Gigs
NZ Music Month
What is NZ Music Month?
NZ Music Month began back in 2001 when, despite the good music that was out there, Kiwi tunes were woefully under-represented on our airwaves, TV screens, and charts – barely reaching a double-digit percentage of content on air. Aiming to correct this reliance on imported music, NZ Music Month gave our media a chance to showcase homegrown talent that may not normally have reached the public. In the process a bunch of stars were uncovered, and New Zealanders' taste for their own musical heroes confirmed. Over the past couple of years the focus has moved to include the public as much as possible in what has become a truly national celebration of our favourite artists.
NZ Music Month is a partnership between the NZ Music Commission and a number of other organisations including songwriters’ association APRA, Independent Music NZ, NZ On Air, the Radio Broadcasters Association and the Recording Industry Association of NZ. Whether they are hearing Kiwi music on the radio, seeing it on TV, or – better still – live in person, New Zealanders across the country experience more of our very own homegrown talent on our airwaves and stages throughout the month, showing their support for local music by coming to one of the official events, buying a Kiwi CD, attending one of the hundreds of other gigs that take place, or pulling on a NZ Music Month t-shirt from Hallensteins.
WHAT THE MONTH DOES FOR THE MUSIC
Over the years the focus of NZ Music Month may have shifted somewhat, but it’s all still about making sure New Zealanders are exposed to more of the country’s great music. Beyond the celebratory aspects and increased media coverage of local musos, each year we see tangible benefits to NZ artists with increases in sales and airplay during the month of May lending NZ Music Month commercial as well as cultural significance.
33,061 NZ Albums were sold in May 2008, making up just over a quarter of all album sales – an increase of over 80% on the previous month. This total was comparable to the previous May despite a drop in the overall retail market.
25,653 NZ Singles were sold, meaning one in every nine sales was by a local artist, a growth of over 40% on the previous month. More impressively this represented an increase of over 120% on the Music Month previous.
Radio airplay across all genres was approximately 20% during May.
As well as these economic benefits to NZ artists and the local music industry, there’s annual interest from all corners of the media to run stories on Kiwi acts. Our press file of NZ Music-related stories grows from year to year, and coverage on TV continues to increase.
Whether it’s selling records, getting the message out about local artists, or just fostering an environment in which Kiwis want to celebrate their favourite acts in one way or another, NZ Music Month is an annual institution that has a positive impact on many different levels.
HOW TO BE A PART OF NZ MUSIC MONTH
It couldn’t be simpler!
Keep visiting the website for news and use the online gig guide to help you get out to some shows (sure, maybe you already do, but what’s the harm in cramming some more in?).
Hit up your local record store or online retailer for some of hordes of local releases.
Soak up the music, interviews, and features all over TV and radio.
Say hi to us on MySpace and follow us on Twitter.
And instead of just hearing what everyone else is up to, share your NZ Music Month experiences with the rest of the country. Whether you’re a punter at a gig, a band in the practice room, or bumping into your favourite muso in the street, take photos during the month and upload them to our Flickr group. During May we’ll be displaying them on our website and, with your help, building up a massive gallery of memories from NZ Music Month 2009.
