Background:

In Zimbabwe’s vibrant music industry, artists like Tendai "TeeJay" Nyandoro and Ruvimbo "RuviBeats" Moyo struggle to receive fair royalties for their work. FM stations, online streaming platforms, and bars play their songs, but without an automated tracking system, these artists lack proof of airplay. Royalties are lost, disputes arise, and many broadcasters underreport usage, either unintentionally or deliberately.

The Challenge:

Design a low-cost, Raspberry Pi-based solution that can:

1. Listen & Recognize – Capture and identify songs playing on FM radio and online streams using audio fingerprinting.
2. Timestamp & Log – Record the date, time, station, and frequency each time a song plays.
3. Automate Reporting – Generate a quarterly statement of airplay and send it to the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA) and respective stations.

Constraints:

• Use Raspberry Pi 4, Pico, and other affordable components.
• Work in environments with low internet connectivity and still store offline logs.
• Ensure tamper-proof and auditable data logging.

Bonus:

How might your solution notify artists in real-time when their song is played?

Let’s hack for fairness in music royalties!

Click here to Register for Hackathon