Open to photographers worldwide

Submit and vote at: www.clubbingtv.com/Rave2025

Participants are invited to submit their best photos in one or several of the contest categories. Once validated, the images will be showcased in an online gallery where the public can vote for their favorites.

• Public Voting Phase: 30 days duration, with a leaderboard revealed after 15 days.

• Jury Deliberation: After public voting closes, a jury composed of renowned photographers, artists, and electronic music professionals will evaluate the top shots.

• Winners Announcement: The final winners will be officially revealed on Clubbing TV and our official channels.

This year the judge’s panel is truly international and intergenerational, bringing together individuals we deeply respect, people who have a real and lasting impact on club culture through their work, vision, and influence.

The selection process will be led by a distinguished panel of experts, each bringing their own unique perspective on electronic music culture and visual storytelling:

Submissions Open: Open now as of Friday, March 14th 2025

Open to photographers worldwide

Submit and vote at: www.clubbingtv.com/Rave2025

Internationally acclaimed artist and record producer Full Crate has officially teamed up with pioneering blockchain-based music platform, Audius, to offer an exclusive new sample pack, ‘Sounds For The People Vol. 2’ available only on Audius – a significant collaboration highlighting the ever evolving intersection of music, technology and artist empowerment.

For this exclusive partnership, Full Crate has established his own official profile on Audius, where fans and producers can directly access and purchase a one-of-a-kind sample pack that will not be available on any other platform. This move underscores Full Crate’s commitment to innovation and artist-driven initiatives in the evolving digital music landscape.

By collaborating with Audius, Full Crate is embracing a new era of artist independence, providing music creators with the opportunity to access exclusive, high-quality sounds while supporting a platform that prioritizes artist equity and transparency.

Speaking about the partnership, Full Crate commented:

“Growing up learning how to make music, we did not have the access to the sounds or tools like we do now! I wanted to give everyone access to my sounds and share my creative process with the world. Audius is a great partner to do that with”.

Paty Gomez-Palacio, Artist & Label Relations Manager at Audius, added:

“We’re thrilled to have Full Crate launch his exclusive sample pack on Audius. This drop not only gives producers access to high-quality sounds from one of the most innovative artists in the game but also reinforces our mission to empower artists with new ways to share and monetize their work. We’re excited to continue being leaders in the music & web3 space, so we can live in a world where artists have full ownership over their music and a more direct connection with their audience.”

With millions of active monthly users and over one million tracks from over 250,000 artists, Audius is redefining the music industry by leveraging blockchain technology to decentralize music distribution. Founded by Standford computer scientists Roneil Rumburg and Forrest Browning, the platform empowers artists by allowing them to connect directly with fans, retain ownership of their music, and receive fair compensation without intermediaries.

A visionary artist and producer, Full Crate is known for his genre-blending sound that seamlessly merges R&B, hip-hop, and electronic music. His impressive collaborations include working with Gaidaa, Kyle Dion, Naomi Sharon, BJ The Chicago Kid, and T3 of Slum Village. His standout remixes, such as his interpretation of Beyoncé’s “XO” and his Grammy-considered remix of Jungle’s “Back on 74”, have solidified his reputation as a top-tier producer.

In 2023, Full Crate released his debut album, “A Kid From Yerevan”, a deeply personal project reflecting his immigrant experience and artistic evolution. His work has been featured in major productions, including Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty fashion shows and the Emmy-winning Netflix series “When They See Us”. With millions of streams across platforms—80 million streams for his hit “A Storm On A Summers Day” and 15 million for his Jungle remix—Full Crate continues to leave his mark on the global music scene. His sound has been featured in campaigns for brands like David Yurman, starring Michael B. Jordan. After a sold-out North American tour, he remains at the forefront of shaping the future of R&B and music innovation.

Audius is a blockchain-powered music streaming platform that enables artists to upload, share and monetize their music without intermediaries. Built on the Ethereum blockchain, Audius uses smart contracts to ensure fair compensation and transparency for creators. Unlike traditional streaming services, Audius allows artists to directly control their content, making it a revolutionary force in the music industry. By removing gatekeepers and middlemen, Audius is empowering independent musicians, giving them the tools to engage with their fans, protect their intellectual property, and generate revenue in a secure, transparent and decentralized way. Join the Movement.

