Let's help children grow up in music.
The Open Music Box is a connected music box for children, with no screen and no advertising. We are looking for artists who want to matter in their imagination. Here is our manifesto, and our invitation to create together.
What we believe in.
Children deserve beautiful stories and beautiful music, not screens that grab them or advertising.
Creating for children is essential work. It deserves to be respected, showcased and fairly paid.
Technology should feed the imagination, not capture it: our box has no screen, tracks no one and works offline.
A great catalogue is not decreed, it is built. We want to write it with you, not in your place.
If these convictions are yours, this page is an outstretched hand.
A partnership, not a simple file drop.
We bring together albums, stories and podcasts made for children, which families play by placing an NFC card on their box. You stay in control from start to finish: you choose your distribution model and, for direct sales, you set your price.
Cooperating also means co-creating: card artwork designed with our graphic artists, the choice of age range, editorial support. The answers below explain concretely how we move forward side by side.
The content we are looking for.
Anything that helps children grow, dream and learn has a place in the catalogue.
Music
Songs, nursery rhymes and albums for little ears.
Stories
Tales, narratives and audiobooks that take them on a journey.
Podcasts
Episodes and series made for children.
Soundscapes
Sounds and atmospheres to fall asleep or focus.
Educational content
Discovery, languages and learning by listening.
And exclusive content.
We are also looking for partners to create exclusive content, designed especially for The Open Music Box.
How we work together.
What is The Open Music Box?
The Open Music Box is a connected, open music box made for children. Playback starts by placing an NFC card on the box, a simple gesture with no screen. The store we are launching lets families enrich their catalogue with albums, stories and podcasts.
The project is built to last: no cloud dependency to listen, no advertising, no tracking of children.
How are my works offered to families?
Two modes coexist, and you can choose one, the other, or both for each of your works.
Subscription: your works are part of a catalogue with unlimited listening for subscribers. Direct sale: families buy your album and get the files.
How does the subscription work?
The subscription gives access to the entire catalogue with unlimited listening. Content can be stored offline on the box, protected by DRM, to listen without a connection.
Two plans: €7.99 incl. VAT per month for one music box, and €10.99 incl. VAT per month for the family plan (up to 6 music boxes in the same household).
Payment follows a user-centric model, like Deezer: each family's subscription share is split between the artists they actually listened to, rather than poured into a common pot.
How does direct sale work?
With direct sale, the family buys your album once and receives the files in MP3 format, with no DRM. They then use them freely, on the box and elsewhere.
It is the ideal mode if you prefer an outright purchase to revenue sharing.
How am I paid?
The model is the same for subscription and direct sale: The Open Music Box keeps 15% plus applicable taxes, for the development and maintenance of the platform. Everything else goes to the rights holders.
For the subscription, your share depends on each subscriber actual listening (user-centric model). For direct sale, you receive the album price, minus the same commission.
We draw on the best of Deezer and Qobuz in terms of fairness, without the needless complexity.
Who sets the prices?
Subscription prices are set by the platform: €7.99 and €10.99 incl. VAT per month. The price of your albums in direct sale is entirely free, you, the rights holder, decide it.
How do the NFC cards work with my albums?
Once an album is bought or available through the subscription, the family can link it to any NFC card of their choice, with no limitation. Placing the card starts the album.
In partnership with our graphic artists, you get the entire front face (the recto) of the card for your artwork. We keep the back for general information: our brand, along with the name and type of the linked content. Enough to make each card a collectible in the image of your world.
What criteria must my content meet?
Since the content is intended for children, each submission is assessed against a set of criteria suited to young audiences, then submitted for The Open Music Box's approval before being published on the store.
Each piece of content is also classified by age range, to guide families in their choice: under 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 9, 9 to 12, and 12 and up.
We support you through this step: the goal is to offer families a catalogue they can trust.
What about audio quality?
Our priority is a simple, reliable experience for children. We do not claim high-definition audio: the box is made for little ears and everyday use, not for audiophile listening.
How do I become a partner?
Write to us: we study every proposal and get back to you with the concrete terms. The button below opens your email app directly.
The front is yours, the back is ours.
Each piece of content plays by placing an NFC card on the box. The rights holder gets the entire front face (the recto) for their artwork; we keep the back for general information: our brand, along with the name and type of the linked content.
A catalogue sorted by age.
Each piece of content shows its age range, so families can easily find what suits each child.
- Under 3
- 3 to 6
- 6 to 9
- 9 to 12
- 12 and up
Let's write what comes next, together.
Do you create for children? Let us talk. Tell us about your world and the distribution model that suits you, and we will get back to you with the details of the partnership.
Join the adventurecontact@theopenmusicbox.com