictions for a specific Round, category, stage, challenge, or publication format.
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The Organizer may review Submissions for compliance with these Event Terms, the Event Materials, platform rules, and applicable law.
The Organizer may request clarification, supporting information, credits, AI-use disclosures, tool-use disclosures, rights documentation, contributor permissions, AI tool license information, voice model permissions, access corrections, identity confirmation, or other information reasonably necessary to:
* verify eligibility;
* confirm authorship;
* assess compliance with Event rules;
* assess compliance with AI-use, tool-use, synthetic-media, voice-use, or anti-impersonation rules;
* resolve rights or integrity concerns;
* administer judging;
* process results;
* deliver prizes;
* respond to complaints;
* protect the Vanguard Platform and Event integrity.
Failure to provide requested information within a reasonable time may result in rejection, disqualification, withholding of results or prizes, removal from display, or other reasonable action.
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The Organizer may reject, remove, restrict, disqualify, or decline to evaluate a Submission if the Organizer reasonably determines that:
* the Submission was late;
* the Submission is incomplete;
* required files, links, descriptions, credits, disclosures, license confirmations, or verification materials are missing;
* the Submission does not meet format, technical, genre, AI-use, disclosure, or Round requirements;
* the Submission cannot be opened, accessed, played, viewed, reviewed, or verified;
* the Participant does not have required rights, licenses, permissions, or authorizations;
* a credible third-party rights claim exists;
* the Submission includes unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized imitation, unauthorized synthetic reproduction, or misleading impersonation of a real person;
* the Submission violates originality, authorship, tool-use, AI-use, voice-use, sample-use, visual-use, video-use, or third-party-material rules;
* the Submission violates AI tool terms, platform terms, sample licenses, beat licenses, voice model licenses, social media platform rules, or other applicable third-party restrictions in a way that creates legal, rights, publicity, or Event-integrity risk;
* the Submission violates law, platform rules, these Event Terms, or Event Materials;
* the Submission creates legal, safety, security, reputational, publicity-rights, rights-clearance, or integrity risk for the Event or Vanguard Platform.
The Organizer may also remove or restrict public display of a Submission while reviewing a complaint, rights issue, technical issue, safety concern, publicity concern, AI-use concern, impersonation concern, or compliance issue.
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The Participant controls what they submit.
The Participant is responsible for checking the Submission before uploading or providing it.
The Participant should not include private, sensitive, confidential, access-restricted, or third-party personal information unless it is required for participation and the Participant has the right to provide it.
If a Participant includes personal information, images, voices, names, likenesses, synthetic voices, AI-generated likenesses, visual materials, or other protected elements relating to another person, the Participant is responsible for ensuring that such inclusion is lawful and properly authorized.
The Organizer may limit access to submitted materials as described in the Event-Specific Privacy Notice and these Event Terms, but the Participant remains responsible for the legality and appropriateness of what they submit.
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Submit your own work, or work you have the right to submit.
AI tools are allowed and encouraged in this Event.
You can use AI for music, vocals, hooks, beats, production, visuals, editing, and creative direction, unless the Event page or Round Materials say otherwise.
You are still responsible for your rights, licenses, credits, disclosures, tools, collaborators, samples, beats, vocals, voice models, artwork, videos, links, and anything else you use.
Do not submit stolen, plagiarized, infringing, unsafe, misleading, unlawful, uncleared, or impersonating material.
Do not clone or imitate real artists, public figures, recognizable people, or real voices without permission.
If you use AI tools, follow their terms.
If you submit a link, make sure it works and that you have the right to let Vanguard review, display, and use it in the Event context.
If there is a rights problem, AI-use problem, impersonation problem, authorship problem, access problem, disclosure problem, or cheating problem, the Organizer can reject or disqualify the Submission.
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Submissions will be reviewed according to the judging criteria, scoring method, advancement rules, and result-formation process published on the Event page or in the applicable Round Materials.
Before Submissions open for a Round, stage, battle, challenge, or other participation step, the Organizer must publish the practical information needed for Participants to understand how that step will be evaluated.
This may include, as applicable:
* judging criteria;
* scoring rubric;
* weighting;
* pass/fail rules;
* qualification thresholds;
* ranking method;
* advancement rules;
* tie-break rules;
* optional visual or short-form content bonus rules;
* public voting rules, if any;
* jury or panel decision rules;
* technical or format requirements that may affect evaluation;
* AI-use, originality, disclosure, synthetic voice, anti-impersonation, or eligibility rules that may affect evaluation.
Depending on the applicable Round Materials, evaluation may include criteria such as:
* concept and interpretation of the Round theme;
* hip-hop identity, genre fit, and cultural alignment;
* songwriting, lyrics, hook, and message;
* production, arrangement, sound design, and sonic execution;
* AI creative direction and control;
* originality and creative intent;
* optional artwork, video, reel, or visual presentation materials;
* overall impact and replay value.
The criteria must be stated clearly enough that a reasonable Participant can understand what is being evaluated.
Results are based on the published Event and Round rules, not random chance.
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Judges, Reviewers, Experts, jurors, or other evaluators are appointed by the Organizer.
Each Judge, Reviewer, Expert, or Evaluator must:
* act in good faith;
* apply the published criteria in a reasonably consistent manner;
* avoid harassment, discrimination, abuse, bribery, manipulation, or improper influence;
* disclose any actual, potential, or reasonably apparent conflict of interest to the Organizer;
* comply with applicable confidentiality restrictions;
* use access to Submissions and Participant information only for Event-related evaluation and administration.
The Organizer may replace, remove, limit, or reassign a Judge, Reviewer, Expert, or Evaluator where reasonably necessary to address conflict of interest, misconduct, availability, fairness, integrity, safety, legal compliance, or operational issues.
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A conflict of interest may exist where a Judge, Reviewer, Expert, or Evaluator has a relationship or interest that could reasonably affect impartiality.
Examples may include:
* family relationship;
* close personal relationship;
* direct financial interest;
* employment, management, label, publishing, agency, or representation relationship;
* active collaboration;
* direct coaching or paid assistance;
* involvement in the creation, production, editing, promotion, or distribution of a Submission;
* direct ownership or rights interest in a tool, model, beat, sample, voice model, or other material used in a Submission;
* strong personal dispute;
* any other relationship that may reasonably affect fairness.
If a conflict of interest is identified, the Organizer may take reasonable steps, including:
* removing the affected Judge from evaluating the affected Submission;
* assigning another Judge;
* limiting the Judge’s role;
* excluding the affected score;
* applying another reasonable mitigation method.
Not every prior contact, public interaction, social media follow, community connection, platform familiarity, tool familiarity, or general industry familiarity automatically creates a conflict of interest.
The Organizer determines appropriate mitigation in good faith.
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The Organizer is responsible for determining how results are formed under the published Event and Round rules.
Depending on the Round or format, results may be formed through:
* Judge scores;
* weighted scoring;
* panel review;
* rankings;
* bracket or battle outcomes;
* qualification thresholds;
* jury selection;
* moderation checks;
* AI-use, disclosure, rights, or eligibility verification;
* optional visual or short-form content bonus scoring, where published;
* public or community voting, if expressly enabled;
* technical or eligibility verification;
* other methods published in the applicable Event Materials.
