This event is an official affiliate of DJs Against Disease, a 501(c)(3) organization. Unless otherwise clearly stated, we do not affiliate with other charitable organizations. Other charities supported by Zest Fest are not affiliated with the event.
Zest Fest is a community-run charity event, where musicians submit 15 (though requests go up to 45) minutes of music to be broadcast live on YouTube. Our goal is to capture a wide range of artists, scenes, and their respective audiences. As this is event is run by volunteers, participation is unpaid, with artists generously providing their talent. This provides an experience where artists can display their work, in an environment by musicians, for musicians, giving them exposure to a new generation of artists and listeners, completely stress-free. This online, grassroots approach to art fosters an ecosystem where individuality, community, and freedom of expression are allowed to flourish, all while giving back to good causes.
We do not pocket a single cent of the event's funding.
Everything goes to charity!
CJSW's Motte & Bailey (Head of Advertising, Financial Manager), Lua Trilogy (Co-founder of DJs Against Disease), Cody Frances (Logistics Coordinator, Site writer and organizer, Manager and Executive Producer of The Sleep Dealers), AmyReal (Host of Broadcast, Logistics Manager), Hazel (Roster Construction, General Assistance, Site writer and organizer), Jackson (Website creator, Designer, Writer and Editor)
Frequently Asked Questions
"Can I submit a set longer than 15 minutes?"
It is not a big deal if your set goes a few minutes above or below 15 minutes. If you want anything longer (such as 30 or 45 minutes), you will have to request to be added as a headliner, where you would have up to 45 minutes to work with. Note that slots are limited.
"Are visuals required for my set?
No, visuals are totally optional. We have our own default visuals, that we end up using for most sets. But if you do want to submit a set with visuals, we will happily broadcast it!
"Where do I sign up?
You can reach out through either of the hosts, AmyReal or The Sleep Dealers, or you can sign up through our Discord server when submissions are open.
"Do I have to be a DJ to submit a set?"
Absolutely not! There are no bounds when it comes to the music itself, or how you decide to use your showtime. Feel free to preview songs, have your set be one long song, remix and mashup other people's songs, and go for any genre in the meantime. We encourage creativity before anything else.
"When does Zest Fest take place?"
As of now, every year's show has taken place on different dates. You can join our Discord server (See contact info below), or follow The Sleep Dealers on Instagram for updates on when the next one will be.
You can email us through either therealamyreal@gmail.com or thesleepdealers@gmail.com. You can also reach out to us via Instagram, at @thesleepdealers_ and @amyreal5213. Click this to join the Discord server.