ha, yeah, i'm regressive.
but of course i'm a member.
APRA is essentially a royalty collection and distribution agency
here's what we do:
we collect the money from the radio, tvs, retail outlets etc, and give it to you, except if it's student radio you're getting played on, then we'll usually just keep it. to be put to better use.
basically you have to get played alot on commercial stations.
cos if you only get played a couple of tmes, it's generally not with our time making small calculations and distributing it. However, it's all good. because the money we don't pay out is spent on other music related projects .
Eg. We publish a thoroughly readable, well written and exquisitely edited magazine called APRAP, whose title, i'm fairly certain, is of the 'pun intended' ilk. ; D
We also (more notably) hold the silver scrolls party and award the best song of the year.
which is excellent for new zealand music awarding excellence in nz music. this provides struggling songsmiths a measuring stick, of sorts. Another plus is that this song is not selected on sales, instead it is chosen on it's musical merits, 'New Zealand's most prestigious song-writing award, has been presented since 1965' Another plus is that if you are maori you have extra chance te win one of our more culturally sensitive awards. so it's completely up-to-date in terms of acknowledging the new zealand's ethnic diversity. I think it's unparalleled and that we SHOULD be encouraging nz music with competitions to guage the best of the best.

music is a competitive industry and i think new zealand has too big an industry for us to overlook some of these artists who are making big impacts both at home and abroad, eg. if you look at the nominees this year you'll find none other than the frontlawn/muttonbirds maestro; Don McGlashan has been nominated twice for the same award (which is pretty cool), so there's no question it's a true mark of prestige to be reaching this echelon. it's important we acknowledge our nation's most gifted musos, and sometimes it feels that sales and other awards such as the Tuis or the b-nets just don't cover the juggernaut that the nzmusic industry has become since the inception of nz on air. So i think it's great that the unclaimed royalties (dont ask me why they're unclaimed) are being put to such good use.

if you have any further questions, don't hesitate to contact us at APRA.co.nz

Why yes you do .. :-) nice explanation mate ..

Some good talent there, It makes me happy to think that there's always been an NZ music scene as such, and it's getting stronger as the years tick by I think, we've always had world class acts but they, I think for the most part, all had to get fame and recognition from over seas before anything happens at home, I think NZ music is looking in more and finding the gems in their own back yard .. maybe even giving them more of a polish before sending forth to the rest of the world. .. it's nice they're recognised by award's like the APRA silver scrolls and tuis .. man I'm not the one up at 4 in the morning I hope that makes sense .. maybe I need my rum and coke now .. :-)

// that means all of your royalties are going through a "middleman" so to speak?

well, yeah - but are you going to go around all the radio stations, pubs, clubs, tv broadcasters (both in NZ and overseas), and personally hit them up for your share of royalties?

// if -all- they will ever be is a service to help in royalty collection, then that's fine by me.

As far as I can recall Noizy, that silver scroll also comes with a cash prize too...which can come in handy when recording your next DIY opus...

APRA also had another trick up their sleeve: they once compiled a CD (which is what record labels do) called Thirty Top NZ Songs, as voted by their songwriter members, and that compilation was given away to happy guests at the Silver Scrolls that one time. And then the idea was given to an actual record company, who was able to successfully sell the compilation to the public as Nature's Best, which then expanded out to 3 compilations of the Top 100 songs, and a DVD of the Top 60 videos, and then another comp five years later called More Nature and who knows what the next one is going to be called? Anyway, they were fantastically successful and all(?) the money went back to APRA to be distributed to all the songwriters. In my view, that was/is a brilliant way of generating more income for thier represented artists.

Oh, look at that. Jakob's new album is out next week.

23. Harassment and coercion
No person shall use physical force or harassment or coercion in connection with the supply or possible supply of goods or services or the payment for goods or services.

Reminds me of the episode of the Young Ones where Neil quotes a section of the People's Charter at Mike to get him to work, but...
Mike: "Yeah, Clause 83..."
Neil: "'Except for Mike'. Oh, sorry."

you can join online...

[ external link ]

have you checked the email addresses of other family members?

that was a regretful choice of words

I meant Postal Address.I filled the form out correctly, and was still waiting to hear from Apra.When i didnt hear from them the first time, i used a different address.

//Plus I get a 10% discount at Music Works stores

You clearly haven't been to the Porirua one, whenever I produce my card there they claim to know nothing about it and charge me full price for my strings (which are the only thing worth buying there).

Nah, It's somewhere near Taupo.