Where multiple Judges, scoring layers, bonus components, verification steps, or review steps are used, the Organizer may apply a reasonable method to combine, normalize, verify, or finalize results, provided that any method materially affecting results is disclosed in advance where reasonably practical.
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The Organizer determines when results are published and what details are displayed, subject to these Event Terms, the Event-Specific Privacy Notice, the Vanguard Privacy Policy, and the applicable Event Materials.
Results may include, as applicable:
* accepted / rejected status;
* qualification status;
* advancement status;
* scores;
* rankings;
* placement;
* finalist status;
* winner status;
* badges;
* recognition markers;
* Judge comments;
* public Event records;
* winner pages;
* showcase pages;
* profile markers;
* Event archive entries.
Results may be displayed on the Event page, Round pages, Participant pages, rankings, showcases, public result pages, platform records, social or communication channels, and other Event-related displays, where such display is part of the Event format or clearly disclosed in the Event Materials.
The Organizer may delay publication of results where reasonably necessary to address technical issues, eligibility review, AI-use disclosure review, rights verification, impersonation concerns, judging administration, complaints, or Event-integrity issues.
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Where public review, commentary, recap, ranking, showcase, or battle discussion is part of the Event format, the Organizer may publicly discuss:
* the Submission;
* the Participant’s placement or ranking;
* creative choices;
* production choices;
* AI-use and creative direction, where disclosed or relevant to the Event format;
* musical quality;
* songwriting, hook, lyrics, sound design, arrangement, visual presentation, or overall impact;
* judging outcome;
* strengths and weaknesses;
* reasons for advancement or non-advancement;
* Event-related context.
Such discussion must remain within the Event context and must not be used as a standalone commercial exploitation of the Submission.
Broader promotional, editorial, marketing, showcase, short-form, social, partner, sponsor, or ecosystem-wide use outside the ordinary Event context is governed by the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another clearly accepted permission.
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Unless the Event page or applicable Round Materials expressly provide an appeal, review, correction, or challenge process, judging decisions and Event results are final.
A Participant’s disagreement with a Judge’s taste, opinion, score, ranking, artistic evaluation, production judgment, genre interpretation, AI-use assessment, or visual assessment does not by itself create a right to re-judging.
The Organizer is not required to provide detailed explanations, score breakdowns, private deliberations, internal judging notes, tool-analysis notes, or verification notes unless the Event Materials expressly state otherwise.
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The Organizer may take limited corrective or protective action where reasonably necessary to address:
* verified technical error;
* administrative error;
* incorrect score calculation;
* mistaken identity or account association;
* ineligible Participant;
* late or invalid Submission;
* plagiarism;
* unauthorized voice cloning;
* unauthorized imitation or impersonation;
* unlawful or misleading synthetic voice or likeness use;
* undisclosed required AI use;
* undisclosed required tool use;
* undisclosed required third-party material;
* lack of required rights, licenses, permissions, or authorizations;
* credible AI tool, platform, sample, beat, voice model, visual asset, or third-party rights issue;
* fraud, cheating, collusion, manipulation, or bot activity;
* credible third-party rights claim;
* serious unmanaged conflict of interest;
* breach of these Event Terms, the Vanguard Terms of Service, the Universal Event Operations Framework, or Event Materials;
* legal, safety, security, publicity-rights, rights-clearance, or integrity risk.
Corrective action may include:
* delaying result publication;
* correcting an administrative or technical error;
* excluding an invalid score;
* requesting clarification or verification;
* requesting AI-use, tool-use, rights, license, or process information;
* removing or restricting a Submission;
* disqualifying a Participant;
* changing advancement status;
* withholding or reallocating a prize;
* republishing corrected results;
* taking another reasonable and proportionate step.
Except where an express review process applies, corrective action is limited to technical, administrative, eligibility, rights, disclosure, integrity, legal, safety, or comparable non-merits grounds.
The Organizer is not required to conduct a full re-judging of *rtistic merit.
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This Event may include monetary and non-monetary forms of recognition.
Recognition may include, as applicable:
* rankings;
* placement;
* finalist status;
* winner status;
* badges;
* profile markers;
* battle logos;
* winner lists;
* public Event records;
* showcase placement;
* archive entries;
* inclusion in highlights, recaps, or curated Event materials;
* eligibility for future Event formats;
* public mention or acknowledgement.
No prize, award, payment, benefit, sponsorship, partner benefit, tool credit, subscription, distribution opportunity, placement, promotion, repost, playlisting, collaboration, or other opportunity is promised unless it is expressly stated on the Event page, in these Event Terms, or in the applicable Event Materials.
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Participation in this Event is intended to be free of charge unless the Event page clearly states otherwise.
For this Event, one monetary prize may be awarded to the eligible Participant who finishes in first place, provided that the applicable minimum participation threshold is reached and the winner satisfies all eligibility, verification, rights, AI-use, disclosure, and compliance requirements.
The monetary prize amount is determined by the number of eligible Round 1 Submissions.
An “eligible Round 1 Submission” means a Round 1 Submission that:
* is submitted by an eligible Participant;
* is received through the official submission method;
* is submitted within the applicable deadline or accepted extension;
* satisfies the minimum format and technical requirements;
* satisfies the applicable AI-use and disclosure requirements;
* is not rejected, disqualified, withdrawn, fraudulent, infringing, impersonating, misleading, or otherwise invalid under these Event Terms or the Event Materials.
The prize scale for this Event is:
| Eligible Round 1 Submissions | Monetary Prize |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------- |
| 16 eligible Round 1 Submissions, but only if 32 eligible Round 1 Submissions are not reached within 60 days after the Event opens for participation | CAD $75 |
| 32 eligible Round 1 Submissions | CAD $150 |
| 64 eligible Round 1 Submissions | CAD $275 |
| 128 or more eligible Round 1 Submissions | CAD $500 |
No monetary prize above CAD $500 will be awarded for this Event, regardless of the number of eligible Round 1 Submissions above 128.
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The Event is designed to operate with a minimum participation threshold.
If at least 32 eligible Round 1 Submissions are received, the monetary prize scale begins at CAD $150.
If fewer than 32 eligible Round 1 Submissions are received within 60 days after the Event opens for participation, but at least 16 eligible Round 1 Submissions are received, the Organizer may continue the Event under the reduced CAD $75 prize threshold.
If fewer than 16 eligible Round 1 Submissions are received, no monetary prize is guaranteed unless the Organizer expressly states otherwise on the Event page or in the applicable Event Materials.
If the applicable threshold is not reached, the Organizer may, in good faith:
* keep registration or submissions open;
* extend the submission period;
* continue the Event under the reduced threshold described above;
* cancel or withdraw the Event;
* republish the Event under updated terms;
* take another reasonable action communicated through the Event page or official Event channels.
Any material update to threshold status, deadline, continuation, cancellation, or republishing must be communicated on the Event page or through official Event communication channels.
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To receive a monetary prize, the winner must:
* be eligible to participate;
* comply with these Event Terms and Event Materials;
* not be disqualified;
* pass any reasonably required identity, age, eligibility, rights, authorship, AI-use, tool-use, disclosure, synthetic voice, impersonation, sanctions, payment, or compliance verification;
* be legally permitted to receive the prize;
* provide accurate payment information and any information reasonably required for lawful prize delivery;
* respond to reasonable prize-delivery communications within the timeframe specified by the Organizer.
