ThatSMS (That Shower Mic Singer) is an online singing contest by Bangali.Network, created to discover and celebrate voices beyond professional studios and conventional stages.
Submissions will be accepted from 23 August to 23 September 2026. The ThatSMS 2026 award recipients will be announced on 1 October 2026 — International Music Day. The individual professionally judged award titles will be revealed at SAMIHA.
ThatSMS is open to anyone aged 18 years or above who meets the contest requirements. Professional recording experience or formal musical training is not required.
There is no language restriction on your performance.
You may perform a copyright-free song or composition in any language. This could include, for example, an eligible Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore song), Mirabai bhajan, traditional Bhatiyali or other folk song, devotional composition, or classical piece. You may also submit a vocal performance without lyrics, such as a classical alaap.
Original compositions are also welcome, provided you hold the necessary rights to the composition and lyrics, where applicable.
These examples do not mean that every version or arrangement of such a work is necessarily free from copyright restrictions. Your chosen piece must be free from copyright restrictions applicable to your performance and its publication, or you must possess the necessary rights or permission to perform and submit it.
Your submitted performance may be up to 3 minutes long. If the complete composition is longer, you need to perform a suitable portion of it within the permitted duration.
You may perform using only your voice. You may also use one musical instrument played by you, such as a harmonium, guitar, keyboard, ukulele, cajón or any other instrument of your choice. Playing an accompanying instrument is not required to participate.
Each entry must feature the registered contestant as the sole singer and performer. If an instrument is used, it must also be played by the contestant.
Backing tracks, karaoke tracks, pre-recorded accompaniment or accompaniment performed by another person are not permitted.
You do not need professional recording equipment or a studio. A video recorded using a smartphone, camera or similar device is perfectly acceptable. Your face should be clearly visible and your voice clearly audible throughout the performance.
You may take assistance from another person solely for recording the video, such as operating the camera or phone. The person assisting with the recording must not sing, play an instrument or otherwise participate in the performance.
Basic editing, such as trimming unnecessary footage before or after the performance, is permitted. The singing itself must represent your actual performance. Lip-syncing, replacement vocals, pitch correction, artificial vocal enhancement or editing that materially changes the singing performance is not permitted.
Once successfully submitted, a performance may be published on ThatSMS without prior review. Bangali.Network may, however, review any entry at a later stage and restrict, remove or disqualify a performance where necessary for compliance with the contest rules.
Publication itself should not be considered confirmation that an entry has been independently verified by Bangali.Network.
Ready to join ThatSMS? Become a contestant in 4 easy steps. Entries are open from 23.08.2026 to 23.09.2026.
Record a video of your performance following the ThatSMS performance and recording requirements. Your video can be up to 3 minutes long.
Upload your performance directly through the ThatSMS submission form. You do not need to upload your video to YouTube, Instagram or any other external platform.
Enter the required details about yourself and your performance, and complete the necessary declarations confirming that your entry complies with the ThatSMS rules, including the copyright and performance requirements.
Once your submission is successfully completed, you receive your unique ThatSMS contestant number, and your performance is published on its own ThatSMS page.
ThatSMS combines audience support with professional assessment. To reach the final judging stage, a contestant must first earn the support of listeners. From there, the quality of the performance takes over.
Every published performance has a ThatMic button through which listeners can support the contestant.
To encourage genuine listening, ThatMic becomes available only after a listener has played at least 2 minutes of the performance.
Contestants are welcome to share their performance and ask others to support them. However, bots, exploits, fake voting, purchased votes or other forms of vote manipulation are not acceptable. Bangali.Network may review voting activity and exclude invalid or manipulated votes before the final counts are determined.
At the end of the audience-support period, the 30 contestants receiving the highest number of valid ThatMic votes advance to the final judging stage.
The contestant receiving the highest number of valid ThatMic votes also receives the audience-selected Popular Voice recognition.
Reaching the Top 30 requires audience support. Once there, however, the professional assessment is based on the performance itself — not on the number of ThatMic votes received. Audience support is considered separately for a dedicated audience-selected recognition.
The Top 30 performances are evaluated by an industry professional appointed by Bangali.Network. Each shortlisted performance is assessed across the following areas:
Vocal Quality
Quality, clarity, tone and overall command of the voice.
Pitch & Control
Accuracy of notes, vocal stability, breath control and the contestant’s ability to maintain control throughout the performance.
Rhythm & Timing
Sense of rhythm, timing and consistency with the musical structure of the chosen piece.
Expression & Interpretation
The ability to understand, interpret and communicate the mood, emotion and character of the performance.
Overall Performance
The overall impression created by the contestant, including confidence, presentation, engagement and the ability to hold the listener’s attention.
After considering the performance as a whole, the judge assigns one overall professional score out of 10.
The professional scores provide a structured basis for evaluating the Top 30. The appointed judge determines the professionally judged recognitions after considering the performances and the published criteria.
The judge’s artistic assessment is final. Bangali.Network remains responsible for verifying eligibility, voting integrity and compliance with the contest rules before results are declared.
The highest honour of ThatSMS, awarded for the strongest overall performance in the professional judging process. The winner receives the ThatSMS Champion’s Trophy and a certificate at SAMIHA.
Awarded for the performance achieving the second-highest overall distinction in the professional judging process. The winner receives the ThatSMS Vice-Champion’s Trophy and a certificate at SAMIHA.
The audience-selected award, presented to the contestant receiving the highest number of valid ThatMic votes. The winner receives the ThatSMS Popular Voice Trophy and a certificate at SAMIHA.
Awarded to contestants who stand out for their overall performance, expression, confidence, engagement and screen presence.
Dynamic Performer - Male — 1 recipient
Receives a Gold* Medal and a certificate at SAMIHA.
Dynamic Performer - Female — 1 recipient
Receives a Gold* Medal and a certificate at SAMIHA.
Awarded to five contestants whose performances stand out for their vocal quality, control, expression and overall impact. Each recipient receives a Silver* Medal and a certificate at SAMIHA.
Top finalists beyond the above award categories will be honoured as ThatSMS Star Performers. Each recipient receives a Bronze* Medal and a certificate of recognition, sent by courier to a domestic address in India provided by the recipient.
*Gold, Silver and Bronze refer to the colour or finish of the commemorative medals, not their material composition.
A contest comes with questions — and we want you to know exactly how ThatSMS works. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about participation, ThatMic, judging, recognitions and beyond.
Anyone aged 18 years or above who meets the contest requirements can participate. Professional recording experience or formal musical training is not required.
No. You can record your performance using a smartphone, camera or similar device. Your face should be clearly visible and your voice clearly audible.
No. There is no language restriction. You may perform an eligible song or composition in any language, including traditional, folk, devotional and classical works. A vocal performance without lyrics, such as a classical alaap, is also welcome.
Yes. Original compositions are welcome, provided you hold the necessary rights to the composition and lyrics, where applicable.
Yes. You may accompany yourself with one musical instrument of your choice, and the instrument must be played by you. Backing tracks, karaoke tracks, pre-recorded accompaniment and accompaniment by another person are not permitted.
Yes. Another person may operate the phone or camera, but they must not sing, play an instrument or otherwise participate in the performance.
Basic editing, such as trimming footage before or after the performance, is permitted. Lip-syncing, replacement vocals, pitch correction, artificial vocal enhancement or editing that materially changes the singing performance is not permitted.
No. Each contestant may submit only one performance to ThatSMS. Multiple submissions by the same contestant are not permitted. If multiple entries are identified, the contestant may be disqualified from the contest.
Yes. You can permanently delete your performance within 24 hours of submission using the unique Deletion Code provided after submission. The code cannot be recovered or reissued if lost, so please save it when it is displayed.
ThatMic is the audience-support feature of ThatSMS. After playing at least 2 minutes of a performance, a listener can give the contestant ThatMic to show their support.
Yes. You are welcome to share your contestant page and ask friends, family, followers or anyone else to watch and support you. Bots, exploits, fake voting, purchased votes or other forms of vote manipulation are not acceptable.
The 30 contestants receiving the highest number of valid ThatMic votes advance to the professional judging stage. Bangali.Network may review voting activity and exclude invalid or manipulated votes before the final counts are determined.
ThatMic determines who reaches the Top 30, but once the Top 30 are selected, their performances are evaluated independently by the appointed professional judge. The number of ThatMic votes does not influence the professional judging.
Each Top 30 finalist receives one recognition only. The sole exception is Popular Voice. As an audience-selected recognition, the Popular Voice recipient remains eligible for consideration across all professionally judged award categories.
The ThatSMS 2026 award recipients will be announced on 1 October 2026 — International Music Day. The individual professionally judged award titles will be revealed at SAMIHA.
Recipients of ThatSMS Champion, ThatSMS Vice-Champion, Popular Voice, Outstanding Voice and Dynamic Performer will be invited to receive their honours at SAMIHA — Bangali.Network’s annual cultural event in Kolkata. Each invited recipient may bring one accompanying guest (Plus One).
ThatSMS Star Performers will receive their Bronze Medal (refer to the colour or finish of the commemorative medal, not its material composition) and certificate of recognition by courier at a domestic address in India provided by them.
No. An invitation to SAMIHA does not include travel, accommodation or other personal expenses associated with attending the event. Recipients and their accompanying guests are responsible for arranging and bearing the cost of their own travel, stay and other personal requirements.
Attendance confirmation and final event details will be communicated closer to the event. For complete information regarding attendance, nominated representatives, collection and courier delivery of honours, please refer to the SAMIHA page.
Bangali.Network may review an entry at any stage and restrict access to, remove or disqualify a performance where necessary for compliance with the contest rules. Any associated ThatMic votes, ranking or qualification may also be cancelled where applicable.
Copyright owners and their authorised representatives can report a performance through the designated reporting facility or contact Bangali.Network directly. Please refer to the Copyright & Rights Holders page for the reporting process and complete details.
Yes. Bangali.Network reserves the right to determine eligibility, remove or disqualify entries, exclude invalid votes, resolve disputes and take decisions necessary for the fair and proper administration of ThatSMS. Where circumstances require it, Bangali.Network may also modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the contest or its process.
Audience response determines qualification for the Top 30 and the Popular Voice recognition according to the published format. Professionally judged recognitions are determined through the appointed judging process. Decisions relating to eligibility, rule compliance, voting validity and contest administration rest with Bangali.Network and are final.