Local musicians are in for more equitable treatment for their mahi - as one of the recommendations from an in-depth review of NZ On Air's music funding.

The just-released, 78-page report was driven by award-winning composer, performer and music producer Victoria Kelly, which highlights that career and financial sustainability is a huge challenge for artists in Aotearoa.

One of the main points of the review focussed on refining the 10% Artist Creation Fee that NZ On Air added to its New Music funding streams in 2020. “However, this was optional and part of the total funding approved,” says Teresa Patterson, NZ On Air Head of Music. 

“Now, from January 2024, the Artist Creation Fee will be added on top of each New Music Funding grant and it will be mandatory.”

Under the new system starting next year:

• any New Music Single, New Music Pasifika, New Music Pan-Asian and New Music Kids funding grant of $10,000 will also see an additional $1,000 maximum paid to the artist on top of the funding amount, bringing the total funding to $11,000 
• a Waiata Takitahi grant of $14,000 would attract a maximum of $1,000 extra, bringing the total funding to $15,000
•  New Music Project funding (up to $40,000) would see a maximum of $4,000 paid to the artist on top of this funding amount, bringing the total funding possible to $44,000

However, NZ On Air notes the increase in total funding being distributed will mean fewer singles and projects will be funded throughout the course of the financial year - which is in line with the Music Funding Review’s recommendations. 

Insights from industry experts

Kelly's review was conducted over a six-month period, which included interviewing a wide cross-section of 70 music professionals from across the industry – from artists, producers, managers, publicists and educators to journalists, radio programmers, record labels and music publishers. It was also ethnically diverse, including a range of Māori, Pasifika, Asian, Pākehā and other ethnic Kiwis.

Patterson states "The NZ On Air Music Review was commissioned to ensure we had wide-ranging input from across the industry, taking all their viewpoints into consideration, so we were able to provide a comprehensive snapshot of where the music industry in Aotearoa New Zealand is at in 2023 – and then examine closely the role and efficacy of our NZ On Air Music funding initiatives within that."

“Ultimately, we wanted to really understand the challenges the industry faces both here at home and globally. The depth and breadth of this review is exceptional, resulting in a number of insights and potential solutions that we can work towards.”

One of the themes that is strongly reflected in the review is recognition of the challenges that the industry is facing. With 120,000 songs uploaded to streaming services every day, 34 million videos to TikTok, 95 million images to Instagram and 720,000 hours of video to YouTube - the sheer scale is overwhelming.

Kelly told The Big Idea "I think what surprised me most as I researched this review was the true enormity of the global marketplace – the ubiquity of passive, algorithmically-driven music consumption, and the challenges of scale that our music creators face as they try to send their music into this boundless world of content. 

"That’s something that NZ On Air can’t possibly do anything about of course, but this is the landscape in which they’re funding our artists… and so their responsiveness to the global nature of the audience, and how artists are empowered to access that audience, is critical to our sustainability as an industry. 

"I am really grateful that NZ On Air has commissioned a review of this nature, and that they are willing to really listen and respond to the experiences and insights that the industry has offered.”

Recommended reading

The recommendations from the Review of NZ On Air’s Music Funding include 

• the need to adjust current funding, drawdowns and contracts to allow for greater agility, flexibility and fairness for applicants and recipients
• to increase opportunities for capacity building
• to consider how NZ On Air could support export opportunities as a way to help artists better access their audiences, contribute to career sustainability and build global pathways for their music 
• ensure safety and equity to create a safer industry 
• to look at more opportunities to work collaboratively across the music industry

NZ On Air has considered all the recommendations within the Review and has produced a document to respond to each of those recommendations.

Patterson notes “Our plan from here is to work towards implementing or further exploring those recommendations that we have not yet employed. Some of those recommendations will require further collaboration and engagement with the wider sector.” 

As one of the interviewed industry sources states in Kelly's review, “If the processes are the hurdles that prevent our artists from succeeding, then we should change the processes.”

The industry is being heard.