This exclusive partnership between Full Crate and Audius represents a major step forward for artist independence and the future of digital music distribution. Fans and music creators can now access Full Crate’s exclusive sample pack only on Audius: https://audius.co/FullCrate

For more information, visit:

Full Crate Website: https://www.fullcrate.net/

Audius Website: https://audius.co/

Full Crate on Audius: https://audius.co/FullCrate

DB Professional – a world-renowned leader in international touring, production and audio-visual solutions, helmed by CEO, Creative Director and Founder Fabian Hamers – kickstarts 2025 with the announcement that they will now be offering L-Acoustics’ ground-breaking L2 PA system for its ever-expanding portfolio of events. First piloted at The Brit Awards and Coachella Music and Arts Festival, the L-Acoustics L2 system will now be offered by DB Professional to optimize artists’ tour budgets by providing high-quality sound alongside significantly lower operational costs.

Fabian Hamers is a Dutch creative director, audio engineer and entrepreneur renowned for his contributions to the live event and touring industry. With over 15 years of industry experience, Hamers has established himself as a trusted collaborator for globally celebrated artists and productions, crafting ground-breaking solutions in audio system engineering, show design and live video production. With an impressive and vast portfolio of projects to his name, his work has redefined the way performances are experienced, bridging technical innovation with artistic vision.

Starting his journey in the music industry from humble beginnings, Fabian worked his way up from assembling event infrastructure to freelancing in audio engineering while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Audio Engineering. Determined to excel, he entered freelancing in the audio sector, steadily building both his expertise and reputation. In 2018, he founded the now world-renowned DB Professional B.V., a Netherlands-based company specializing in technical design production and touring logistics for A-list artists. Under his leadership, the company has grown from a solo venture to an industry powerhouse, employing seven core team members and over 64 freelancers monthly, delivering more than 280 shows annually.

Hamers’ extensive portfolio reflects his global influence. He has collaborated with iconic artists across diverse genres, including leading names in the music industry such as Ne-Yo, Kid Cudi, Ricky Martin, The Chainsmokers, Charlotte de Witte, Chris Liebing, Lil Nas X, and Tiesto. In the Persian music scene, he has become a trusted creative director in the audio engineering field for legends such as Shadmehr Aghili, Moein, and Googoosh, playing a pivotal role in their international tours. His expertise has also been sought for major international festivals including Tomorrowland, Awakenings, SAGA Festival and A State of Trance, where he has delivered top-tier audio engineering, system design, and sound production.

Winning the “best of show” award at the 2024 ISE tradeshow in Barcelona, the L-Acoustics L2 system has become the efficient choice for international tour promoters and event producers, offering an innovative solution for those who strive for maximum sound quality and cost control on tour. Adopted by some of the world’s most prestigious events, including Coachella Music and Arts Festival and The Brit Awards, this system is designed to significantly reduce operational and logistical burden, delivering immediate financial benefits without sacrificing on performance. Over a tour of 30 shows, artists can expect to realize a cost saving of €66,300 by choosing L-Acoustics L2. With these benefits, L2 offers promoters the opportunity to operate more efficiently and reduce their overall operating costs, while delivering the same high-quality sound you expect from L-Acoustics.

For tours with high quality requirements and tight schedules, efficiency is crucial, and the L-Acoustics L2 system not only offers superior sound quality but also significant cost savings on transport, labor and hall rental. The core benefits of the L-Acoustics L2 include:

Lower Rental Costs due to fewer amplifiers and cabling:

The compact and powerful L2 system offers the same sound coverage as a K2 line array, but with only three amplifiers instead of seven. This means that you need four fewer amplifiers per array, which results in direct savings in rental costs. At a rental price of €115 per amplifier you save €460 per setup, which translates to €13,800 less rental costs over 30 shows. This gives you more room in your budget for other essential show elements.

Truck Space and Transport Savings:

The L2 system is 40% lighter and 30% smaller than comparable systems such as K2. This lightweight configuration saves at least 2-meter square of truck space per array and reduces the overall weight of your equipment. Fewer trucks required not only means lower transport costs, but also simplified logistics. Over the 30-show tour, this will save artists on fuel and transportation costs, allowing their teams to work more efficiently and reduce the tour’s environmental footprint.

Labour cost savings:

Thanks to L2’s modular and simple installation, teams will save 1 hour and 15 minutes per show on set-up time. For a team of three technicians (at an hourly rate of €50 per person) this means a saving of €187.50 per show in labour costs. Over a tour of 30 shows, this savings amounts to €5,625. This not only shortens setup time but also ensures a smoother and faster transition to the next location. In addition, compared to a K2 system, the L2 system requires 75% fewer actions and 1 L2 cabinet is equal to 4 K2 cabinets. 

