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A sustainable licensing model built for artists, by artists.
 

Right now, we focus on matching artists with retail brands, building direct licensing partnerships that help local music get heard in local communities, while offering artists an additional, more direct source of income for the public use of their work. Our vision is for Kiwis to walk into retail stores and hear songs from artists in their own communities, making local music a living, breathing part of everyday life.​

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Artist Sponsorship & Support
 

At Heart Music Group, we don’t just license music, we actively invest in the artists we believe in.

We retain a percentage of the income we earn through licensing to reinvest back into our community of creators. This allows us to offer sponsorship support in the form of small recording grants, designed to help independent artists create and release new work.

We’ve already provided funding to several New Zealand artists and are committed to growing this pool as our licensing network expands.
 

Our funding decisions are based on three core criteria:
 

 1. Alignment in values
We work with artists who show real work ethic, respect for others, and genuine creative potential without ego. We're drawn to those who have something meaningful to say and the character to back it up.
 

2. Songwriting ability
We look for artists who write or co-write their on music and have a distinctive voice or sound that stands out.
 

              3. Audience recognition and traction
We consider existing engagement, whether it’s streams, live shows, or local buzz, as a sign that your work is resonating with real listeners. However, we also understand how challenging it can be to generate real momentum independently. That’s why we sometimes offer sponsorship support to artists who may not yet be widely known, but who we believe have something truly special to say
 

As our model grows, so too will the scale of our artist support. When you become an artist partner to HMG, you’re not just licensing your music, you’re becoming part of a movement working to make New Zealand music more sustainable, from the ground up.

Our ultimate goal? To fill stadiums with New Zealand music, the same way we fill them for rugby.
Yes, we know it’s a bold dream, but that’s exactly what we’re all about.

Recipient of HMG Sponsorship Funds:

Nikau Te Huki (AKA Casual Healing)

This video was created by Nikau, whose incredible gift deeply moved us. We saw his vision and wanted to put real support behind his music journey. After receiving sponsorship from HMG, his project Casual Healing went on to chart in the New Zealand Top 40, and now has tens of thousands of monthly listeners. We’re proud to have Nikau as part of our wider whānau and we can’t wait to see what’s next for him.
Check out his new album, Driftwood here

 

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