NZ On Air Music Round-Up
This year, the main focus for the Music team at NZ On Air has been listening to the sector, embracing feedback and implementing change.
That has included a number of changes and adjustments to our music funding streams, predominantly off the back of feedback from the in-depth 2023 Review of NZ On Air’s Music Funding by Victoria Kelly.
The review had a huge role in helping us to consider two things – 1) that our music funding approach recognised the challenges the industry faces here in Aotearoa and globally, and 2) that it is fit-for-purpose, future-focused and continues to give audiences a range of quality local songs to discover and enjoy.
Some of the resulting key changes are already in place, while others will be phased in over the next 6-12 months.
Code of Conduct
From November 2024, funded applicants will agree to this Code of Conduct from the outset of their contract. The Code of Conduct outlines the expectations NZ On Air has of those that work for us and those we fund and engage with.
The Code of Conduct sets expectations of behaviour that sit alongside contractual obligations in our employment and funding agreements, all applicable NZ On Air policies, relevant legislation and industry standards.
You can read more about the Code of Conduct here.
Music Funding Changes
At the beginning of this year, we added the Artist Creation Fee (ACF) on top of funding grant totals and made it mandatory across all NZ On Air New Music funding streams to ensure that artists would receive a ring-fenced fee for their creative work.
And we introduced a New Music Project Kids funding stream to enable children’s music creators and their teams to be paid more fairly for albums and EPs.
In New Music Project, we also changed the drawdowns to advances rather than reimbursements to help aid cashflow, increased the total amount of funding available per project to $55,000 (including the ACF) and removed the requirement for financial co-investment.
New Music Funding Changes
All New Music Single and Focus Round music funding will have a new drawdown structure, reduced from four to three with all drawdowns as advances.
Now we are pleased to introduce further changes to our drawdown claim schedules, extending it to all New Music Single and Focus Round funding.
From January 2025, all New Music Single or Focus Round music funding will have a new drawdown structure, reduced from four to three with all drawdowns as advances. You can click here to read more on our updated drawdown structure.
In response to the Review of NZ On Air’s Music Funding, and to address the high demand on funds, we have also made slight amendments to our New Music Single criteria. You can see the updated criteria document here.
Our New Music Single and Focus Round Music Funding application process will also see a couple of new changes. We will now ask applicants to provide an initial funding budget to be uploaded alongside any application. This will help assessors understand exactly where the funds will be allocated if an applicant is successful in securing a NZ On Air Music funding grant.
And if you have received New Music Single funding before, you will not need to fill out the entry criteria questions again.
We are also changing the eligible claim date, allowing successful applicants to claim any eligible expenses from the funding round open date, instead of the deadline date.
New Music Project and New Music Project Kids
There is also an update to the guidelines for New Music Project and New Music Project Kids - these grants are now for projects that contain a minimum of five songs. This aligns with the Official Aotearoa Music Charts and the Aotearoa Music Awards definition of an EP or album.
From 2025, we will also be reducing the amount of NMP rounds per year, moving from four to three rounds a year. This is to align with NZ On Air’s Screen funding rounds and assessing frameworks. The claim date for eligible expenses will be from the round open date. New Music Project Kids remains an annual funding round. To read about the NMP funding changes, click here.
NZ On Air Music Communications
We are currently migrating to a new email Communications Centre which will help us ensure you get the communications you would like to receive and allow you to manage your personal information at any time.
So if you would like to keep receiving NZ On Air Music communications – such as funding decisions, media releases, newsletters and industry updates – you just need to click on this link and let us know which emails you would like. As well as music specific communications, you can also tick to receive general NZ On Air communications.
Please make sure you fill out all the required information. We sometimes find we need to do bespoke comms to a particular group – for example an invite to a workshop, showcase or other event – so information on your organisation/business and role is key to be able to do this.
Once you’ve entered your details into this new system you’ll be able to manage and update your communications preferences much more easily, as and when you like.
In a few months, we will retire the database from which you are currently receiving emails. So please make sure you enter your information into the new Communications centre now.
Important Dates
Funding Dates
- New Music Project and New Music Project Kids funding opens on Thursday 12 December 2024 and closes 4pm Thursday 23 January 2025. Expressions of interest to be emailed to project@nzonair.govt.nz before Friday 10 January 2025.
- New Music Single opens on Thursday 16 January 2025, with the deadline for the round on Thursday 30 January 2025.
- You can see all our 2025 NZ On Air Music Funding dates up to June 2025 here.
Payment Dates
- Last payments for 2024 will be made on Thursday 19 December.
- All paperwork for this payment round needs to be received by 5pm Monday 16 December.
- First payments for 2025 will be on Thursday 9 January.
The NZ On Air Music office will close from Monday 23 December, so all emails and enquiries made after this time will be responded to from the week of Monday 6 January 2025.
Meri Kirihimete me te tau hou from the Music Team!