Registration opens on 1 July 2025 and will close on 31 July 2025

PlayFair: A Tech Revolution for Artists

The Story:

Zimbabwe's music industry is full of powerful voices — young artists who inspire, energize, and express our collective experience. But behind the catchy hits and viral tracks lies an unfair truth: many of these artists are never paid when their music is played.

Radio stations, streaming platforms, bars, and events play their songs — but there's no proof. No tracking. No data. No justice. What if you, as a student innovator, could change that?

PlayFair challenges you to build a breakthrough. Your mission? Use affordable tech to track airplay and help artists claim what's rightfully theirs. This is more than a hack — it's a movement.

The Challenge:

Build a Raspberry Pi–based device that can:

• Listen to audio (from FM stations or streams)
  
  
• Identify songs in real time
  
  
• Log every play with timestamps and source
  
  
• Store data even offline and sync later
  
  
• Send reports to artists, Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), and broadcasters
  
  
• Bonus: Alert artists when their track goes live — in real time!
  
  

Tools:

• Raspberry Pi 4 / Pico
  
  
• Mic/audio interface
  
  
• Python or Node.js
  
  
• SQLite or flat file logs
  
  
• Audio recognition libs (open-source or APIs)
  
  
• Local storage + optional cloud sync
  
  

Why This Matters:

Music is power. Data is power. This hack bridges both.

You're not just coding a device. You're building the future of copyright protection. You’re creating proof. You’re giving artists a voice in the boardroom, not just the studio.

This is your chance to use your skills to change lives — and help shape a digital economy where creators are respected, protected, and paid.

Click here for PreRegistration