In an effort to keep music alive during the shutdown, The FADER created Digital FORT, a two-day live stream event back in March. It included over 100 artists, amassed over 150 million impressions and raised over $35,000 for various charities.

As a follow up The FADER has created Digital FORT 2.0 which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 25th, beginning at 5 PM EST. The broadcast will be embedded for viewing on TheFADER and live on The FADER’s Official YouTube Channel, with select content remaining available on VOD for one week following the event.

In speaking with Jon Cohen, co-founder and co-CEO of The FADER, he stated, “We are going to try and do this on a more regular basis. These events give artists a chance to supplement what’s not happening.”

The event will feature over 30 + exclusive performances from both acclaimed and emerging artists in support of several charities, including Trap Heals, the NAACP, For The Gworls, Arts & Parts, Gideon’s Army United and more.

The FADER also announced a new partnership with Dolby and will host a social media talent search, Inspired to Inspire, encouraging artists to create and submit a performance using the free Dolby On recording app for a chance to win an Artist Spotlight interview and video premiere on The FADER.

All entries must be of original material up to five minutes in length and entered through the submission form at https://bit.ly/DolbyInspiredToInspire. Submissions must be made using Dolby On, a free app, available at https://www.dolby.com/apps/dolby-on/. Entrants are also encouraged to post their submissions to social media using the hashtag #DolbyInspiredToInspire. The entry period begins July 25th at 5:00 PM EST and ends on August 5, 2020 at 11:59 PM. The winner will be announced on TheFADER.com by August 31, 2020.

“Based on the recommendation of our public health official and director of public health and after consultation with our city manager I’ve gone ahead and declared a local disaster. And along with that issued an order that cancels SXSW this year,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a press conference Friday, later calling the cancelation “unfortunate.”

Mark Escott, interim medical director and health authority for Austin Public Health, noted the size and scale of the event along with its opportunity for close person-to-person contact as a factor in the decision. He also referenced concern over potentially bringing attendees from affected areas to Austin, all the while urging the public not to panic. Escott discussed precautions such as washing hands and staying home if sick.

“This is not a panic-based decision,” said Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt.

In a statement on SXSW’s website, organizers said they would comply with the city’s directions. “We are devastated to share this news with you. ‘The show must go on’ is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation,” the statement says. It goes on the say that organizers are looking into the possibility of rescheduling, as well as providing a “virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants, starting with SXSW EDU.”

In the last week, companies including Facebook, Twitter, WarnerMedia (which owns HBO), Netflix, Apple and others all pulled out of SXSW.

In addition, a petition on Change.org describing SXSW as “irresponsible amid an outbreak” and requesting that it be canceled this year had garnered about 55,000 signatures at last check.

So far, the coronavirus has infected more than 100,000 people and claimed over 3,000 lives. The illness first came to light on New Year’s Eve and originated in China’s Hubei province. Cases have been reported in other countries as well, including South Korea, Japan and Italy.