Lower Hall Rent:

Shorter construction time saves an average of €1,250 per show. The saving in set-up time also means that you need to rent the hall for 1 hour and 15 minutes less per show. With an average hall rental price of €1,250 per hour, you save €1,562.50 per show in hall rental costs. Over 30 shows this amounts to a total saving of €46,875. This shorter rental time allows you to plan more flexibly and quickly move to the next location. This takes into account a hall rental of €1,000 to €2,500 per hour.

For further information on DB Professional, head to https://db-professional.com/

The story of music promotion has come full circle. In the ’90s, EDM producers would hold headphones up to telephone receivers, sharing their latest tracks with contacts across continents. Today, TikTok creators hold phones up to their audiences, turning tracks into viral sensations. This evolution hasn’t gone unnoticed by Giacomo Pellegrini, founder and CEO of Fankee, who alongside veteran EDM producer Dario Pozzi, is revolutionizing how emerging artists break through in the digital age.

Launched in 2024, Fankee represents a bold experiment in music promotion: a platform that transforms passionate fans into co-owners and promoters of the music they love. The model is both simple and revolutionary – artists retain around 50% of their rights, while 20-30% is made available for fans to purchase, creating a community of invested supporters who directly benefit from an artist’s success.

The results speak for themselves. Through Fankee’s contest platform, artists who previously struggled to reach 100 streams have seen their numbers explode to over 140,000. Their most recent contest generated 2 million+ streams across 32 tracks, with over 3 million social media interactions. However, like any innovative model, Fankee’s approach comes with its own set of challenges. The platform must continuously adapt to rapidly changing social media landscapes, and the success of its artists relies heavily on community engagement – a factor that can be as unpredictable as it is powerful.

Yet, in an industry where major labels increasingly operate like risk-averse private equity funds, Fankee’s willingness to bet on emerging talent – while offering them a fair deal – might just be the disruption the music industry needs. We spoke with Pellegrini to discuss how Fankee is reshaping artist development and fan engagement in the streaming era.

1. You describe Fankee as a “Y Combinator for music.” Could you elaborate on how exactly you’re applying the startup accelerator model to emerging artists, and what specific resources or support systems you provide beyond the community-driven promotion?

The analogy comes from a parallel that, in my opinion, represents today’s music market very well.

A label, like a venture capital or private equity fund, invests in talent, making a bet on an artist’s success. Major labels are akin to large private equity funds, focusing on reducing risk by signing artists who have already made progress independently—those who’ve demonstrated hype on social media, for example. Therefore, they pick talent that has already partially blossomed, giving it that final push to break through.

The difference is that labels often demand 70% or more of the rights in return.

What’s missing in this context? A system that accelerates talent, takes risks earlier and treats artists fairly. That’s where we step in, much like YC does for startups.

At Fankee, we offer what artists need the most: getting their music heard and reaching as many ears as possible. We achieve this through a combination of paid and organic promotion. External professionals support the organic push from fans—the real engine of promotion—by promoting tracks internationally.

In the future, while we will always be a label, our goal is to become a launchpad where artists can independently access everything they need in a high-quality, digital-first way. And all of this without giving up more than two-thirds of their rights. Not bad, right?

2. Your initial contests showed impressive streaming numbers. What metrics or criteria do you use to select which artists can participate in these contests, and how do you ensure the quality and authenticity of social media engagement?

We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved. We’ve been able to help artists who previously had fewer than 100 streams on DSPs reach 100-140k streams, and within a few months, the total hit 2 million.

Our selection process is currently based on genre, with a broad focus on EDM and its many subgenres. But the most important criteria are originality and a clear concept behind the track. Social media only gives you a few seconds to capture attention, so a distinctive, recognizable element—ideally a sung melody—can make all the difference.

Artists also need to have some social media presence and be willing to create content. Like it or not, this is essential today. We support them, but success is a team effort between Fankee, the artists, and the community. We’re all in the same boat.

As for authenticity, the approach is simple: the fans and artists themselves become the label. We give them full creative freedom to use the music in their content however they see fit.

3. The concept of fans becoming co-owners is intriguing. Could you walk us through the specifics of how the royalty-sharing model works – what percentage do fans receive, how are royalties distributed among multiple fan-promoters, and what legal framework supports this arrangement?