A prize may be forfeited if:
* the winner is disqualified;
* the winner is found ineligible;
* the winner used unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized impersonation, or another prohibited method;
* the Submission infringes third-party rights;
* the Submission violates AI tool terms, third-party platform terms, voice model rights, sample rights, beat rights, visual rights, publicity rights, or other applicable rights in a way that creates legal or Event-integrity risk;
* the winner failed to provide required AI-use, tool-use, rights, license, contributor, or process disclosures;
* the winner cannot lawfully receive the prize;
* the winner fails verification;
* the winner fails to provide required payment or identity information;
* the winner fails to respond within a reasonable time;
* delivery would violate applicable law, sanctions, payment restrictions, or platform rules.
If the first-place Participant forfeits the prize or is unable to receive it, the Organizer may award the prize to the next highest eligible finisher.
The same rule may be applied again if necessary.
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Any monetary prize for this Event will be delivered by the Organizer directly to the confirmed winner by money transfer or another reasonably equivalent payment method designated or approved by the Organizer.
Prize delivery is subject to:
* confirmation of final results;
* winner verification;
* eligibility confirmation;
* compliance review;
* receipt of accurate payment details;
* completion of any legally required tax, identity, sanctions, banking, or reporting checks.
Unless a different timeline is clearly published on the Event page or in the applicable Event Materials, the Organizer will aim to deliver the monetary prize within 30 calendar days after final results are confirmed and winner verification is completed.
The Organizer is not responsible for delays caused by:
* inaccurate payment information;
* failure to respond;
* banking delays;
* payment-provider restrictions;
* currency conversion;
* intermediary bank processing;
* sanctions screening;
* legal compliance checks;
* tax or reporting issues;
* circumstances outside the Organizer’s reasonable control.
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Prize amounts are stated in Canadian dollars (CAD).
If a prize is paid in another currency or through a payment method involving conversion, the actual amount received may be affected by:
* exchange rates;
* bank fees;
* payment-provider fees;
* intermediary bank fees;
* transfer charges;
* platform or wallet limitations;
* local receiving restrictions.
The Organizer is not responsible for currency conversion differences, transfer fees, bank fees, payment-provider fees, or intermediary charges unless required by applicable law or expressly stated otherwise by the Organizer.
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Each Participant is solely responsible for determining and fulfilling any tax, reporting, banking, currency-conversion, income, benefit, or similar obligations that may arise from receiving a prize, award, payment, benefit, tool credit, subscription, sponsorship benefit, or other compensation connected to the Event.
The Organizer does not provide tax advice.
The Organizer may request information reasonably necessary to comply with applicable legal, tax, reporting, sanctions, payment, or accounting obligations before releasing a prize.
The Organizer may withhold, deduct, report, or remit amounts only where required by applicable law.
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The Event may include non-monetary recognition in addition to, or instead of, monetary prizes.
Non-monetary recognition may include:
* ranking;
* finalist status;
* winner status;
* placement marks;
* public Event records;
* badges;
* profile markers;
* battle logos;
* inclusion in winner lists;
* inclusion in Event archives;
* public acknowledgement;
* showcase placement;
* inclusion in highlights, recaps, or curated Event materials;
* eligibility for future winner-only or finalist-only formats;
* privileged access or status inside the Vanguard ecosystem, where implemented.
Non-monetary recognition has no guaranteed cash value unless expressly stated on the Event page or in the applicable Event Materials.
The Organizer may modify the visual form, naming, display method, or technical implementation of non-monetary recognition as the Vanguard Platform evolves.
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The Event may include partner, sponsor, or tool-related benefits only where expressly stated on the Event page or in the applicable Event Materials.
Such benefits may include, as applicable:
* AI tool credits;
* subscriptions;
* promotional codes;
* partner-provided services;
* sponsor-provided goods or benefits;
* distribution-related opportunities;
* showcase opportunities;
* partner review or feedback;
* other non-monetary or mixed benefits.
Any partner, sponsor, platform, tool, subscription, credit, service, or third-party benefit is subject to the applicable third-party terms, availability, eligibility, technical restrictions, geographic restrictions, account requirements, and partner conditions.
The Organizer is not responsible for a third-party partner’s refusal, delay, cancellation, modification, restriction, account decision, tool-policy decision, or failure to provide a benefit, except to the extent expressly stated otherwise in the applicable Event Materials or required by law.
No partner, sponsor, tool provider, distributor, label, platform, or third-party service is responsible for the Event unless expressly identified as a co-organizer or responsible party in the Event Materials.
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The Organizer may, in its discretion, invite selected Participants, finalists, winners, or strong performers to discuss future collaboration, projects, sponsorships, representation, publishing, distribution, performance opportunities, label conversations, media features, tool partnerships, creator opportunities, or other opportunities.
Such discussions are not guaranteed.
They are not part of the guaranteed prize package unless expressly stated on the Event page or in the applicable Event Materials.
No Participant is required to accept any future opportunity.
Any future commercial, professional, publishing, distribution, sponsorship, management, label, performance, AI-tool, partner, media, or collaboration arrangement must be governed by a separate written agreement.
---
Your work is judged under the rules published for the Event and each Round.
Results are based on judging and Event rules, not random chance.
The Event page or Round Materials will explain what is being judged, which may include concept, hip-hop fit, songwriting, hook, production, sound design, AI creative direction, optional video or visual materials, and overall impact.
Judging decisions are final unless there is a real technical, rights, eligibility, fraud, cheating, AI-use, disclosure, impersonation, or integrity problem.
The first-place eligible winner may receive a cash prize, but the amount depends on how many valid Round 1 Submissions are received.
To receive a prize, the winner must be eligible, verified, compliant, and legally able to receive the prize.
Promotion, reposting, playlisting, tool benefits, sponsor benefits, distribution, views, virality, or future opportunities are not guaranteed unless the Event page clearly says otherwise.
---
Except as expressly stated in these Event Terms, the Participant retains whatever rights they own or control in their Submission.
This may include, as applicable:
* lyrics;
* melodies;
* musical compositions;
* arrangements;
* beats or instrumentals owned or controlled by the Participant;
* sound recordings owned or controlled by the Participant;
* AI-assisted or AI-generated outputs to the extent owned or controlled by the Participant under applicable law and applicable tool terms;
* vocal performances;
* Synthetic Voice elements owned, licensed, or controlled by the Participant;
* demos;
* artwork;
* visual materials;
* short-form videos;
* descriptions;
* process notes;
* supporting materials;
* any other original materials submitted by the Participant.
Nothing in these Event Terms transfers ownership of a Submission to the Organizer.
Nothing in these Event Terms makes Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. a record label, publisher, distributor, manager, producer, agent, representative, or owner of the Participant’s music.
The Participant understands that rights in AI-generated or AI-assisted materials may depend on applicable law, the AI Tool used, the tool’s terms, the Participant’s account or subscription level, third-party inputs, samples, models, voice models, collaborators, and other rights or licensing conditions.
