The diversity of music competition format choices on TV has sent Nemo Planet and distribution partner Peace Point Rights online to launch a new reality music TV/web competition series, Birth of a Band (13 x 90 minutes).

With The X Factor and Idol formats and The Voice still dominating primetime TV schedules, the producers of Birth of a Band decided to start online by using the social media as a global casting platform before building to a finale on TV.

The initial internet and music touch-points made sense, explained Eric Mueller, SVP of international sales and acquisitions at ‎Peace Point Rights, because young people already flock to YouTube and Vimeo to discover fresh sounds and talent.

So rock legends, including Mike Rutherford, a founding member of rock band Genesis, are boarding the musical competition series that develops and tweaks emerging rock bands by putting online audiences at the heart of the discovery process.

“We want to bring the web world to TV,” Mueller told Playback Daily from MIPCOM, the annual TV bazaar in Cannes.

The format will whittle contestants from international music schools and academies, or wherever else fresh talent can be found, from six instrumental/vocal categories down to 54 contestants that will be part of bands set to compete on TV.

The musicians will be mentored by the rock legend judges and each week the teams will perform on TV to battle for the most votes. Through a process of online-voting-elimination and reshuffling of band members, the final two teams will compete for a career changing opportunity as a support act for a major band.

“It’s a juicy format that can work in any market,” Les Tomlin, president of Peace Point Entertainment, said.