Want to be the Next App Star? Want to see your app featured in a Windows Phone TV ad? Read this

Microsoft wants you to be the Next Star App; to feature your app in a Windows Phone prime-time TV ad in the U.S.

All you have to do is develop a Windows Phone App. 

The contest is called Windows Phone Next App Star and it was launched yesterday, 14th January 2013. It is open to Windows Phone developers worldwide. It’s easy to participate; registered developers can just visit Dev Center to opt-in* by March 5th, and your catalog of published apps will be entered for the competition.

If you haven’t yet developed a Windows Phone app (or you want to make tweaks to an existing app), you can register today and publish your app by March 5th to participate (note: your app must be published and live by March 5th to participate).

Thereafter the company will announce 64 finalists. Public voting will start in April and the top 64 will then slowly be whittled down to the grand prize winner. Microsoft says there “will be prizes along the way to encourage people to participate [...] and ways for you to promote your app and gain new fans.”

There will be thousands of dollars in prizes for the developers of the 64 apps that get selected, including a Nokia Lumia 920 Windows Phone and a one-year free Dev Center subscription. The last app standing will win the Next App Star challenge and the grand prize of placement in one of our Windows Phone primetime TV advertisements in the U.S., bringing national exposure and a lot of buzz to one developer’s creation.

Check out this short video with Channel 9’s Laura Foy and Todd Brix, Senior Director Windows Phone Apps for more contest details.