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1. participation in the competition

1.1 The talent competition “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (“Contest”) is an interactive show produced by UFA SHOW & FACTUAL GmbH (“Producer”) and broadcast by RTL Television GmbH (“RTL”) on television and available online on demand. By participating in the competition, the participant expressly agrees to these terms and conditions. If the participant is under 18 years of age, both legal guardians must sign these terms and conditions (in cases of sole custody, the sole legal guardian must sign; see below).

1.2 The competition consists of online auditions or open auditions, a jury audition workshop, a jury audition, recalls (consisting of several recall events), and one or more shows (as described below) and will be broadcast on television, the Internet, and, if applicable, other media (“Production”). Participation in the competition is subject to these Terms and Conditions and the Participant Agreement, which may be required to be signed at a later date.

1.3 To participate in the jury casting and, if selected, in the recall, the contestant must submit two signed copies of the participant agreement at the jury casting.

1.4 Only individuals who are authorized to live and work in Germany and who will be at least 18 years old on September 27, 2026, may participate in the contest. To confirm this, participants must present their national ID card or passport and, if necessary, any additional supporting documents (e.g., residence permit).

2. castings

2.1 Participants are invited to take part in an online casting call via the “Short Audition” computer program at a time suggested by the producer, at their own expense. To this end, participants will receive an invitation with a link via email. The online casting call begins when the link is opened. No prior installation or download is required. A stable and secure internet connection is required for participation in the online casting. If the online casting cannot take place or be completed due to connection difficulties or internet problems, the producer will endeavor to arrange an alternative date. However, the participant is not entitled to such an alternative date. The participant will perform one or more songs of their choice, with playback or an instrument, in whole or in part, in front of a casting representative of the producer. The online audition will be recorded exclusively for internal review purposes, provided the participant gives their verbal consent to this at the beginning of the online audition. The participant will be notified as soon as possible whether they are permitted to perform in the next round before a preliminary selection jury and whether their audition performance will be recorded separately, if applicable.

2.2 As an alternative to online casting, the participant has the opportunity to take part in an open casting (with personal attendance).

2.3 After completion of the casting phase, the participant will be informed as soon as possible whether he/she will be allowed to take part in the jury casting with the prominent jury.

2.4 After the audition in front of the celebrity jury, the jury will inform the participant whether he/she may take part in the first part of the Recall (at a location to be determined by the producer).

3. the recall

3.1 The Recall consists of several parts. The participants selected in accordance with section 2.4 will perform songs of their own choice or of the Producer’s choice, either individually or in a group, in the course of the Recall. The Producer is responsible for putting together such a group. The Producer may also set the Participant further tasks during the Recall.

3.2 As soon as possible after the end of each part of the Recall, the Participant will be informed of who has been selected by the jury to continue in the Recall.

4th shows

4.1 The participants selected in the final phase of the Recall will take part in one or more shows.

4.2 If a participant has been selected to take part in the show(s), the conclusion of an exclusive artist contract, artist management contract and the signing of the participant contract for the show(s), for example, are prerequisites for further participation. Should a participant, for whatever reason, not have completed these contracts before the start of the recording of the first show, the Producer reserves the right to exclude the participant from the competition.

4.3 The winner (and, if applicable, the respective finalists) will be selected through audience voting.

5. transfer of rights to image and sound recordings

5.1 The participant hereby irrevocably consents to and authorizes the producer to make video and/or audio recordings (“Recordings”) of the participant during the casting and to use these recordings within the scope of and for the purposes of the production. Against this background, the participant grants UFA, free of charge, the exclusive right—unlimited in terms of content, location, and time—to use and exploit the recordings made in connection with the production in their entirety, in whole or in part, and to use and exploit them—either directly or through third parties authorized by UFA—for a fee or free of charge in relation to the consumer. Such use and exploitation may occur for any purpose, in particular for commercial and non-commercial, public and non-public purposes, including, but not limited to, the following purposes:

(1) the transmission of content as often as desired via television, the Internet, and radio, regardless of the technical method of transmission, the type of receiving device, the broadcasting station, the nature of the legal relationship between the broadcaster and the recipient (free-to-air TV, pay-TV, pay-per-view, video-on-demand, near-video-on-demand, TV to mobile, etc.) and the legal form of the broadcaster (including the right to publicly broadcast radio and television programs as well as the right to make recordings available to a limited audience, e.g., in hospitals, schools, airplanes, trains, motor vehicles, ships, hotels, and in public places such as airports, train stations, streets, drive-in theaters, and in the metaverse); (2) adaptation into film and sound recordings; (3) making available for individual on-demand access via any end devices (e.g., televisions, computers, mobile devices) and transmission channels, including on social media channels; (4) non-broadcast audiovisual exploitation on analog, digital, and other image/sound/data carriers of all kinds; (5) reproduction and distribution; (6) dubbing, including by third parties and/or using artificial intelligence; (7) the use of excerpts and advertising, including in connection with third-party services that are made visible to third parties simultaneously with the production (e.g., split screen); (8) merchandising (marketing of goods and services of all kinds); (9) reproduction in print and electronic media; (10) the exploitation of sound recordings; (11) use for examination, teaching, and research purposes, as well as public use at festivals and trade fairs; (12) archiving; (13) input into databases, in particular the Internet; (14) automated analysis for the development of artificial intelligence applications (“text and data mining” rights); (15) use via NFT and blockchain-based technologies; (16) use within the scope of all types of use not yet known technically. This includes, in particular, the right to produce and distribute the necessary copies, either by oneself or through third parties, as well as to use the recordings interactively and to allow others to use them within the scope of the transferred rights. This grant of rights also applies to press releases and promotional activities relating to the production. The recordings (including dubbed or subtitled versions) may be processed using any technical methods (including artificial intelligence applications) in any manner, particularly for the purpose of incorporating advertising (e.g., commercial breaks, sponsor credits, program trailers, phone numbers); the edited versions may be used just as extensively as the original recordings.

