Beat Cypher

Submission Info

The Sample

Download the current sample and flip it however you want — just make sure it's in there.

Download the Sample

If the download doesn't start, the next sample hasn't dropped yet — check back Sunday.

Current Round

Key: C# Minor
BPM: 125
Sample released: Sunday, September 13, 2026
Submissions due: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:59 PM PST
Vote by: Saturday, September 26, 2026 — 11:59 PM PST

How to Enter

A submission is entered by emailing it to info@lostcause.com

Subject Line

[CYPHER] - [ARTIST] - [SUB #]

Example: Lost Cause Beat Cypher #62 - Invex - 1

Requirements

File must be .wav or .mp3
Song must be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes
In the body of the email, include where you used the sample

What is the Beat Cypher?

A biweekly competition. We release a sample — you use it to make your own song.

All creatives are open to enter so long as you use the sample, but mostly beat makers and music artists submit.

The idea: a hard deadline forcing you to submit something reinforces your skill to become better, and you get feedback from your peers. A forced deadline plus peer review helps combat the creative perfectionism many struggle with.

Schedule

The sample is released Sunday.
You have until the next Sunday to submit your music.
The following week, all entrants vote on the best. You cannot vote for yourself. In the event of a tie, there will be a split winner.

Prize

The winner gets $100 USD.

So long as it is applicable and legal to award.

Publishing

The music will be published on the Lost Cause SoundCloud and shared on social media. On an individual basis, we will follow up if there is to be a more formal release of an entry.