The Zinstrel ChallengePresented by ElevenMusic
A creator music challenge where the human part matters. Make your song with ElevenMusic, bring your lyrics, show your work. Human-written lyrics score higher. $1,750 in prizes.
Anyone can read this page. You'll need a free Zinstrel account to enter — signing in takes you straight to the entry form.
Enter September 14 – 28, 2026 · One entry per person
First
$1,000
Plus three months of ElevenMusic Pro, a Zinstrel Culture feature, and the finale spotlight.
Second
$500
Plus three months of ElevenMusic Pro and a Zinstrel feature.
Third
$250
Plus three months of ElevenMusic Pro and a Zinstrel feature.
Cash prizes are paid directly by ElevenLabs. Every eligible entrant gets complimentary free-tier access to ElevenMusic; each winner also gets three months of Pro. All eleven finalists get a permanent spotlight on zinstrel.com/live and a slot in the official ElevenMusic finalist playlist.
The entry wall
Approved entries, playable right here. New songs appear as they clear review.
Loading entries…
Just in Time — ElevenMusic v2.5
ElevenMusic v2.5 has officially arrived right in time for the Challenge as its most powerful and best music model yet. Delivering richer melodies, natural instruments, and full ownership rights, it brings unprecedented depth and quality to your tracks.
The calendar
All times Mountain (Boise). Dates are set by Zinstrel LLC as challenge administrator.
- September 14Submissions open.
- September 15Zinstrel kickoff livestream — the Challenge explained, first questions answered live.
- September 22Livestream with ElevenLabs, on ElevenMusic and the creator process.
- September 28, 11:59 pmSubmissions close.
- September 29 – October 1Eligibility review, then judging. Entries are checked against the four requirements, then a panel picks the eleven finalists.
- October 2Finalists revealed. Ranked-choice voting opens, with all eleven tracks in one playlist.
- October 14, 11:59 pmVoting closes.
- October 15Finale livestream. Third, second, and first place announced live.
Questions
Do I need to pay for ElevenMusic to enter?
No. A free account works, and eligible entrants receive complimentary free-tier access. Winners get three months of Pro.
Can I use other AI tools besides ElevenMusic?
Yes, as long as ElevenMusic is used somewhere in the production and you disclose everything else you used. That includes AI for lyrics — generated lyrics are allowed. The only hard requirement is that ElevenMusic is part of the song.
Do the lyrics have to be mine?
No — you can write them yourself or generate them with AI, and either way the entry is eligible. But this is a creator challenge: human-written lyrics score higher with the judges. Just tell us honestly where the words came from.
What if I sang or played on the track myself?
Great. Human performance is welcome and counts toward the human contribution score. ElevenMusic still needs to appear somewhere in the process.
Can I enter a song I already released?
If it was released on or after June 1, 2026 and meets every eligibility requirement, yes. You'll still need your process statement and ElevenMusic link.
Who picks the finalists, and who picks the winners?
A judging panel selected by Zinstrel picks the eleven finalists. The public picks the winners by ranked-choice vote. Judges' scores only come into play to break a tie.
What does “ranked-choice” mean here?
You order the finalists instead of picking one. If your first choice is eliminated, your vote moves to your next choice. It rewards songs a lot of people like, not just songs with the loudest fans.
Who runs this?
Zinstrel LLC, an independent editorial publication covering AI music, organizes and administers the Challenge. ElevenLabs sponsors it and provides the prizes, but does not run it or judge it.
Something else?
Email admin@zinstrel.com.
The rules
The Zinstrel Challenge, Presented by ElevenMusic (“the Challenge”) is organized and administered by Zinstrel LLC (“Zinstrel”), Boise, Idaho. Eleven Labs Inc. (“ElevenLabs”) is the presenting sponsor and provides prizes; ElevenLabs does not administer the Challenge. By entering you agree to these rules. Last updated September 5, 2026.
1. Eligibility
- Open to individuals 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
- Open worldwide except where prohibited by law. Entrants are responsible for any local restrictions and taxes.
- Employees of Zinstrel LLC, and members of their immediate households, may not enter. ElevenLabs employees may not enter.
- No purchase necessary. A free ElevenMusic account is sufficient to create an eligible entry.
2. What makes an entry eligible
- The song demonstrably uses ElevenMusic, via the elevenmusic.io application, at some stage of its production.
- The entrant submits everything the form asks for: lyrics, a statement of where the lyrics came from, a process statement, an ElevenMusic track link, disclosure of all additional tools used, and a rights attestation.
- The entrant is not an employee of Zinstrel LLC.
- Lyrics may be human-written or AI-generated; both are eligible. Human-written lyrics score higher in judging. Other creative tools may be used and must be disclosed. Disclosure is not a penalty; it is a requirement.
3. Submission window and limits
- Submissions open September 14, 2026 and close September 28, 2026 at 11:59 pm Mountain Time.
- One entry per person. If multiple entries are received from the same person, only the first will be considered.
- Songs must be original works completed for this Challenge or released no earlier than June 1, 2026, and must run between 1 and 6 minutes.
- Songs must be submitted as an ElevenMusic track link.
- Entries containing hate speech, harassment, or explicit sexual content will be disqualified.
4. Rights
- Entrants retain all ownership of their songs.
- By entering, you grant Zinstrel LLC and ElevenLabs a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to stream, embed, and display your submitted song, name, likeness, and process materials in connection with the Challenge and its promotion, including on zinstrel.com, ElevenMusic, YouTube, Instagram, Substack, newsletters, and other social media, for the duration of the Challenge and permanently in archived form.
- You represent that your entry does not infringe any third-party rights, that you have the rights to every sample, voice, and image it contains, and that your disclosures are accurate.
5. Review, judging, and voting
- Eligibility review (September 29 – October 1). Zinstrel reviews each entry against Section 2. Entries that fail are not judged.
- Judging (October 1 – 2). A panel selected by Zinstrel chooses eleven finalists, scoring on song and execution (40%), originality (25%), creative use of ElevenMusic (20%), and human creative contribution (15%).
- Public voting (October 2 – 14). Readers rank the eleven finalists by ranked-choice ballot at zinstrel.com. Zinstrel may discard ballots it reasonably determines are automated, duplicated, or fraudulent.
- Result. Public ranked-choice results determine first, second, and third place. Ties are broken by the judging panel's scores.
6. Winners and prizes
- Potential winners will be notified by email on or before October 15, 2026, and must confirm eligibility and sign a liability and publicity release within 7 days of notification.
- Cash prizes ($1,000 / $500 / $250) are paid directly by ElevenLabs through its payment platform. Winners are responsible for all taxes.
- Each winner receives a complimentary three-month Pro-tier ElevenMusic subscription. Each eligible entrant receives complimentary free-tier access to ElevenMusic.
- Prizes are non-transferable. If a potential winner is ineligible or does not complete verification, the prize passes to the next-ranked finalist.
7. Privacy
- Zinstrel LLC collects entry information to administer the Challenge, and shares winner information with ElevenLabs as needed to fulfill prizes and ElevenMusic access, with your consent given at entry.
- Your information is shared with ElevenLabs for marketing only if you opt in on the entry form. You may withdraw that consent any time by emailing admin@zinstrel.com.
8. General
- Zinstrel may modify or cancel the Challenge if it cannot be run as planned. Rule changes will be posted on this page.
- Zinstrel's decisions on eligibility, judging, and results are final.
- Questions: admin@zinstrel.com.