Our royalty-sharing model is based on the fractionalization ****of master rights. Here’s how it works:

• Ownership Structure: Artists retain a significant portion of their music rights—typically around 50%—while a percentage, such as 20-30%, is split and made available for fans to purchase. This allows fans to have a genuine stake in an artist’s success while ensuring the artist maintains creative control and a majority share of their music.
• Revenue Distribution: Royalties generated from streams and other revenue sources are automatically distributed based on each fan’s share once the DSPs release them. Our technology ensures accurate and timely payouts.
• Legal Framework: Fan ownership is formalized through a straightforward and transparent ownership contract, ensuring compliance with master rights laws.

4. Major labels often provide significant upfront investment in production, marketing, and tour support. How does Fankee plan to compete with these traditional industry resources while operating under a community-driven model?

In reality, advances for young artists have largely disappeared. Major labels only offer advances to high-profile, established artists, and even then, they often recoup those advances from future earnings. For most emerging talents, signing with a label means handing over control while unfortunately receiving little to no tangible support.

Fankee takes a different approach. We don’t bind artists to exclusive contracts unless they choose to be. Instead, we empower the real gatekeepers of social media and hype—the fans, micro-creators, and the artists themselves—by providing them with the tools and power to succeed.

And we always retain only a minority share for Fankee, keeping the focus on fair and transparent collaboration.

5. You mention that “social media now defines what becomes a hit.” Given the rapidly changing nature of social platforms and trends, how does Fankee adapt its strategy to remain effective across different platforms and evolving consumer behaviors?

Fankee is designed to be platform-agnostic and adaptive. We analyze user behavior and trends in real-time using growth hacking tools and data analytics. Our adaptability includes:

Platform-Specific Strategies: TikTok, for instance, serves as a discovery engine where we focus on creating viral moments, while Spotify provides sustained listening that translates into revenue. YouTube is a platform we believe in and plan to invest in heavily, especially for DJ sets, physical events, and giving our artists greater visibility.

Community-Led Content: We don’t force trends or anticipate them artificially. Instead, we empower users to create freely with our music, letting their creativity guide our success.

6. Your co-founder Dario Pozzi brings experience from the EDM scene of the ’90s and early 2000s. How has that era’s DIY and underground music culture influenced Fankee’s approach to artist development and community building?

It may sound surprising, but the EDM scene of the ’90s can easily be compared to today’s. Back then, producing and pressing music (especially vinyl) was relatively accessible, and the market was flooded with countless small independent labels. Just like today, major labels struggled to keep up with this phenomenon, often signing artists only after they had already achieved significant success.

Another similarity lies in the promotional mechanics. While major labels relied on traditional channels like radio, press, and TV, dance music producers had to handle everything on their own. Independent labels focused mainly on distribution and licensing, leaving the producers in charge of promoting their music.

Dario often tells stories about calling his contacts in the UK and playing them his tracks by holding a headphone up to the telephone receiver. That was the most effective way to promote music at the time. Sharing music with your community through the available means—primarily mix tapes—was the real key to success. Many tracks that made it to the top 10 during those years were born through this method of sharing and distribution.

Today, at Fankee, both artist development and community building are rooted in the same principle: connecting directly with the listeners—the Music Lovers. What used to be mix tapes has now evolved into playlists, sharing, and social content. This is the only winning path to success. And by allowing fans to have real “skin in the game” by becoming co-producers of the tracks they love, we’ve crafted the perfect recipe for success.

7. Looking ahead, what’s your vision for scaling Fankee? Are there plans to expand beyond contests into other areas of artist development or music industry innovation?

As I mentioned earlier, Fankee is a full-fledged label at its core, with contests serving as just one of the tools we use to empower our community. In the future, we aim to become a launchpad for artists, offering them everything they need to succeed independently. This includes exploring innovative tools and technologies, such as AI for personalized promotion and tools tailored for creators, while building an ecosystem where artists and fans collaborate seamlessly, free from the constraints of traditional gatekeepers. Our ultimate vision is to redefine artist development and music promotion through a blend of technology and community-driven models.

8. Finally, on a more personal note, what were some of your favorite electronic artists this year? Any favorite albums you’d like to share with us?

I have two favorites for very different reasons. Mochakk is an incredible entertainer; I saw him perform at CircoLoco in Ibiza, and his music truly electrifies the dancefloor—a rare skill these days when people often focus more on the visuals behind the DJ than actually dancing. On the other hand, Ben Böhmer has a phenomenal sound. During long drives, I often find myself listening to Beyond Belief and Father Ocean (co-produced with Monolink, if I’m not mistaken ?)

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“Moog Tech House Basslines Vol 1″ sample pack is out June 7th!

– @MitchDodge