At Silver Sound, we commemorate both the longest and shortest days of the year by encouraging anyone within earshot to pull out their microphones and make something new! Every winter and summer, we host a 48-hour audio storytelling competition, shower the top three winners with money and fabulous prizes, and showcase the top 10 finalists both live at a celebration event in NYC and online via our Silver Podcast Network. We call this the Biannual Sonic Dash.
In order to win, entrants must complete and submit a totally original, from-scratch audio piece within two days of being e-mailed a prompt. Ten finalists are then scored by an esteemed panel of judges before the prize-winners are announced the following week.
Registration is now open for the Winter 2026 Sonic Dash, which will take place on the weekend of January 9th-11th, 2026.
Registrants will be e-mailed a prompt for the competition on Friday, January 9th. They will then have until noon on Sunday, January 11th to submit their entry.
As before, our top winner takes home a $1,000 cash prize as well as a slew of hefty software and hardware audio suite upgrades (see below). If you want it, make a plan to win! Take a look at our Past Dashes to see what prior finalists have been able to do with 48 hours and a lot of ingenuity.
What do I get if I win?
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Grand Prize
$1,000 in Cash
Dell Laptop worth over $5K
PodPro Duo Video Setup
iZotope Software TBD
Acon Digital Software TBD
AATranslator2 Extended
A REAPER Pro License
Earthworks Ethos
$350 of Audio Services from Silver Sound
Featured on the award-winning Silver Podcast Network
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Second-Place Prize
PodPro Solo Video Setup
Focusrite Scarlet
iZotope Software TBD
Acon Digital Software TBD
AATranslator2 Extended
A REAPER Pro License
Earthworks Ethos
$350 of Audio Services from Silver Sound
Featured on the award-winning Silver Podcast Network
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Third-Place Prize
AM25X Microphone
A REAPER Pro License
Acon Digital Software TBD
AATranslator2 Extended
Earthworks Ethos
Featured on the award-winning Silver Podcast Network
FAQs
So how do I enter this thing?
When registration opens, hit the registration link and make sure you take the time to pay the $25 fee via the included payment link. Unpaid registrations will not be considered for contest participation.
How can I submit my piece?
Entrants will be e-mailed a top-secret submission portal to post links to their entries. All entries must be hosted on Soundcloud and submitted before the deadline.
What kind of piece can I submit?
It has to be less than 2 minutes, and it has to be created 100% from scratch, which means that the use of archival material, generative A.I., and pre-existing music is not allowed. More challenging than it seemed, right?
The judges are looking for works that display originality, an innovative use of audio storytelling tools, and an impactful narrative (even if we only get a drive-by glance at it).
Can I still participate, even if I live far from New York and perhaps in another country?
Yes! That’s not a problem. Please note that, due to tariffs, we will not be able to ship some of our physical prizes internationally.
Wait, where and what is Silver Sound?
Silver Sound is an Emmy Award-winning audio production company with its very own Silver Podcast Network The network’s very first piece, “Aisha,” won top prize at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023.
Our studio is in Manhattan: 28 W 27th St #906 New York, NY 10001