Vanguard does not represent or guarantee that any AI-generated or AI-assisted material is copyrightable, ownable, commercially usable, platform-safe, or free of third-party rights claims.
---
By submitting a Submission to the Event, the Participant grants the Organizer, and authorizes Vanguard in its role as operator of the Vanguard Platform, a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the Submission only as reasonably necessary to operate, administer, judge, display, document, and preserve the Event.
This limited Event-use license allows the Organizer and the Vanguard Platform to:
* receive, upload, host, store, process, format, convert, transcode, and display the Submission;
* make the Submission available to authorized Judges, Reviewers, Experts, moderators, administrators, technical personnel, contractors, and other Event roles;
* review, evaluate, score, comment on, verify, and process the Submission for Event purposes;
* display the Submission, in whole or in part, within the Event interface, judging workflow, result pages, rankings, winner pages, showcase pages, profile pages, Event archive, or other Event-related displays;
* publish the Submission, or reasonable excerpts, clips, previews, thumbnails, descriptions, screenshots, waveform images, visual excerpts, or representations of it, where public display is part of the Event format or clearly disclosed in the Event Materials;
* retain the Submission as part of Event records, rankings, integrity records, audit records, historical archives, dispute records, and platform documentation;
* use the Submission as necessary to investigate rights claims, cheating, AI-use issues, disclosure issues, synthetic voice issues, impersonation issues, fraud, abuse, technical problems, eligibility issues, prize issues, or Event-integrity concerns.
This license is limited to Event operation, Event administration, judging, result formation, public Event display, Event recordkeeping, archives, integrity protection, and platform operation in connection with the Event.
It does not, by itself, authorize standalone commercial exploitation of the Submission.
---
Nothing in these Event Terms constitutes:
* an assignment of copyright;
* a transfer of ownership;
* a transfer of publishing rights;
* a transfer of master rights;
* a transfer of distribution rights;
* a transfer of label rights;
* a transfer of producer rights;
* a transfer of neighbouring rights;
* a transfer of performer rights;
* a transfer of moral rights;
* a transfer of catalogue rights;
* a transfer of rights in AI-generated or AI-assisted materials;
* permission to sell, release, distribute, license, monetize, or commercially exploit the Submission as a standalone music product.
Any broader commercial use of a Submission, including commercial release, distribution, publishing, catalogue acquisition, sync licensing, compilation release, label arrangement, sponsorship exploitation, partner exploitation, standalone music product release, or similar commercial transaction, requires a separate written agreement with the relevant rights holder or rights holders.
---
These Event Terms allow use of the Submission within the ordinary context of the Event.
“Ordinary Event context” includes:
* submission intake;
* judging;
* review;
* scoring;
* verification;
* rankings;
* results;
* public Event pages;
* Participant pages;
* Round pages;
* winner pages;
* battle pages;
* Event records;
* Event archives;
* Event recaps directly connected to the Event;
* Event-related public display clearly described in the Event Materials;
* integrity, rights, AI-use, disclosure, synthetic voice, impersonation, and dispute review.
Broader promotional, editorial, marketing, showcase, advertising, partner, sponsor, press, media, social, short-form, or ecosystem-wide use outside the ordinary Event context is governed only by:
* the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License, where that License is required and accepted; and/or
* another separate permission, release, or checkbox clearly presented and accepted by the Participant.
Unless such additional permission is obtained, these Event Terms alone do not authorize Vanguard to use a Submission for broader promotional or commercial media purposes outside the ordinary Event context.
---
Where public display is part of the Event format or clearly disclosed in the Event Materials, the Organizer may display or publish, within the Event context:
* the Participant’s name, stage name, username, handle, or other Event attribution;
* the Submission title;
* the Submission itself, in whole or in part;
* audio excerpts, previews, clips, waveforms, thumbnails, screenshots, descriptions, summaries, or representations of the Submission;
* artwork, cover art, short-form video, reels, clips, visual materials, or other supporting materials submitted for Event purposes;
* AI-use disclosures, tool-use disclosures, process notes, credits, or other information where publication is part of the Event format or reasonably necessary for transparency, judging, results, or integrity;
* scores, rankings, placements, finalist status, winner status, badges, recognition, or other Event results;
* Judge comments, Event reviews, recap notes, or public commentary, where applicable;
* Event-related profile markers, winner records, battle records, and archive entries.
Public display may appear on:
* the Event page;
* Round pages;
* ranking pages;
* battle pages;
* Participant pages;
* winner pages;
* showcase pages;
* archive pages;
* Pathfinder, where enabled;
* Event-related dashboards or displays;
* other Vanguard Platform displays connected to the Event.
Public display does not transfer ownership of the Submission to the Organizer.
---
Because this Event permits and encourages AI-assisted creation, the Organizer may display certain AI-use or process-related information where reasonably connected to the Event format, judging transparency, rights review, public results, or Event integrity.
This may include, as applicable:
* AI tools used;
* general categories of AI use;
* whether vocals are human, synthetic, AI-generated, AI-assisted, cloned, converted, or otherwise tool-assisted;
* whether artwork, videos, visuals, lyrics, beats, arrangements, or other materials were AI-assisted;
* contributor credits;
* collaborator credits;
* process notes;
* required rights, license, or tool-use confirmations;
* other disclosures required by the Event Materials.
The Organizer is not required to publish private prompts, private project files, raw stems, multitracks, private settings, or other sensitive production materials unless the Event Materials clearly state otherwise or the Participant separately authorizes such publication.
The Organizer may correct, remove, limit, or update disclosure display where reasonably necessary to address safety, privacy, rights, impersonation, eligibility, accuracy, confidentiality, or legal concerns.
---
Where feasible, the Organizer will identify the Participant using the name, stage name, username, handle, profile name, or other attribution information provided by the Participant or displayed in the Vanguard Platform.
Attribution may appear in Event pages, rankings, results, winner pages, public Event records, recaps, commentary, showcase pages, short-form clips, or other Event-related displays.
The Organizer is not responsible for attribution errors caused by inaccurate information supplied by the Participant.
The Organizer may correct, remove, limit, or update attribution where reasonably necessary to address safety, privacy, rights, impersonation, eligibility, or legal concerns.
---
Unless clearly disclosed in the Event Materials or separately authorized by the Participant, the Organizer does not intentionally publish the following outside the necessary Event review or administration context:
* private source files;
* raw project files;
* stems;
* multitracks;
* unpublished drafts;
* private prompts;
* private process notes not intended for publication;
* private links;
* passwords;
* secret keys;
* tokens;
* private credentials;
* sensitive personal information;
* third-party personal information not reasonably necessary for Event display;
* private AI tool settings;
* account information;
* license documents provided only for verification;
* materials restricted by law, confidentiality obligations, or third-party rights;
* materials that the Participant was required to provide only for verification, judging, dispute review, compliance, or support.
The Participant remains responsible for avoiding the submission of unnecessary private, sensitive, confidential, or third-party information.
---
Where a Participant submits a link to externally hosted content, including content hosted on social media, video platforms, music platforms, AI tool platforms, file-hosting services, or other third-party services, the Participant authorizes the Organizer to access, review, display, embed, reference, describe, discuss, and use that linked material within the ordinary Event context, to the extent permitted by these Event Terms, the Event Materials, and the applicable third-party platform rules.
