EV6

Make
Kia
Segment
SUV

If you think you have some musical talent, Kia has a challenge for you. In partnership with SoundCloud, the Korean automaker has announced a new contest with a $5,000 cash prize.

It's called the Kia Creator Contest, and you can enter via the links in the video below. The contest winner will also be promoted globally by both Kia and SoundCloud in addition to that $5k cash price. However, there is a catch. Predictably, it's got an automotive spin on it, much like Dodge's Chief Donut Maker Contest, and has to do with the Kia EV6 and its corporate sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Entrants can't just whip out a guitar, belt out "Wonderwall," and smack that submit button. Instead, you've got to make music with one instrument and one instrument alone: the "Kia Instrument." Sure it's an uninspired name, but it's also what was used to make the welcome and goodbye sounds you hear in the EV6.

Thankfully, no one who wants to enter will have to make a trip to Guitar Center. Instead, the instrument, which can best be described as a synthesizer, is available for download. Of course, you've got to be 18 and up to enter, and the deadline for submission is May 10, 2022, at 11:59 PM EST.

We downloaded the Kia synthesizer to play around a little, and after a few minutes were able to loosely mimic the opening note of the EV6's goodbye sound. In essence, each sampler on the left-hand side adds a different effect, and the notes can be altered using the controls in the top middle of the image below. Weird, sure. Niche? Absolutely. At the very least, it's interesting to see how engineers curate these sounds for vehicles even if it's not exactly what Kia/Hyundai engineers use to make various sounds for the pair of EVs.

It's easy to get lost messing with different settings despite us having the musical talent of a dead rat. Maybe you can do better.