Talpa & Rochford Team for I Want Your Song

John de Mol’s Talpa and the U.K. entertainment format creator Rochford Productions have partnered for the new music format I Want Your Song.

In I Want Your Song, five unknown songwriters get the chance to pitch an original song to top Dutch artists. Each episode features one prominent Dutch recording artist who is looking for their next big hit, with the songwriters pitching their songs to the singer with the help of a live band.

The audience is filled with 100 of the artist’s fans, who the artists can ask for advice—but it’s the artist themselves who ultimately makes the decision. The winning song is immediately available for download and streaming accompanied by a music video.

I Want Your Song is created by Rochford Productions and Talpa Concepts. The show is produced by Talpa Entertainment Productions and distributed by Talpa Distribution. It is slated to launch on SBS6 in the Netherlands this summer.

Chris Hopkins, executive director of Rochford Productions, said: “This is a new route into the music industry for all our potential singer-songwriters. Their ability to write an original hit song for someone else could change their life forever.”

Geertje Hoek, managing director of Talpa Concepts, said: “Working together with creatives from outside of our own company on creating new formats is something we focus on more than ever. Seeing ideas transform to formats and then hit the screen is what makes us all tick here at Talpa.”