5.2 The grant of rights also applies to any visual and audio materials submitted by the participant. There is no obligation to use the recordings.

5.3 The producer shall acquire ownership of the recordings (e.g., videos, photographs, DVDs, CDs) and any other material that the participant submits or provides to the producer in connection with the casting; such material will not be returned. The producer is entitled to use this material within the scope of Section 5.1 and for accompanying press, promotional, and merchandising activities, particularly on television and the Internet.

6. general conditions of participation

6.1 The participant may voluntarily end his/her participation at any time and thus withdraw from the competition. As long as the participant takes part in the competition, he/she undertakes to do so,

(1) to be available for the competition, in particular at the locations and times specified for production purposes, (2) to sign the respective participant agreements, (3) to comply with the provisions of the participant agreements, including these Terms and Conditions and any other rules applicable in the studio or on set, (4) to participate in online/interactive activities related to the production and/or the contest, including the recording of webcasts, interviews (including with third parties), and participation in interactive chats, e.g., at www.rtl.de, and (5) to treat all information related to the production and its preparation as strictly confidential and not to disclose it to third parties.

6.2 The participant warrants that—unless he has notified the producer otherwise in writing—he has not currently entered into any management, merchandising,music publishing, modeling, advertising, sponsorship, artist exclusivity, or any other contract regarding their musical and/or performing arts services and/or activities on social media channels, and that they will not enter into any such contract for the duration of their participation in the contest.

6.3 The producer reserves the right to change the format of the competition, even at short notice. Such changes may include, among other things, the addition of further auditions or rounds in the competition, or the requirement that participants give additional performances, or changes to the scheduled recording plan.

6.4 The Producer reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions of participation, provided that it states the reasons for doing so, or to terminate the contest at any time without liability to the participant.

6.5 The producer reserves the right to disqualify a participant from the contest at any time. Disqualification may occur, in particular, if

(1) the participant is unable to provide proof of identity or eligibility to participate within a reasonable period of time, (2) personal details and information (including regarding contracts pursuant to Section 6.2) provided by the participant to the producer are untrue, incomplete, or misleading, or (3) the participant violates Section 6.1, sentence 2.

6.6 The Producer further reserves the right to replace a participant who, for any reason, is unable to participate or is excluded from the competition. The replacement may also be made by a participant who has previously withdrawn from the competition or been excluded.

6.7 The Producer is not obliged to inform rejected participants of the Producer’s negative decision or to give reasons for it. Decisions of the Producer, the jury and the viewers are final. The participant has no right to participate and contribute to the competition. A participant who is prevented from taking part in the competition (for whatever reason) has no right to make up for his/her performance. The participant is not entitled to any claims if he/she leaves the competition before the end (for whatever reason) or is excluded. The same applies in the event that the competition is terminated before the scheduled end.

6.8 The participant acknowledges that the producer is under no obligation to record the participant’s performance in whole or in part, to edit it, to include it in the final production, or to broadcast it. The participant has no claim to a recording, inclusion in the program, broadcast, rebroadcast, or any other use of their performance—regardless of the form or distribution medium.The decision regarding the selection, scope, editing, compilation, and use of the recordings lies solely within the free editorial and artistic discretion of the producer or broadcaster.

6.9 In the event of a disagreement about the course of the competition, a part of the competition or these conditions of participation, the Producer’s decision is final and binding.

6.10 The selection of music titles is always made jointly by the Producer and the Participant, taking into account the vocal capabilities of the Participant. The Producer reserves the right, after consultation with the Vocal Coach, to oblige the Participant to sing a specific song or to perform a song from a specific genre. At any stage of the competition, the producer reserves the right to refuse the selection of a song by the participant. The participant undertakes to perform only commercial music (registered with GEMA/GVL) during the castings. The performance of other, e.g. own musical works requires the prior agreement and consent of the producer by e-mail.

6.11 The “Data protection information in accordance with Art. 13 GDPR” has been sent to the participant, which contains more detailed information on the processing of the participant’s personal data.

6.12 These Terms and Conditions of Participation apply in addition to the Participant Agreement, which the participant signs once they have qualified for the jury casting (TV recording).

Here you can download the document “Conditions of participation”: