Social entertainment app Kumu has launched “Sing For The Stars,” an all-digital international singing competition with four-time Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Michael Bublé and Tony award-winning musical theater legend Lea Salonga as guest judges.

“For many people, it’s a rare opportunity to get to perform for and learn from global superstars like Michael Bublé and Lea Salonga,” Kumu founder and CEO Roland Ros said.

All the World’s a Stage

Ros said through “Sing for the Stars,” Kumu is “discovering and highlighting new voices on a world stage in a unique and brand new way.”

He enumerated the advantages of an all-digital competition. First, a geographically even playing field. “’Sing for the Stars’ is the most inclusive talent show ever because talents can audition, perform, and win no matter who or where in the world they are,” he said.

He added that “Sing for the Stars” allows musicians to compete with comfort and convenience. Ros says musicians play their best where they are most comfortable, and a stage isn’t everybody’s first choice.

The freedom of choice and the level of up-front audience interaction also sets “Sing For The Stars” apart from other singing competitions.” Since ‘Sing For The Stars’ is live streamed on Kumu, everything is happening in real-time, including direct interactions and support from their adoring and supportive audience who are also all over the world,” he said.

The first phase of the competition opened to all aspiring musicians and artists on February 23, 2022.

How to Support Your Favorites

“Sing for the Stars” is already ongoing, and we can now support our favorite contestants.

Competitors need to rise through the leaderboard by gaining as many of the following virtual gifts from the audience: “Shine,” “Bright,” “Encore,” and “Superstar.” First tallying happened yesterday, and the top 100 performers moved on to the next phase.

Another tally count on March 12 will bring the performer count down to the top 30, all of whom will receive Maono microphones with studio headsets.

The Kumu Music Team and Warner Music Philippines will then select 15 performers to be part of the show.

Read more about the mechanics here (the mechanics can only be accessed via mobile).

The top eleven will move on to the final leg of the competition, while the remaining four will duke it out to secure their last chance to enter the finals. The second runner-up will win $2,000 in cash, while the first runner-up will take home $4,000 in cash. And the grand champion will take home a whopping $10,000 in cash, a one-year record contract with Warner Music, and their own mini-concert inside the Kumu app, plus a one-on-one coaching session from Michael Bublé.

The participants and the online audience will have a front-row seat to electrifying performances from Bublé, Salonga, and some of the hottest names in the music industry. The full lineup will be announced separately.

When asked about expectations about the show, Ros says, “we’re really hoping to find talented, breakthrough artists who embody our core values of positivity and authenticity. But the show isn’t only about creating a stage for our singers, it’s also going to be a way to activate community support and rally music-lovers on the app to come together.”

Kumu is available on Apple App Store, Huawei Store, and Google Play, and creating an account is free.

Kumu Lea Salonga