If the Participant accepts the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License, linked materials may also be used for promotional, editorial, showcase, social, short-form, sponsor, partner, or ecosystem-wide purposes within the scope of that License.
The Participant is responsible for ensuring that linked materials:
* are accessible;
* remain available during the relevant Event period;
* do not violate third-party platform rules;
* may be submitted for Event purposes;
* may be displayed, embedded, referenced, discussed, or used in the Event context;
* may be used for promotional purposes where the Content Promotion & Media License is accepted or required.
The Organizer is not responsible if a third-party platform removes, restricts, blocks, mutes, demonetizes, modifies, geo-blocks, hides, disables, or otherwise affects linked content.
The Organizer may request an uploaded copy, replacement link, additional permission, or other supporting information where reasonably necessary to operate the Event, review the Submission, preserve Event records, or use the Submission under the applicable accepted permissions.
---
The Event creates records.
These may include:
* registration records;
* submission records;
* acceptance logs;
* AI-use disclosure records;
* tool-use disclosure records;
* rights confirmation records;
* Content Promotion & Media License acceptance records, where applicable;
* judging records;
* scores;
* rankings;
* placements;
* winner or finalist records;
* badges;
* recognition markers;
* public Event pages;
* archive entries;
* audit and integrity records;
* prize and verification records;
* public display records;
* dispute and enforcement records, where applicable.
The Organizer may retain and display Event records as reasonably necessary to:
* preserve the integrity of the competition;
* document results;
* maintain rankings and historical records;
* administer prizes and recognition;
* resolve disputes;
* comply with legal obligations;
* protect against fraud, manipulation, cheating, AI-use issues, synthetic voice issues, impersonation, disclosure issues, or rights claims;
* maintain the Vanguard Platform and Event archive.
Event records may remain available even if a Participant later requests deletion of optional promotional use, withdraws from future promotional use, changes their account status, removes externally hosted content, modifies a third-party link, or stops using the Vanguard Platform, subject to applicable law and the Event-Specific Privacy Notice.
---
If the Participant has accepted the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another promotional permission, the Participant may have rights to withdraw or limit future promotional use as described in that License or permission.
However, withdrawal from future promotional use does not automatically require the Organizer to remove:
* official Event results;
* rankings;
* winner records;
* finalist records;
* badges;
* public Event records;
* Event archive pages;
* judging records;
* integrity records;
* AI-use disclosure records reasonably necessary for Event integrity;
* rights or license confirmation records reasonably necessary for Event integrity;
* materials already used within the ordinary Event context;
* materials that must be retained for legal, compliance, dispute, audit, or integrity reasons.
Promotional use and Event recordkeeping are separate.
The Content Promotion & Media License governs broader promotional use.
These Event Terms govern ordinary Event operation, Event display, Event results, and Event records.
---
The Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License governs broader promotional, editorial, showcase, marketing, advertising, partner, sponsor, press, social media, short-form, demo, portfolio, and ecosystem-wide use of Participant content where that License is required and accepted.
Such uses may include, where permitted under that License:
* highlight clips;
* trailers;
* teasers;
* social posts;
* short-form clips;
* vertical videos;
* reels;
* stories;
* YouTube Shorts;
* TikTok posts;
* Instagram Reels;
* newsletters;
* press materials;
* sponsor decks;
* partner presentations;
* tool partner showcases;
* co-branded Event promotions;
* paid ads promoting the Event or Vanguard;
* case studies;
* showcase compilations;
* “best of” selections;
* demo reels;
* recap edits;
* other promotional or editorial formats connected to Vanguard or the Event.
Acceptance of the Content Promotion & Media License must be clearly presented where required.
If the Participant does not accept the Content Promotion & Media License, the Organizer may still use the Submission within the ordinary Event context under these Event Terms, but may not rely on these Event Terms alone for broader promotional use outside that Event context.
---
The Organizer may not, under these Event Terms alone:
* sell the Participant’s Submission as a standalone product;
* release the Submission as part of a paid album, mixtape, compilation, playlist product, catalogue, or music release;
* distribute the Submission commercially as a music release;
* license the Submission to third parties for independent exploitation;
* transfer rights in the Submission to a label, publisher, distributor, sponsor, brand, AI tool company, platform, or other third party;
* monetize the Submission as a standalone commercial work.
Any such use requires a separate written agreement with the relevant rights holder or rights holders.
For clarity, platform monetization, Event sponsorship, advertising around the Event, paid promotion of the Event, affiliate marketing around the Event, partner placements, sponsor activations, tool partner showcases, or general promotion of Vanguard does not by itself constitute a standalone sale of the Participant’s Submission, provided the Submission is used only within the scope permitted by these Event Terms or by the separately accepted Content Promotion & Media License.
---
Nothing in these Event Terms assigns or transfers any moral rights, performer rights, publicity rights, personality rights, or comparable personal rights that may exist under applicable law.
Where applicable law recognizes moral rights, including the right of attribution and the right to integrity of the work, those rights remain with the relevant author unless expressly waived in a separate written waiver to the extent permitted by law.
Where applicable law recognizes performer rights or comparable rights in a vocal or musical performance, those rights remain with the relevant performer unless expressly transferred or waived in a separate written agreement to the extent permitted by law.
Where applicable law recognizes rights in a person’s name, image, likeness, voice, persona, identity, or publicity, the Participant is responsible for ensuring that any use of those rights in the Submission is properly authorized.
No moral rights waiver is required merely to participate in this Event unless the Event page or a separately accepted document clearly states otherwise.
The Organizer will not intentionally distort, misattribute, or modify a Submission in a way that falsely represents the Participant’s authorship or is intended to harm the Participant’s reputation.
The Organizer may edit, format, excerpt, caption, crop, resize, transcode, compress, convert, or technically adapt a Submission where permitted by these Event Terms, the Content Promotion & Media License, or another accepted permission, provided such use is consistent with the applicable permission and Event context.
---
Where a Participant is under the age of majority, the Organizer may require parent or legal guardian consent before using the Participant’s name, stage name, username, likeness, profile elements, Submission, voice, Synthetic Voice disclosure, visual materials, or related Event information for broader promotional, publicity, showcase, or media purposes outside the ordinary Event context.
If required parent or legal guardian consent is not provided in a form acceptable to the Organizer, the Organizer may restrict or decline broader promotional use of the minor Participant’s content or identifying information.
This does not prevent the Organizer from using or retaining information reasonably necessary for Event administration, judging, results, recordkeeping, integrity, safety, rights review, AI-use review, or legal compliance, subject to applicable law and the Event-Specific Privacy Notice.
---
If a Submission, excerpt, result, ranking, page, clip, image, short-form video, visual material, disclosure, or Event record is made public as part of the Event, third parties may view, share, copy, repost, embed, comment on, download, scrape, remix, or otherwise interact with it outside the Vanguard Platform.
The Organizer is not responsible for third-party use outside Vanguard’s control.
This includes use by:
* viewers;
* social media users;
* blogs;
* media outlets;
* platforms;
* search engines;
* aggregators;
* scrapers;
* unauthorized repost accounts;
* other third parties not acting on Vanguard’s behalf.
