Recorded Music NZ



Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Music NZ is open to any record label operating in New Zealand, and is dominated by the American and UK owned "Big Three" (Sony, Universal and Warner Music Group). Recorded Music NZ has approximately 56 affiliate members.

Prior to June 2013, the association was known as the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). RIANZ and PPNZ Music Licensing were merged and renamed Recorded Music NZ.

Recorded Music NZ offers services under three areas: Member Services (the New Zealand Music Awards, the Official NZ Top40 Chart and direct services to artists and labels), Music Licensing (carried out through PPNZ Music Licensing) and Pro Music services regarding copyright protection and corporate affairs.

History
The association between as the New Zealand Federation of Phonographic Industry (NZFPI). In 1972 it was renamed to the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). In 2013, following a merger with PPNZ Music Licensing, it was 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 consists of the top ten singles outside of (and that have not previously charted inside) the top forty, and has the same rules and criteria as the Top 40 Singles Chart. Once a title makes an appearance inside the top forty at any point, it becomes ineligible to appear in the Heatseekers chart.

Performance rights
The public performance and broadcast rights of Recorded Music NZ members (which are restricted rights under New Zealand law) is administered on those members' behalf by the not-for-profit licensing company PPNZ Music Licensing. PPNZ administers the rights of local and international record labels, recording artists and sound recording distributors within the New Zealand territory.

PPNZ is responsible for licensing and collecting income from the broadcasting and public performance of sound and video recordings, and distributing this income back to rights owners (including Recorded Music NZ members). PPNZ can grant licenses to any individual or business playing or using recorded music in the public arena (i.e. non-domestic) such as bars, cafes, retail shops, salons, telephone "on-hold" systems, sports grounds, broadcasters, gyms, function centers and many other premises where performance of recorded music takes place.

Other activities
Recorded Music NZ is the New Zealand International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) national agency, and allocates the Country and First Owner Codes to members for encoding on all audio and audio-visual recordings, as a method of identification.

Recorded Music NZ is a member of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and is affiliated with, other national recording industry groups like the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

Recorded Music NZ works closely with the NZ Federation Against Copyright Theft (NZFACT) which represents film producers. NZFACT is affiliated with the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

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" 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.