Last year’s changes to the WoT Idol format were overwhelmingly positive, so we’re not going to change too much. We have a few updated rules as we continue to evolve and make WoT Idol the best fan event for everyone. Like last year, it will be less of a competition and more of a fun fan showcase. But don’t worry, there will still be winners and prizes! We’ll watch ALL the submissions over the course of a few live shows and then people will vote at the very end of the live streams based on categories and their favorite parodies in a single form. This year we’ll make sure all of the categories for voting are known up-front.

We want to encourage collaboration between fans this year! Just keep in mind the following rules:

NEW RULE! Up to 2 Submissions per person

• You can collaborate on other parodies as often as you’d like!
• BUT, you can only submit under your name twice and will only be eligible to win for those submissions!

1. Can’t be shared with the public prior to it being aired on Unraveling The Pattern (or other WoT Idol channels). If it is, it will be disqualified. (you can share it with close friends or family, and collaborators, but not with people online)
2. Lyrics must be original (don’t use samples of copyrighted original lyrics or original artist vocals)
3. Please avoid including excessive swearing, mature content, and/or harmful material (if you have questions about your submissions, please reach out!)
   • Please be cautious about discussing modern events, politics, and/or real-world topics in your parodies. Remember: WoTIdol is meant to be inclusive for all Wheel of Time fans, despite their backgrounds, beliefs, or affiliations.*
4. No original music, but you can use your own instruments or an existing Karaoke Track
5. Must be a minimum of 30 seconds long
6. No max length… sorta*
   • We reserve the right to edit the entry for time and to remove any entries we feel are inappropriate or not within the spirit of WoT Idol.
7. Must be submitted as an unlisted YouTube link with on-screen text (this requires a free YouTube account)
   • If YouTube blocks your video it can’t be shown during the stream; however, copyright claims are still accepted.
   • IMPORTANT: Do not add your unlisted video to a public YouTube Playlist or it can be viewed/seen before the competition!**
8. You must include on-screen text/lyrics “baked” into your video (can’t just be closed captions) but additional visual presentation is not required.
9. UPDATED RULE!Lyrics and the Book Spoiler Level must be included in the YouTube video description.
10. NEW RULE! If your video includes flashing, flickering, or anything that may be harmful to Photosensitive Viewers, you MUST include a warning in ALL CAPS at top of your video description.
11. NEW RULE! We strongly discourage the use of AI in your entry and reserve the right to disqualify entries discovered to be using AI to great extent.
12. Follow the technical guidelines and tips to the best of your ability
13. Be sure to submit through WoTidol.com by the deadline (Sept. 6th, 2026, at 11:59pm ET).

*To keep things within the spirit of WoT Idol and celebration of the Wheel of Time and the fandom we reserve the right to reject submissions or to cut off submissions during the live stream if they are too long. Just keep it the length of a normal song and you should be just fine.

**When Uploading to Youtube, in the Audience section be sure to select “No, it’s not made for kids.” Otherwise we won’t be able to add it to the WoT Idol Playlists.

Please reach out with any questions including technical help.