The Organizer may take reasonable steps where appropriate, but does not guarantee removal, takedown, suppression, deletion, de-indexing, or control of third-party copies, reposts, embeds, commentary, or platform activity outside Vanguard’s control.
Participants should not submit material they are not prepared to have publicly associated with the Event if the applicable Round or Event format involves public display.
---
The Organizer is not required to publish, feature, promote, repost, showcase, discuss, review, highlight, include, or use any Submission except as reasonably necessary to administer the Event.
Any decision to feature, promote, discuss, repost, showcase, include in highlights, include in recaps, include in partner presentations, include in sponsor materials, or otherwise give additional visibility to a Submission is made at the Organizer’s discretion, subject to applicable permissions.
The Organizer does not guarantee:
* visibility;
* placement;
* reach;
* views;
* likes;
* reposts;
* comments;
* platform performance;
* algorithmic distribution;
* virality;
* partner reposting;
* sponsor attention;
* AI tool company attention;
* media coverage;
* playlisting;
* distribution;
* commercial opportunity;
* future collaboration.
---
Your work stays yours, to the extent you own or control it.
Vanguard does not become your label, publisher, distributor, manager, producer, agent, or owner.
By submitting, you give Vanguard the limited permission needed to run the Event: receive your work, host it, judge it, display it in Event pages, publish results, keep records, and protect the integrity of the competition.
If broader promotion is required, such as clips, reels, stories, social posts, sponsor decks, partner showcases, ads, recaps, or “best of” edits, that is handled through the separate Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License or another clear permission.
Event records may remain even if you later withdraw from future promotional use.
Vanguard cannot sell your track, release it as a standalone product, transfer your rights, or commercially exploit your Submission as a standalone music release without a separate written agreement.
If your Submission is public, third parties may share or repost it outside Vanguard’s control.
You are responsible for the rights, licenses, AI tool terms, collaborators, samples, voices, visuals, links, and permissions connected to what you submit.
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When a Participant registers for the Event, joins a Round, submits a Submission, accepts required checkboxes, communicates with the Organizer, provides AI-use disclosures, provides rights confirmations, uploads materials, submits links, or otherwise participates in the Event, Vanguard may collect, access, use, store, disclose, and otherwise handle personal information and submitted materials to the extent reasonably necessary to operate and administer the Event.
This may include, as applicable:
* registration and participation management;
* eligibility review;
* age or parent / legal guardian authorization checks;
* communication with Participants;
* submission intake and review;
* judging administration;
* score, ranking, and result processing;
* publication of Event results and Event records;
* prize verification and delivery;
* rights, authorship, AI-use, Synthetic Voice, tool-use, and anti-impersonation verification;
* fraud, abuse, cheating, and integrity review;
* support, security, audit, compliance, and recordkeeping.
Personal information for this Event is handled in accordance with the Vanguard AI: Command the Machine Battle Event-Specific Privacy Notice and the Vanguard Privacy Policy.
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For this Event, Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. acts in two capacities:
* as the Organizer of the Event; and
* as the operator of the Vanguard Platform and Pathfinder navigation module, where enabled.
Because Vanguard is both the Organizer and platform operator for this Event, Event-related personal information may be accessed and used by authorized Vanguard personnel, systems, contractors, service providers, Judges, Reviewers, Experts, or other Event roles only to the extent reasonably necessary for Event and platform purposes.
This may include access to:
* account and profile details;
* registration information;
* Submissions;
* uploaded files;
* submitted links;
* lyrics, descriptions, credits, process notes, and disclosures;
* AI-use disclosures;
* tool-use disclosures;
* Synthetic Voice or voice-use disclosures;
* rights confirmations;
* judging interfaces;
* scoring records;
* communications;
* Event status and result records;
* acceptance logs;
* technical logs;
* audit and integrity records.
Access is limited to what is reasonably necessary for Event administration, platform operation, judging, support, security, compliance, prize fulfillment, recordkeeping, rights review, AI-use review, and integrity protection.
---
The Event-Specific Privacy Notice explains how personal information is collected, used, disclosed, retained, and protected for this Event.
Participants should review the Event-Specific Privacy Notice together with:
* these Event Terms;
* the Vanguard Privacy Policy;
* the Vanguard Terms of Service;
* the Vanguard Content Promotion & Media License, where accepted;
* the Event page and applicable Event Materials.
If there is a conflict regarding Event-level personal information handling, the Event-Specific Privacy Notice governs Event-level privacy matters within its proper scope, subject to applicable law.
---
The Organizer may contact Participants about the Event through the Vanguard Platform, email, Pathfinder, messenger-connected channels where enabled, or other contact channels provided by the Participant.
Event-related communications may include:
* registration confirmations;
* submission confirmations;
* deadline notices;
* Round updates;
* Event Materials updates;
* clarification requests;
* AI-use disclosure requests;
* tool-use disclosure requests;
* rights, authorship, license, voice-use, Synthetic Voice, impersonation, or eligibility verification requests;
* judging or result notices;
* prize coordination;
* technical support;
* policy or document updates;
* safety, security, fraud, compliance, rights, takedown, or integrity notices.
Participants are responsible for keeping their contact information accurate and checking official Event communication channels.
Failure to read or respond to Event communications may affect eligibility, participation, Submission review, judging, prize delivery, public display, or other Event-related actions.
---
The Vanguard Platform, Pathfinder, hosting providers, email systems, file upload systems, playback systems, judging tools, third-party platforms, AI tool platforms, social media platforms, payment providers, and communication channels may experience technical issues.
Technical issues may include, without limitation:
* service outages;
* upload failures;
* delayed uploads;
* corrupted files;
* broken links;
* inaccessible external files;
* playback errors;
* audio or video processing errors;
* display errors;
* ranking or scoring display errors;
* email or notification delays;
* login or account-access issues;
* payment or prize-transfer provider issues;
* third-party platform interruptions;
* AI tool platform interruptions;
* social media platform restrictions;
* timing desynchronization;
* security restrictions;
* browser or device incompatibility;
* file-format incompatibility;
* content moderation flags or automated third-party platform decisions.
The Organizer does not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or always-available operation of the Vanguard Platform, Pathfinder, third-party services, or communication channels.
Participants are responsible for submitting early enough to account for ordinary technical risks.
---
Unless the Event page or applicable Round Materials expressly state otherwise, a Participant is responsible for ensuring that their Submission is submitted before the applicable deadline.
The Organizer is not required to accept late, incomplete, inaccessible, corrupted, incorrectly formatted, broken, unavailable, or otherwise non-compliant Submissions.
However, the Organizer may, in good faith and at its discretion, extend a deadline, reopen a submission window, accept a corrected file, request an alternate link, or take another reasonable step where:
* a platform-wide technical issue occurred;
* an Organizer-controlled technical issue materially affected participation;
* a deadline or platform error affected multiple Participants;
* accepting a correction would not materially harm fairness or Event integrity;
* legal, rights, AI-use, safety, or integrity concerns require additional time.
The Organizer is not required to provide the same accommodation for Participant-side issues, including device failure, internet problems, wrong file submission, private link settings, broken external links, third-party platform restrictions, or failure to read Event instructions.
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The Event may involve or reference third-party platforms, including music platforms, AI tools, social media platforms, video platforms, file-hosting services, payment providers, email services, messaging platforms, or other external services.
