JBL ‘Back to Stage’ campaign offers musicians chance to perform on virtual stage

It’s no secret that musicians have struggled during the pandemic thanks to a lack of real-life concerts and opportunities to rehearse, and the situation is especially bad for newcomers.

That’s why JBL’s ‘Back to Stage!’ campaign is trying to help musicians in Germany get back on their feet by giving them the opportunity to win a spot on its exclusive virtual stage. 

Over eight weeks, an expert panel will select one act per week to record an exclusive mini-gig. The overall winner from the eight acts will then be whisked away on an exclusive trip to London’s legendary Metropolis Studios where they’ll have the chance to record their next track.

All of the acts will benefits from the support of JBL and its partners in the music industry, including JBL brand ambassador DJ Armin van Buuren.

Musicians will get to record their 15-minute video in a studio equipped with JBL Professional audio gear. And each week, the lucky act’s clip will will be featured on IGTV and YouTube, alongside a significant marketing push. Short snippets of the concerts will also be shown at DWJ drive-in cinemas in Germany that feature JBL DAB products.

The expert panel that will pick the eight winners features top producer Liam Nolan from London’s Metropolis Studios, along with Alex Gernandt, music journalist and freelance writer for many high-profile titles including Der Spiegel and GQ. The third member of the panel is HARMAN Acoustics Engineer and expert musician, Wolfgang Zieglmeier. The overall winner will be chosen both by the jury and fans.

“With ‘JBL Back to Stage’ we are launching a platform that brings together music fans from all over Germany and offers musicians, regardless of formation or genre, versatile support and a new perspective for their art,” said Thomas Schnaudt, Director Marketing DACH and Strategic Partnerships EMEA at HARMAN.

“JBL is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and through this campaign we are once again emphasizing our long-standing commitment to musicians and performance. Even if we can only dance at home or sing in the shower at the moment, music connects and continues to help many people cope with these difficult times.”

The competition, which is limited to Germany only, opened on 14 March and is set to run for 10 weeks in total. To enter, musicians can head over to jbl-back-to-stage.de and upload a song.