FAQs
IF YOU'VE THOUGHT OF IT WE'VE MOST LIKELY GOT AN ANSWER FOR IT.
- GENERAL
- ELIGIBILITY
- REGISTRATION
- THE COMPETITION FOR SEASON TWO (2011)
- VIDEO & CONTENT
- ACCOUNT SETTINGS
- TECHNICAL ISSUES
- PRIZES
- NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Updated: April 10, 2011.
GENERAL
Q. What is MySchoolAct?
A. MySchoolAct is an online music and talent competition exclusively created for Australian high school students with a passion for the music industry. MySchoolAct supports the music infrastructure within schools and is FREE to enter.
Acts are in the running to win a host of AMAZING prizes. For full details of the 2011 MySchoolAct Competition Prizes, go to our Prizes section
To understand what MySchoolAct is all about, including how the competition works, go to our About section.
MySchoolAct is also about education and helping students get a better understanding of the music industry and the range of careers it offers.
Finally, MySchoolAct gives the public a chance to help us discover new talent and support their favourite acts throughout the competition.
How do I enter the competition?
It's easy - simply go to the Act Registration page and fill in your details. You'll need to select the school you're from as well. If members of your band are from different schools you'll just need to decide which one of your schools your band will represent.
Once you've registered and confirmed your account you can upload your video or MP3 to your profile page. Once the MySchoolAct team have approved it you'll be able to start building your fan-base!
Q. What if I don’t have a video?
A. Easy: make one! We’re not expecting professional film here: get your friends involved, use your web cam or ask your music teacher (very nicely) if you can use the school’s equipment. And check out the MySchoolAct Resource Centre for articles that will help you pull the whole thing together.
Q. How many songs can I enter into the MySchoolAct competition?
A. You can enter up as many audio, video and image files as you like.
Q. I’m not an artist - should I be here?
A. Definitely: we need fans on MySchoolAct because they’re the ones who get the Acts through to the finals.Click here to register as a fan (or use the ‘Sign Up’ link at the top of every page) so you can:
- Access the MySchoolAct community of fans and artists
- Find new Acts and join their fan base
- Add your favourites to your Top 10 list (this is how you ‘vote’ for who you think should win)?
- Share your opinion on your personal fan page.
Q. I’ve sent several emails to enquiries@myschoolact.com but haven’t heard from you. Does MySchoolAct read my emails?
A. We definitely read them; it’s just we receive hundreds of them every day. If you haven’t had a response to your question, it’s possibly because there’s an answer on this page, so take a minute to check the list. If not, please be patient with us: we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Q. How do I unsubscribe from MySchoolAct emails?
A. Just click the ‘Unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of any email you’ve received from MySchoolAct. You can also edit your email options here so you’ll only receive certain info from us.
Q. Can I upload MP3s of my songs?
A. You sure can. In this years' competition we're accepting MP3s/audio files as well as videos. But you should still consider making a video if you can as a great video can really improve your chances of winning the competition.
ELIGIBILITY
Q. What are the age requirements for the competition?
A. To enter, you must be between the ages of 12 and 20 years old (for the duration of the competition).
Q. Some of our band members finished school last year but are still meet the age requirements. Can we still enter?
A. Yes, but at least 50% of member need to be attending High School.
Q. Can two or more people enter together?
A. For sure: solo artists, as well as bands and groups, are welcome. If your band has several members, we’ll consider you as one entry, so make sure you have a great band name. And have a look at the question below too.
Q. Do all my band members have to go to the same school?
A. No, other members can go to other schools, but Acts must associate themselves with ONE school only.
Q. I’m completing my finals at TAFE, Continuation School or am Home Schooled– can I still enter?
A. Possibly, but this will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Send your enquiries to enquiries@myschoolact.com. Same goes for home schooling.
Q. I’m out of Australia, can I still Enter?
A. Unfortunately this competition is for Australian students only.
Q. I haven’t written any original songs – can I still enter?
A. Absolutely, you can. We have an agreement with the Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) that means we can accept covers, as long as the original artist is registered with APRA. Use the ‘Works Search’ feature on the APRA website to make sure the song you want to enter is on their list.
Q. What genres of music do you accept?
A. If its music, we want it. MySchoolAct welcomes everything and anything from the musical spectrum, so you can enter whatever genre your Act is into.
Q. My band has written original music, but it includes samples of some existing music – can we still enter our song?
A. Basically, no: we don’t accept songs that include unauthorised samples. And, even if you’ve managed to clear the sample for use, we really recommend that you don’t enter it in MySchoolAct. We don’t like law suits and are sure you don’t either. If you can, re-record your track/video without the sample or, better still, create your own.
REGISTRATION
Q. How do I register?
A. Easily: Click here to register as an Act or a Fan, or click the ‘Sign Up’ link at the top of every page.
Q. I registered, but didn’t receive a confirmation email – what do I do?
A. Check your spam folder - it’s probably there. If not, click here and we’ll send it to you again. And make sure you add enquiries@myschoolact to your contacts so our email doesn’t get lost in your spam.
Q. When I try to register, it tells me my email address has already been registered – what’s going on?
A. Either you’ve registered and haven’t received your confirmation email yet, or your email address is already in our system. An email address can only be registered once, so you’ll need to use another one if you want to register again.
