New Music Project funding

Our New Music Project (NMP) funding is for recording and promoting multi-song projects to help connect great New Zealand songs with Aotearoa audiences.

It is designed for New Zealand music artists who have an established track record of creating music for an audience.

The funding is not designed for new and emerging music artists who do not yet have a significant pre-existing audience. If you are a less experienced music artist, we have New Music Single funding.

You can apply for funding ranging from $11,000 to $55,000 (including the Artist Creation Fee) for multi-song projects.

A mandatory Artist Creation Fee, up to 10% of your total NZ On Air funding, will be added to your grant and paid out only in the final drawdown. This fee covers the artist's creative work on the project. For example, if your funding commitment is $50,000, the addition of the ACF will bring the project's total NZ On Air funding to $55,000.

Make sure you have:

• met the pre-application criteria
• Your music qualifies as New Zealand Music
• you have contacted the Music Team with an Expression of Interest

NMP funding also requires the involvement of a project manager and a third-party Aotearoa-based professional music company in the project.

To receive the funding, you will need written confirmation that your project will involve a:

• project manager
• third-party Aotearoa-based professional music company.

If you meet the pre-application criteria then you can email us an Expression of Interest (EOI) containing:

• the artist's name
• a one-paragraph project overview
• project manager details
• details of the supporting Aotearoa-based third-party company.

Email your EOI to project@nzonair.govt.nz at least two weeks before the funding deadline.

Please note, it is at the discretion of NZ On Air who is accepted into the round.

If you are eligible to apply for New Music Project funding, your full application must contain:

• a project overview, including KPIs
• recording and production plan
• release plan for the project
• marketing and promotional plan
• budgets outlining costs for recording, production, video content, marketing and promotion
• full project timeline
• artist track record
• project manager and third-party company track record on music releases
• bios on all the key team involved in the project
• audio of at least two to three demo recordings, provided as MP3 files or as a link to download.

A financial co-investment towards the total funding budget is no longer required, however you need to demonstrate co-investment in aspects of the project release that are not funded by NZ On Air, such as:

• domestic or international touring
• showcases
• international release, marketing or promotion costs
• record label or distributor internal costs
• branding or creative direction.

NZ On Air funding can only be used for activities that occur after the application round open date. Costs incurred before this date (such as pre-production, recording, mixing and mastering) are not eligible for funding, even if they were invoiced at a later date.