2025 System UpdatesDecember 10, 2024

As previously announced, in 2025 Recorded Music NZ will be upgrading to a new system to process data and distributions, so now is a good time to check and update your details and to claim any outstanding payments. The new system will also mean some changes to our Distribution Policy and Master Rights Agreements. Read on below for more information.

TIME TO CHECK YOUR DETAILS
In 2025, Recorded Music NZ will be upgrading to a new system to process data and distributions. We will be in touch early next year to let you know what you will need to do in order to be registered in the new system for the June distribution. To make the transition easier:

• Now is the time for Rights Holders and Recording Artists to ensure that all your recordings are registered with us and that your contact details, payment details and other recording information we hold are up-to-date
• We will be directly contacting those Rights Holders who have an outstanding distribution but if you are a Recording Artist – please log in to the current artist portal using your registered email address and password to claim any outstanding payments

CHANGES TO DISTRIBUTION POLICY – INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS HOLDERS
To align with our new data and distribution system we will be amending the Distribution Policy in 2025 to reflect changes to the way we operate. One change we can let you know about now is that we will have the technology to enable us to manage direct registration from some international Rights Holders. Previously we haven’t been able to do this and have required overseas entities to have a local distributor due to the administrative burden of handling direct registrations.

Going forward we are ready to accept direct registrations from international rights holders that meet certain criteria. We are changing the policy to allow record companies that are users of RDx and that meet a specified distribution threshold to register directly with Recorded Music NZ. RDx is the data exchange hub developed jointly by IFPI and WIN to facilitate efficient and accurate exchange of recorded music repertoire ownership data and is supported by PPL’s technology, which will help power our new system.

UPDATING YOUR MASTER RIGHTS AGREEMENT
For over a year we have been going through the process of migrating Master Rights holders to the current (2019) version of our Master Rights Agreement (MRA) in order to enable us to work consistently and efficiently to secure the best licences possible and maximise the income we distribute. As part of our upgrade to a new data and distribution system in 2025, Rights Holders will be required to be on the current MRA as part of accessing the new My Recorded Music portal.

Many thanks to the vast majority of rights holders who have already updated to the current MRA. If you still need to do so you will have heard from us or will hear from us soon.

For more information and FAQs click here

As previously noted, we are also planning a further update of the MRA later in 2025 to reflect the changing market. In preparing for this update we have consulted with our largest Radio and TV licensees to seek to understand their music licensing needs and future plans – and as a result we will be seeking to update some of the rights included in the MRA to ensure we can continue to secure the best licences possible and maximise the income we distribute. We will also need to update certain operational provisions in the MRA following the implementation of our new data and distribution system. We will have more information to share on this update in early-2025.