Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. An industry tra ...

record producers A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

distributor A distributor is an enclosed rotating switch used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have mechanically timed ignition. The distributor's main function is to route high voltage current from the ignition coil to the spark plugs ...

s and

recording artist A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who w ...

s who sell

recorded music Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Membership of Recorded Music NZ is open to any owner of recorded music rights operating in New Zealand, inclusive of major

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...

s (such as

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

and

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

), independent labels and

self-released Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using POD (pr ...

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

s. Recorded Music NZ has over 2000 rights-holders. Prior to June 2013 the association called itself the "Recording Industry Association of New Zealand" (RIANZ). RIANZ and PPNZ Music Licensing merged and renamed themselves "Recorded Music NZ". Recorded Music NZ functions in three areas: * member services (the

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

, the

Official New Zealand Music Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Musi ...

s, music grants and direct services to artists and labels) *

music licensing Music licensing is the licensed use of copyrighted music. Music licensing is intended to ensure that the owners of copyrights on musical works are compensated for certain uses of their work. A purchaser has limited rights to use the work without ...

(undertaken independently or, in most cases, via OneMusic, a joint licensing venture between Recorded Music NZ and APRA) * Pro Music services (regarding

copyright protection A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educatio ...

and corporate affairs) Recorded Music NZ also operates as a joint trustee (with APRA) of the

New Zealand Music Hall of Fame The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame , Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa is a figurative hall of fame dedicated to noteworthy New Zealand musicians. The hall was created in 2007 by Recorded Music NZ (then known as the Recording Industry Associati ...

History

The New Zealand Federation of Phonographic Industry (NZFPI) was established in 1957 to collectively represent copyright licensing on behalf of rights owners. It later changed its name to Phonographic Performances New Zealand (PPNZ), and then PPNZ Music Licensing. In 1972 a new trade body was established called Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) which carried out industry advocacy functions (such as Government representation), administration of the NZ Music Awards and, in 1975, production of The Official NZ Music Charts which listed albums for the first time. For better administrational efficiency, the two companies were merged in 2013 and renamed to Recorded Music NZ.

New Zealand Music Awards

The New Zealand Music Awards are conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ for outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording field. The awards are one of the biggest awards that a group or artist can receive in music in New Zealand. The awards have been presented every year since 1965.

Official New Zealand Music Chart

The Official New Zealand Music Chart is the weekly New Zealand top forty singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (previously known as RIANZ). The chart also includes the top twenty New Zealand singles and albums and top ten compilation albums. All charts are compiled from data of both physical and digital sales from music retailers in New Zealand.

Heatseekers chart

An additional "Heatseekers" chart was first published on the chart dated 5 October 2015. The chart consisted of the top ten singles outside of (and that had not previously charted inside) the top forty, and had the same rules and criteria as the Top 40 Singles Chart. Once a title made an appearance inside the top forty at any point, it became ineligible to appear on the Heatseekers chart.

Hot Singles chart

Following the discontinuation of the Heatseekers chart, in July 2018 Recorded Music NZ began publishing the Hot Singles Chart, which tracks the "40 fastest-moving tracks by sales, streams and airplay". Songs can appear on both the NZ Top 40 and NZ Hot Singles charts simultaneously, as the primary aim of the Hot Singles chart is to "reflect the songs achieving the greatest week-on-week growth".

Te Reo Māori singles chart

In mid-June 2021, Recorded Music NZ began publishing Te Reo Māori O Te Rārangi 10 O Runga chart, also known as the Top 10 Te Reo Māori Singles, which tracks songs at are at least 70% sung in Te Reo Māori using sales, streaming and airplay data.

Piracy

As RIANZ, Recorded Music NZ was instrumental in attempting to introduce a possible version of Section 92A Copyright Act. The amendment would have required ISPs in New Zealand to disconnect users ''accused'' but not convicted of downloading copyrighted material – the first law of its type in the world. The amendment and consequently the RIANZ's actions have been widely criticized. ISPs described the law as "a deeply flawed law that undermines the fundamental rights and simply will not work", while thousands of artists have joined the Campaign for Fair Copyright voicing their "disappointment""Thousands of Artists Against Guilt Upon Accusation Laws"
. Creative Freedom. at the RIANZ stance. However, the version was ultimately dropped, and Section 92A of the Copyright Act has now been replaced by Section 122A the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act 2011 which came in force from 1 September 2011.

References

External links

*
Official New Zealand Music Chart websiteNew Zealand Music Awards websiteOfficial PPNZ WebsiteInternational Federation of Phonographic Industries website
* {{Authority control Music organisations based in New Zealand