2023 Online Regional Rules

Detailed instruction for entry, video submission and judging for the Twitch Regional

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This season, an Online Regional competition will be conducted online and streamed live on Twitch. All performances must be recorded and submitted in advance—both a round 1 song of your choosing and a round 2 song that we will send to contestants in advance.

One winner will advance to the National Finals in Denver, CO on 7/15 where the 2023 US Air Guitar National Champion will be crowned.

  • There are 20 competitors allowed.

  • Entry is first come, first serve

Video Submission Deadlines

Your round 1 performance video MUST be received Saturday June 24th by Noon your time zone.

For round 2, we will send compulsory tracks to all competitors 72 hours before their Regional, and Round 2 performance videos are requested Saturday by 3pm if possible to ensure your video is approved and Sunday the 25th by 9am your time zone at absolute cut-off

Online Regional: June 25th on Twitch - 8pm EST – twitch.tv/usairguitar

  • Round 1 video submission: June 24 by 12:00pm

  • Round 2 video submission: June 24 by 3:00pm / June 25 9am absolute cutoff – you will be DQd if received after

Video Submission Criteria

Requirements:

  • Your videos must be shot in standard 16:9 landscape format (portrait format will not be accepted)

  • The total length of your track must be no longer than 60 seconds (you do not have to point your finger to start, but when any audio starts to play that is NOT part of your environment, it has 60 seconds to finish or you will be asked to do it over)

  • The total length of your video must be no longer than 90 seconds

  • Your video must be taken in one shot with one camera—do not submit a video with multiple takes that are edited together – no jump cuts or multiple camera angles

  • You may NOT add after-effects to your video with the one exception of overdubbing your audio for better sound quality

  • This ALSO MEANS that you cannot process effects onto your video as they are shot: no Instagram or Snapchat filters, no digital overlays, no slow motion or time lapse—film your routine as it is meant to be seen as if you were live

  • Please abide by Twitch rules, and specifically do NOT show yourself doing drugs (real or fake - drinking alcohol is okay), do NOT include any nudity in your video and do NOT film anything dangerous in cars

  • If your video does not meet the above criteria, your entry will be subject to rejection – we will reach out to you with concerns upon submission

  • Additional recommendations — strongly encouraged, but not requirements:

    • Please shoot in HD (most cell phones even have 4k mode)

    • Ensure sound is clear — overdubbing music for better audio helps!

    • Art directing or lighting the setting/background is encouraged

    • Good cinematography is also encouraged—you may zoom in, zoom out, use a friend to follow you or send a dolly flying into your face at 100 mph…just make sure it's all done in ONE take.

As in live shows, there may only be 1 person playing air guitar or performing to the track

  • There may be assistants off camera helping with the staging of the performance

  • It’s ok if other people appear in the frame in the background, or as “crowd”

  • But other members of an air band, dancers or other performers are not allowed

  • If you have questions about this, let us know in advance and we can help clarify by emailing luke@usairguitar.com

 Standard Rules of Play

US Air Guitar contests each consist of two rounds:

  • Round 1 (freestyle): each competitor performs to a song of their choice

  • Round 2 (compulsory): top competitors from round 1 perform surprise song

This year’s Twitch Regionals will abide by the standard US Air Guitar performance rules:

  • Each performance is played to 1 minute (60 sec.) of a song

  • The 60 seconds can start anywhere in the song

  • The instrument must be invisible & must be a guitar

  • Air roadies are allowed, but must leave the “stage” before the performance

  • Back-up bands (air or real) are not allowed

  • Round 1 (freestyle): each competitor performs to a song of their choice, with top 5 advancing to round 2

    • In the event of tie scores, we will advance whatever number of contestants are at least tied for the 5th best score, e.g.

      • If 4 score 18.0 and 1 scores 17.9, then the top 5 advance

      • If 6 score 18.0 and 1 scores 17.9, then the first 6 advance

      • If 4 score above 17.5 and 3 are tied at 17.5, then all 7 advance

    • NOTE: in this year’s Regionals, Round 2 will feature “The Fan Favorite.” At the end of Round 1, USAG will host a survey in the Twitch chat to vote for the favorite performance that didn’t make the cut — the competitor with the most votes will be awarded a tie with 5th place and will be the first competitor of Round 2

  • Round 2 (compulsory): advancing competitors from round 1 will perform surprise song

 Judging Criteria

For each Regional, there is a jury of independent judges. The results of the jury cannot be protested. All performances are scored on a scale from 4.0 to 6.0, with 6.0 being the highest possible. Scores are given to one decimal point (e.g. 5.4, not 5.48). A single score is given to each air guitarist based on their overall performance in that round. The scores from BOTH ROUNDS are added to determine the contestants’ final scores. This combined score determines the winner.

The score reflects the quality of the performance based on three key criteria:

1. Technical merit

You don’t have to know what notes you’re playing, but the more your invisible fretwork corresponds to the music that’s playing, the better the performance.

2. Stage presence

Anyone can do it in the privacy of their bedroom. Few have what it takes to rock a crowd of hundreds or even thousands – all without an instrument.

3 Airness

The last criteria is the most difficult to define yet often the most decisive of all. Airness is defined as the extent to which a performance transcends the imitation of a real guitar and becomes an art form in and of itself.

 Tiebreakers

Only one performer from the Twitch Regional will advance to Finals

  • There will be no air-offs

  • If there is a two-way tie for first, the Judges will vote, and the performer with the highest number of votes will advance.

Prizes

The top competitor will get a slot in the 2023 National Finals

  • And will receive a stipend for travel to the Finals

  • The winner of the National Finals will receive

    • A free trip to Finland to represent Team USA at the Air Guitar World Championships

    • Possession of the US Air Guitar title belt, until a new US Champion is crowned, and the belt is passed to the new champ