AudioCulture is a
New Zealand On Air
NZ On Air (NZOA; ), formally the Broadcasting Commission, is an autonomous Crown entity and commission of the New Zealand Government responsible for providing funding for broadcasting and creative works. The commission operates largely separa ...
funded online project billed as the "''Noisy Library of New Zealand Music''". Working with artists, historians and music industry people, the website tells the story of nearly 100 years of New Zealand popular music culture, from the first local recordings in the 1920s to digital streaming.
The website launched on 31 May 2013, with 250 published pages and since then has been growing steadily with new pages and stories added regularly.
As of 2023 there were more than 2,000 pages.
Organisation
The site was conceived and founded by
New Zealand music
The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including ...
industry historian and pioneer
Simon Grigg.
Grigg first conceived an online database of New Zealand music in the late 2000s and spent much of the next few years seeking funding and gathering support from the music industry in New Zealand. Backed by
Recorded Music New Zealand
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
he approached various funding bodies but was repeatedly turned down. Finally, in 2012
NZ On Air
NZ On Air (NZOA; ), formally the Broadcasting Commission, is an Crown entity, autonomous Crown entity and commission of the New Zealand Government responsible for providing funding for broadcasting and creative works. The commission operates l ...
agreed to fund the site. AudioCulture was placed under the wing of the same trust that's in charge of the sibling project
NZ On Screen but the content was curated and directed by Grigg, now named as Creative Director. Under Grigg, content was created by some 35 writers and contributed to by a large number of photographers.
AudioCulture has partnerships with
The National Library of New Zealand and
NZ On Screen.
In September 2016, Grigg resigned as Creative Director, handing the role to New Zealand writer and historian Chris Bourke. Grigg retains a position as founding editor.
References
External links
AudioCulture Website
Music organisations based in New Zealand
New Zealand digital libraries
2013 establishments in New Zealand
Internet properties established in 2013
{{NewZealand-music-stub