Applications Now Open for the 2018 SXSW Hackathon

The SXSW Hackathon returns for its 5th year this March. In a buzzy 24-hour marathon stretching from Tuesday, March 13 through Wednesday, March 14, over a hundred hackers will collaborate in teams to build tech that addresses the range of media covered at SXSW in three categories: Film, VR/AR, and Music. Teams formed at the SXSW Hackathon have become full-fledged companies and even raised investment funding!

Hackers will have access a wide range of resources to develop innovative prototypes including guidance from our official artists-in-residence, public APIs and tools, and our exclusive collection of partner APIs & SDKs. The top three projects are awarded cash prizes by our panel of top-level industry & creative judges.

Hackers will address these questions with their prototypes:

Commerce & Industry - How is money getting to artists, creators, and rights-holders and can emerging technologies like blockchain or micro-licensing help facilitate and manage the process? How can creatives connect with the right industry players to mutually further careers?

Creation and Performance - How can musicians, filmmakers, or VR/AR designers use tech to create, perform, and display in new ways? What tools can we create to make the process easier or more inventive?

Distribution - With the fragmentation of distribution systems, physical media, and streaming options, how do I get my work out to the public and in front of my ideal audience?

Consumer - How can we improve the fan, customer, listener, viewer or user experience?

Cross-discipline - How can creators collaborate more easily and more creatively across audio, visual, and immersive fields?

Apply to Participate

The application process is currently open, but spots are very limited so act quickly. Hackathon is free and open to the public, and is open to coders of all skill levels and specialties. As a bonus, accepted participants will also be offered a lowest-rate discount on a SXSW Interactive, Film, or Music Badge – so make plans to join us for the week!

Apply to compete in the SXSW Hackathon

SXSW badge registration is not required to participate. Thanks to SXSW Hackathon Supporting Sponsor ConsenSys and API Sponsor Stem.

SXSW Hackathon photo by Randy and Jackie Smith