Let's help children grow up in music.
The Open Music Box is a connected MusicBox 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.
What children listen to teaches them what has value. Our catalogue is made by humans, for children: we do not publish AI-generated content.
Technology should feed the imagination, not capture it: our MusicBox has no screen, tracks no one and works offline.
What a family buys belongs to that family. An album that has been bought is never taken back, never erased and never tied to a subscription.
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 MusicBox. An album is bought once: the family receives the files and owns them, like a record. We offer no subscription.
Cooperating also means co-creating: we want to design the card artwork with you, choose the age range together, support you editorially. The store is still being built, and its rules will be written with the first artists who join us.
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 MusicBox made for children. Playback starts by placing an NFC card on the MusicBox, a simple gesture with no screen.
The project is built to last: no cloud dependency to listen, no advertising, no tracking of children.
Where do things actually stand?
The store is not open yet: today, families listen to their own files on the MusicBox. We are building a way to offer them albums, stories and podcasts, and we are still at the design stage.
So this page describes an intention, not a running service. We would rather tell you before you write to us: the terms will be decided with the first artists, and nothing will be presented as settled until it is signed.
How are my works offered to families?
One single model: the sale. The family buys your album once, receives the files, and owns them.
We offer no subscription: your work is not there to pad out a catalogue for unlimited listening.
Why no subscription?
Because a subscription leaves nothing behind. The day it stops, the child's library empties, and your album disappears with it without anyone deciding so.
We prefer the model of the record: you buy it, you own it, you lend it, you find it again ten years later. It is simpler for a family to understand, and clearer for you.
What exactly does the family receive?
The files of your album in MP3 format, with no DRM and no lock of any kind. The family uses them freely, on the MusicBox and elsewhere, and can back them up.
Listening needs no connection: once the files are on the MusicBox, nothing depends on us any more.
How am I paid?
You receive the price of your album, minus a commission that funds the platform, its hosting and the payment fees.
We are not announcing a percentage yet. The system is still being designed, and a figure published today would be a promise we could not keep. It will be written in the contract, before you sign anything.
Who sets the price?
You do. The principle we want to hold to is simple: the rights holder decides the price of their album, we do not impose it.
How do the NFC cards work with my albums?
Once an album is bought, the family can link it to any NFC card of their choice, with no limitation. Placing the card starts the album.
We want to design the cards with you: the entire front face for your artwork, and the back kept 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?
The content is meant for children: each submission will be assessed against a set of criteria suited to young audiences, then submitted for The Open Music Box's approval before being published.
The catalogue is reserved for works created by artists. We do not accept content generated by artificial intelligence.
Each piece of content will also be 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 will 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 MusicBox is made for little ears and everyday use, not for audiophile listening.
How do I become a partner?
Write to us. We are looking for the first artists to write the concrete terms with, rather than hand them over ready-made. The button below opens your mail app directly.
The front is yours, the back is ours.
Every piece of content plays by placing an NFC card. 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 will state its age range, so families 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: we will tell you where we stand, and what we can build together.
Join the adventurecontact@theopenmusicbox.com