Third-party services are not controlled by the Organizer unless expressly stated otherwise.
The Organizer is not responsible for:
* availability of third-party services;
* changes to third-party terms;
* account suspensions;
* content removals;
* blocked or muted audio;
* copyright flags;
* algorithmic restrictions;
* monetization decisions;
* geo-blocking;
* AI tool output restrictions;
* model availability;
* subscription limitations;
* platform policy enforcement;
* failures or delays caused by third-party services.
Participants are responsible for complying with the applicable terms, policies, license conditions, payment rules, and technical requirements of any third-party service they use in connection with the Event.
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Participants, rights holders, Judges, viewers, partners, or other affected parties may report concerns to the Organizer using the contact method published on the Event page or by contacting:
connect@vanguardnetwork.org
Reports may relate to:
* plagiarism;
* copyright infringement;
* unauthorized samples;
* unauthorized beats;
* unauthorized artwork;
* unauthorized footage;
* unauthorized AI output;
* unauthorized voice cloning;
* unauthorized Synthetic Voice use;
* impersonation;
* misleading artist or public-figure imitation;
* unauthorized use of name, image, likeness, voice, persona, brand, or identity;
* AI tool license violations;
* third-party platform violations;
* cheating;
* manipulation;
* harassment;
* threats;
* abuse;
* doxxing;
* privacy issues;
* eligibility issues;
* judging-integrity issues;
* technical or administrative errors.
A report should include enough information for the Organizer to review the issue, such as:
* Event or Round name;
* Participant name or username;
* Submission title or link;
* description of the concern;
* supporting evidence;
* contact information for follow-up, if appropriate.
The Organizer may review reports in good faith and may take reasonable action where appropriate, but submission of a report does not guarantee removal, disqualification, result reversal, prize reallocation, or any particular outcome.
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If the Organizer receives a credible complaint, rights claim, AI-use concern, impersonation concern, Synthetic Voice concern, privacy complaint, safety concern, or other issue affecting a Submission or Participant, the Organizer may take temporary or permanent measures.
Such measures may include:
* temporarily hiding or restricting the Submission;
* limiting public display;
* pausing judging;
* pausing prize delivery;
* requesting proof of rights, licenses, permissions, or AI tool terms compliance;
* requesting AI-use, tool-use, voice-use, or process clarification;
* requesting collaborator or rights-holder confirmation;
* removing the Submission from public display;
* disqualifying the Participant;
* correcting records;
* withholding or reallocating a prize;
* taking other reasonable protective action.
Temporary restriction of a Submission during review does not mean the Organizer has made a final determination of liability or infringement.
The Organizer may act quickly where reasonably necessary to protect legal compliance, safety, rights, publicity interests, Event integrity, platform integrity, or third-party rights.
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If the Organizer reasonably determines that a Participant has violated these Event Terms, the Vanguard Terms of Service, the Universal Event Operations Framework, the Event Materials, applicable law, or third-party rights, the Organizer may take one or more enforcement measures.
Enforcement measures may include:
* warning;
* request for correction;
* request for additional disclosure;
* request for proof of rights;
* rejection of a Submission;
* restriction of public display;
* removal of a Submission;
* suspension from a Round;
* disqualification from the Event;
* withholding advancement;
* revocation of placement, finalist status, winner status, badge, or recognition;
* withholding or forfeiture of a prize;
* reallocation of a prize;
* restriction from future Vanguard events;
* account restriction or suspension under the Vanguard Terms of Service;
* reporting to relevant platforms, authorities, or rights holders where required or appropriate.
The Organizer will aim to apply enforcement measures proportionately, considering the seriousness of the violation, available evidence, Event integrity, legal obligations, safety, rights, and fairness.
---
The Organizer may review Submissions, disclosures, links, Event communications, rankings, comments, and other Event materials for compliance, but is not obligated to monitor every Submission, comment, link, third-party platform, AI tool output, sample, voice model, disclosure, or communication before publication or review.
The Participant remains responsible for their own Submission, rights, licenses, AI tool use, disclosures, linked materials, conduct, and compliance.
Failure by the Organizer to detect or act on a violation immediately does not waive the Organizer’s right to act later.
---
Unless the Event page or applicable Round Materials state otherwise, there is no automatic appeal right for artistic judgment, creative taste, score, ranking, production assessment, genre interpretation, AI creative direction assessment, or Judge opinion.
A Participant may request review of a specific non-merits issue by contacting the Organizer with supporting information.
Review may be considered for:
* verified technical error;
* administrative error;
* eligibility error;
* rights claim;
* impersonation concern;
* AI-use or disclosure issue;
* conflict of interest;
* cheating or manipulation concern;
* prize-delivery issue;
* clear violation of published Event rules.
The Organizer may decline review requests that are unsupported, repetitive, abusive, speculative, based only on disagreement with artistic judgment, or submitted after any applicable review window.
The Organizer’s decision after review is final unless applicable law requires otherwise.
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By participating in the Event and submitting a Submission, the Participant represents and warrants that:
1. the Participant is eligible to participate;
2. the Participant has the legal capacity to accept these Event Terms or, if the Participant is a minor, has required parent or legal guardian authorization;
3. all information provided by the Participant is accurate and not misleading;
4. the Participant owns or controls the rights required to submit the Submission and participate in the Event;
5. the Submission does not infringe or violate the rights of any third party;
6. the Participant has obtained all required licenses, permissions, releases, authorizations, and consents for the Submission;
7. the Participant has complied with all applicable AI tool terms, platform terms, sample licenses, beat licenses, voice model licenses, software licenses, and third-party terms;
8. the Submission does not include unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized imitation of a real person, misleading artist impersonation, or unlawful use of any person’s name, image, likeness, voice, persona, brand, or identity;
9. the Participant has provided required AI-use, tool-use, rights, license, collaborator, voice, visual, and process disclosures accurately and in good faith;
10. the Submission does not contain malware, unlawful content, harmful code, credential theft, or other prohibited technical material;
11. the Participant’s participation does not breach any agreement with a label, publisher, distributor, producer, manager, collaborator, sponsor, platform, AI tool provider, rights holder, employer, school, or other party;
12. granting the limited rights described in these Event Terms does not breach any agreement or third-party right.
These warranties apply each time the Participant registers, joins a Round, submits a Submission, updates a Submission, provides a link, provides disclosure information, or otherwise participates.
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The Event and Vanguard Platform are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
The Organizer does not warrant or guarantee that:
* the Event will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from technical problems;
* every Submission will be reviewed without delay;
* every Participant will receive feedback;
* judging will match the Participant’s expectations;
* any Submission will receive a specific score, ranking, placement, or reaction;
* any AI-generated or AI-assisted material is copyrightable, ownable, commercially usable, platform-safe, or free from rights claims;
* any AI tool, social platform, music platform, video platform, partner, sponsor, distributor, label, media outlet, or third-party service will accept, feature, repost, promote, distribute, monetize, or approve any Submission;
* participation will result in income, exposure, views, virality, sponsorship, collaboration, representation, distribution, publishing, or career opportunity.
