Estonia is opening song submissions for Eesti Laul 2023 later this afternoon to select their entry to the upcoming Eurovision 2023.
No more quarterfinals like last year, we had 40 songs, only 2 semi-finals, and a Grand final.
Song Submissions close on 12th October 2022 at 11:00 CET.
Songs will be revealed on 4th December 2022.
At the start of November 2022, will tell semi-finalists who will try to represent the nation.
The dates for the “Eesti Laul 2023” are:
- Semi-Final 1: Thursday, 12th January 2023
- Semi Final 2: Saturday, 14th January 2023
- Grand Final: Saturday, 11th February 2023
The cost of submissions is 50 euros per Estonian, and 100 euros for foreign, the last week of the submissions doubled the price.
Artists must do their own music videos.
The main regulations are:
- Submissions must include the final and mastered version of the song.
- The maximum song duration is 3 minutes
- The lyrics or the songs themselves mustn’t be published before the 4th of December 2022
- The date of birth of the performer must be no latar than 19th of May 2007
- Up to 6 people will be allowed on stage
- Performers can’t compete in a parallel selection process for any other country.
- Any performer, writer or composer can submit up to 5 songs for the selection process.
- Song’s performers may be citizens, residents, and non-residents of the Republic of Estonia.
- Each song can have up to 1 composer/writer who isn’t an Estonian citizen or Estonian resident.
- Each submission must include the lyrics of the song ( + Estonian translatio in case the song isn’t in Estonian), a high quality audio version, a short biography of the performers and promotional photographs of the performers.
- The particiapation fee will depend on the time of submission and langauge of the song
- From 12 September to 17 October 2022 , €50 for a song in Estonian
- From 12 September to 17 October 2022, €100 for a song in a foreign language or a multilingual song
- From 17 October (from 12.00) to 20 October 2022 (until 12.00), €100 for a song in Estonian
- From 17 October (from 12.00) to 20 October 2022 (until 12.00), €200 for a song in a foreign language or a multilingual song
- Professional jury will judge all the submitted songs “blindly” (without knowing who is standing behind them) and will shortlist up to 20 of them for the semi-finals.
- ERR, the Estonian broadcaster, will publish the competing songs by the 3rd of December 2022
- The shortlisted artists will have to submit a music video by the 25th of November 2022.
- 10 songs will compete in each one of the 2 semi-finals. 6 of them will qualify for the final from each semi-final.
- The results of each show will be determined by 2 rounds. In the first round, by a comnibation of 50% jury vote and 50% public vote. In the second round, by the public vote solely.
Tomi Rahula, the chief producer of Eesti Laul, recommends the artists when submitting:
”I’d recommend making a song in your own language, so Estonian, it’s more special and will be more noticeable. Last year I met a lot of artists and songwriters, I recommended that and a duet, but a male duet – just like Dave & Benton, but I think it’d work. Just look at Italy last year; it was in the top 5. Song of course, must be interesting the winner’s style or come up with something new”
Stefan represented Estonia at Eurovision 2022 with the song ”Hope”.
He finished 13th in the grand final:
