Got an idea for a song? Record a track. Upload it. Then invite others to add drums, bass, vocals or anything else.

That’s pretty much the concept of Kompoz, an online songwriting collaboration community. It’s simple concepts like this that are moving online collaboration in new and exciting directions.

If there was ever a good way to try out Kompoz, now would be a good time. Kompoz is running a songwriting contest.

To celebrate his new book, Off the Rails: Aboard the Crazy Train in the Blizzard of Ozz, legendary rock bassist Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, DIO, Blue Oyster Cult) is launching a Kompoz contest for both musicians and music enthusiasts.

Create a brand new song with Rudy. He’ll play bass, you do the rest. Best new song will be featured on RudySarzo.com and Kompoz, and all collaborators from the top three songs will win prizes, which include a Jackson Randy Rhoads guitar, a Peavey Rudy Sarzo signature bass, an Ampeg Amp, an M-Audio Pro Tools rig, Sony Acid Pro, and tons more.

How It Works

Download Rudy’s bass riffs and grooves from the contest page.  They’ve packaged up a select Kompoz collection from his Rudy Sarzo Workingman’s Loop Library.  Then, create a project on Kompoz and start collaborating with other members.  Create a new original composition with Rudy on bass (at least 75% of the bass track must include Rudy), then submit your project on their contest page.

The songs will be promoted and judged by you, by your friends, and by the OurStage community during the entire month of January.   The top songs will win, and all collaborators on the final mixes of those songs will win prizes.

Prize descriptions via Kompoz:

The Grand Prize Package currently includes a Peavey Bass Guitar valued at over 2,000 USD, a Jackson Randy Rhoads Guitar valued at over 1,700 USD, an Ampeg Amp, Sony ACID Pro 7, Rudy Sarzo Workingman’s Bass Loop Library, Autographed “Off the Rails: Aboard the Crazy Train in the Blizzard of Ozz” book, an Autographed Rudy Sarzo photo, and Kompoz “All Over The Map” CDs.

Rudy Sarzo will personally select the Grand Prize song from the contest submissions, and all of the collaborators that participated in the final mix for that song will be eligible for the prizes in the Grand Prize package, as follows.  We’ll randomly select via lottery a collaborator from that team.  That member will have his/her choice of a prize from the package.  We’ll then randomly select via lottery a second member from that team, and that member will have his/her choice from the remaining prizes in that package.  Prizes will be awarded in this way until all of the prizes in the package are claimed.  If there are more prizes in the package than there are collaborators in the winning song, then the names will be re-entered into the drawing and a new round of drawings will be made.

The People’s Choice Package will be awarded to the first-place winner of the OurStage voting round.  That package currently includes an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R, Protools M-Powered 7.4, Line 6 Pocket POD, Rudy Sarzo Workingman’s Bass Loop Library, Autographed “Off the Rails: Aboard the Crazy Train in the Blizzard of Ozz” book, an Autographed Rudy Sarzo photo, and Kompoz “All Over The Map” CDs.  Prizes will be awarded in the same fashion, using a lottery system as described above, which will include all collaborators on the final mix of the OurStage winner.

The 2nd and 3rd Place Runner Ups will win: Sony ACID Music Studio, Rudy Sarzo Workingman’s Bass Loop Library, Autographed “Off the Rails: Aboard the Crazy Train in the Blizzard of Ozz” book, an Autographed Rudy Sarzo photo, and Kompoz “All Over The Map” CDs.

Get started by visiting the contest page.

Holidazed and confused? Check out our complete list of Musician Gifts (Under $100)