Nothing in these Event Terms excludes warranties or rights that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
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To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Vanguard Music Platforms Inc., its directors, officers, employees, contractors, service providers, Judges, Reviewers, Experts, partners, sponsors, and affiliates will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, punitive, or similar damages arising out of or relating to the Event.
This includes, without limitation:
* lost profits;
* lost opportunities;
* lost exposure;
* lost sponsorships;
* lost data;
* lost Submissions;
* lost reputation;
* loss of goodwill;
* loss of ranking or placement;
* failure to receive a prize due to ineligibility or non-compliance;
* third-party platform restrictions;
* AI tool restrictions;
* content removals;
* copyright flags;
* account restrictions;
* failure of linked content;
* unauthorized third-party reposts;
* failure to achieve views, virality, promotion, distribution, or commercial success.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Vanguard Music Platforms Inc.’s total liability arising out of or relating to the Event will not exceed the greater of:
* the amount paid by the Participant to participate in the Event, if any; or
* CAD $100.
Nothing in this section limits liability where such limitation is prohibited by applicable law.
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To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Participant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Vanguard Music Platforms Inc., its directors, officers, employees, contractors, service providers, Judges, Reviewers, Experts, affiliates, partners, sponsors, and licensees from and against third-party claims, damages, liabilities, costs, losses, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or related to:
1. the Participant’s Submission;
2. the Participant’s breach of these Event Terms;
3. the Participant’s breach of the Vanguard Terms of Service, Universal Event Operations Framework, Event Materials, Content Promotion & Media License, or other accepted Event document;
4. infringement or alleged infringement of copyright, neighbouring rights, performer rights, trademark rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, moral rights, personality rights, contractual rights, or other third-party rights;
5. unauthorized samples, beats, loops, stems, AI outputs, voice models, visual assets, videos, footage, artwork, or other third-party materials;
6. unauthorized voice cloning, unauthorized Synthetic Voice use, unauthorized imitation, misleading artist impersonation, or unlawful use of any person’s name, image, likeness, voice, persona, brand, or identity;
7. violation of AI tool terms, platform terms, sample licenses, beat licenses, voice model licenses, software licenses, social platform rules, or other third-party terms;
8. false, incomplete, misleading, or omitted AI-use, tool-use, rights, license, collaborator, voice, visual, or process disclosure;
9. the Participant’s fraud, cheating, manipulation, harassment, threats, abuse, unlawful conduct, or other misconduct;
10. the Participant’s violation of applicable law.
This indemnification obligation does not apply to claims caused solely by Vanguard’s own unlawful conduct or by Vanguard’s use of content outside the permissions granted under these Event Terms or another accepted agreement.
This section survives the end of the Event, disqualification, withdrawal, account closure, termination, and withdrawal from future promotional use.
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The Organizer is not responsible for delay, failure, cancellation, interruption, modification, or inability to perform where caused by circumstances outside the Organizer’s reasonable control.
Such circumstances may include:
* natural disasters;
* war;
* civil unrest;
* governmental action;
* pandemic or public health restriction;
* platform outages;
* hosting failure;
* cyberattack;
* payment-provider failure;
* third-party platform restriction;
* AI tool provider failure;
* rights claims;
* legal orders;
* sanctions restrictions;
* labour disruption;
* serious technical failure;
* emergency safety issue;
* other events beyond reasonable control.
Where such circumstances affect the Event, the Organizer may modify deadlines, pause the Event, cancel the Event, republish the Event, adjust administration, or take another reasonable step.
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These Event Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the applicable laws of Canada, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Participants accessing or participating in the Event from outside Canada are responsible for complying with local laws that apply to them.
Nothing in these Event Terms limits rights or protections that cannot be waived under applicable law.
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Subject to applicable law, any dispute arising out of or relating to these Event Terms, the Event, or participation in the Event will be brought in the courts located in Ontario, Canada.
The Participant consents to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
Where local law gives a Participant mandatory rights to bring a claim in another jurisdiction, those rights are not waived to the extent they cannot be waived under applicable law.
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The Organizer may update these Event Terms before or during the Event where reasonably necessary to:
* clarify rules;
* correct errors;
* reflect platform functionality;
* address legal requirements;
* address technical issues;
* address AI-use, Synthetic Voice, impersonation, disclosure, or rights issues;
* protect safety, fairness, or Event integrity;
* improve administration;
* reflect changes in Event Materials.
Material changes will be communicated through the Event page or official Event communication channels where reasonably possible.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, updates apply prospectively and do not retroactively change completed Rounds, validly submitted Submissions, or finalized results, except where reasonably necessary to address legal compliance, security, fraud, cheating, technical error, rights infringement, unauthorized AI use, unauthorized voice cloning, impersonation, or serious Event-integrity issues.
The version posted or linked at the time of the relevant participation step applies to that step, unless an update is required by law or accepted by the Participant.
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If any provision of these Event Terms is found invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.
The invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable provision will be interpreted or modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, lawful, and enforceable, while preserving its original purpose as closely as possible.
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If the Organizer does not enforce a provision of these Event Terms immediately, that does not mean the Organizer waives the right to enforce it later.
Any waiver must be express and in writing to be effective.
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The Participant may not assign or transfer rights or obligations under these Event Terms without the Organizer’s prior written consent.
The Organizer may assign or transfer these Event Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, asset transfer, platform transfer, or similar transaction, provided that Participant rights are handled in accordance with applicable law.
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These Event Terms, together with the documents listed in Section 1.4, form the applicable agreement for participation in the Event.
They replace prior drafts, informal statements, chats, messages, promotional descriptions, or non-final materials regarding the legal terms of participation, except where a separate written agreement is expressly entered into by the relevant parties.
The Event page and Event Materials remain part of the practical operating rules of the Event, as described in these Event Terms.
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For Event-related questions, support, complaints, legal notices, privacy questions, AI-use questions, or rights-related concerns, contact:
Vanguard Music Platforms Inc.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Email: connect@vanguardnetwork.org
Privacy-related requests should be submitted in accordance with the Event-Specific Privacy Notice and the Vanguard Privacy Policy.
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This Event is run by Vanguard Music Platforms Inc. through the Vanguard Platform.
You are responsible for your Submission, rights, collaborators, samples, beats, vocals, Synthetic Voice use, AI tools, disclosures, eligibility, conduct, and payment details if you win.
Vanguard is responsible for running the Event, publishing rules, administering judging, recording results, handling Event-related data, and protecting the integrity of the Event.
Your music remains yours, to the extent you own or control it.
Vanguard can use your Submission to run and document the Event.
Broader promo use requires the separate Content Promotion & Media License or another clear permission.
AI tools are permitted and encouraged for this Event, but you must follow tool terms, disclose required AI use, clear rights, and avoid unauthorized voice cloning or misleading imitation of real people or artists.
Judging decisions are final unless there is a real technical, rights, cheating, AI-use, Synthetic Voice, impersonation, eligibility, fraud, or integrity issue.
The maximum cash prize for this Event is CAD $500, depending on the number of eligible Round 1 Submissions.
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By registering for, joining, submitting to, or otherwise participating in Vanguard AI: Command the Machine Battle, the Participant confirms that they have read, understood, and agree to these Event Terms and the other required Vanguard and Event documents clearly presented or linked in connection with the Event.