Q. I perform under two different artist names – do I need two separate accounts with MySchoolAct?
A. If you want to enter two performances under different names, then yep, you’ll need two accounts. Just make sure you have a unique email address for each.
Q. I’m not an artist – do I need to register?
A. Not necessarily: you can visit our website and watch videos without registering. If you want to add Acts to your Top 10 and post comments (which, of course, you do), then yes, you’ll need to register as a fan.
Q. I’d like to change my profile (edit band members, change my photos etc) – where can I do that?
A. Log in to your profile and click the Profile tab in your settings. You can update all your Act’s details on this page (just remember to hit ‘Save’ when you’re done).
Q. My fans, friends and family are having trouble registering to vote – what should I tell them?
A. Have a look through the questions on this page: there’s probably an answer here already. If not, drop us an email and let us know what the problem is.
Q. I forgot my password – what should I do?
A. Click on ‘Login’ at the top of the page, then enter your email address and click ‘Forgot password?’ We’ll send you an email with your password.
THE COMPETITION
Q: When will the next competition be launching?
A:Season Two of MySchoolAct has already launched.
Q. What do I need to do to win the MySchoolAct competition?
A. Get yourself some fans, promote your act and encourage comments. Go to the Competition Points Allocation to learn how to maximize your points.
Q. Are there heats in the competition? What are the stages?
A. No heats, but there are a few stages before you’ll hit the Final’s.
- Stage 1 is open to any Act (provided they meet the requirements).
- Stage 2 is where we announce the Top 10.
- Stage 3 is where the Top Five battle it out for the number one spot. For competition dates, click here.
Q. How do I submit my video to the competition?
A. Once you’re ready to submit your video, just use your Act account to upload your video. The MySchoolAct team will review it and, if it meets our entry criteria (i.e. no offensive content) we'll approve and it'll go-live so that you can start building your fan base and your fans can start adding your Act to their list.
Q. Can I enter an audio track into the competition?
A. You sure can. It's the same process as submitting a video (see above.)
Q. How do I know what stage I’m at in the competition?
A. Don’t worry: we’ll let you know! At the end of each stage, we’ll send you an email confirming whether you’ve made it through to the next part of the competition.
Q. How does the voting work?
A. You have to register with MySchoolAct to vote and then log into your account. Find your favourite Acts and click the ‘Become a Fan’ button to add them to your List/Favourites. Each act you add to your Favourites list will get points. For more information on how Acts can earn points, go to our VIDEO & CONTENT
Q. How do I upload a video?
A. First up, you need to register your Act and log in. In your account settings, click the ‘Upload More Media’ tab.
Q. Once I submit my work, does MySchoolAct own the rights to it?
A. MySchoolAct retains the rights to market and use your video and/or audio track to promote the competition. But we definitely do not own your song, lyrics or film, and you always maintain the intellectual property rights to your work. For more details, see our Comp Rules section.
Q. What’s the policy on swearing?
A. We won’t accept entries that contain explicit profanity, drug, alcohol or sexual references. And we have the right to remove videos or profiles that we believe to be abusing this policy.
Q. What’s the policy on cyber bullying?
A. Strictly no tolerance. Under no circumstances will MySchoolAct accept online harassment or cyber bullying on our website or on any of the other MySchoolAct social networking profiles. If we believe any Act or Fan is engaged in cyber bullying, they’ll be removed from the site and the competition. For more info about what constitutes cyber bullying, check our Anti-Cyber Bullying Policy.
ACCOUNT SETTINGS
Q. What goes on my Act Profile page?
A. This is your personal homepage during the competition and your best marketing tool. Use it to make contact with friends and fans, upload videos and photos and generally make a lot of noise about your Act.
Q. How do I update my Act profile section?
A. When you log on to your account, click on ‘Manage My Account’, located at the top right of the website.
Q. How do people become Fans for my Act?
A. All your Fans need to do is click the ‘Vote and Add to My Favorites’ link on your Profile page.
Q. Can I remove offensive or unwanted comments about my video?
A.In your account manager page, you can flag any comment as inappropriate. MySchoolAct will review the comments against our cyber bullying policy and if we find the comment to be offensive we will delete it.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Q. What do I do if I have a problem uploading my video?
A. Just let us know and we’ll help you out as quickly as possible.
Also, try using the Firefox browser. You can download this at www.firefox.com. We find it's the most stable when it comes to using the MySchoolAct website.
Q. Why do videos stream in segments, rather than buffering and playing in their entirety?
A. Our site uses pure streaming technology, which means that whenever you want to play a video, it streams through the internet. So, if you have an unstable connection, the video may display in segments.
PRIZES
Q. What are the prizes that are up for grabs in MySchoolAct?
A. See our Prizes section
Need More Information?
To understand the basics of the MySchoolAct competition, go to the About section.
For general questions, go to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. If you’ve got a question, we’ve probably answered it here.
For detailed information on the competition, go to our Comp Rules (Terms & Condition's) section.
To understand how to maximize your points, go to our Competition Points Allocation section.
For a detailed list of prizes, go to our Prizes section.
For SAE and Qantm scholarships, go to our Scholarships section.
For enquiries please contact us via enquiries@myschoolact.com
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