Music Managers Forum New Zealand

What Music Managers Forum New Zealand does

Music Managers Forum Aotearoa (MMF Aotearoa) is an independent, non-profit trade association and the collective voice for music managers and self-managed artists in New Zealand, both signed and independent. The organization operates from a non-technology service model, offering a unified membership-based portfolio built around an annual $100/year subscription. Members gain access to one-on-one mentoring with industry specialists covering touring, bookings, contracts, marketing, publicity, and company structure; peer networking; a roster of seminars and online sessions (Back to Basics, Members-Only Online Seminars, Elevate workshops); and exclusive access to Festival Bookers Speed Networking events where members pitch directly to bookers from major NZ festivals such as Rhythm and Vines, Laneway, WOMAD, SoundSplash, and Electric Avenue.

The organization is governed by a Chairperson (Cushla Aston) and runs day-to-day operations through a Manager of Operations (Lorraine Owen), supported by a small team of approximately 6 employees. Funding is sourced from membership fees, grants from NZ On Air and the NZ Music Commission, and partnership support from organizations including Spotify, APRA AMCOS, and Recorded Music New Zealand. MMF Aotearoa is part of the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF) and the European Music Managers Association (EMMA), and is a major partner of the NZ Music Month Summit.

MMF Aotearoa's go-to-market motion is community-led, with member acquisition driven through events, seminars, mentoring, and advocacy work rather than paid distribution. The organization's competitive positioning is built on its role as the sole collective voice for music managers in Aotearoa, its exclusive access to festival bookers, and its affiliation with global manager federations. Recent strategic emphasis has included the Spotlight Aotearoa advocacy initiative (launched December 2024 with 14 industry partners), the Co-Pilot 2025 mentoring program in partnership with AAM Australia and Spotify, and a published 2026 AI Statement reflecting the organization's positioning on AI's impact on the music industry.

Name

Music Managers Forum New Zealand

Legal name

Music Managers Forum Aotearoa

Website

https://mmf.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Music Managers Forum Aotearoa is an independent, non-profit trade association that serves as the collective voice for music managers and self-managed artists in New Zealand, delivering mentoring, seminars, festival networking, and advocacy through a $100/year membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

Keywords

• Music industry association
• Artist management support
• Music manager mentoring
• Music industry advocacy
• Trade association services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Zealand

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: The organization generates revenue through annual membership subscriptions at $100 per year, providing members access to mentoring programs, seminars, networking events, and exclusive resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Music Managers Forum Aotearoa operates as a non-profit trade association providing education, networking, mentoring, and advocacy services to professional music managers and self-managed artists in New Zealand. Its core deliverable is an annual membership at $100 per year that grants access to one-on-one mentoring with music industry specialists, professional development seminars, members-only online sessions, exclusive networking events such as Festival Bookers Speed Networking, and resources supporting touring, bookings, contracts, marketing, and publicity. The organization also runs flagship programs including Back to Basics seminars, the Elevate workshop, the Co-Pilot mentoring program with AAM Australia and Spotify, and the NZ Music Month Summit.

Product overview

Music Managers Forum Aotearoa (MMF) operates as a non-profit trade association offering a unified membership-based service portfolio. The core offering is the MMF Annual Membership at $100/year, which provides access to one-on-one mentoring with industry experts, professional networking, member-exclusive resources, development seminars, and festival pitching opportunities. This membership underpins all programs including the Mentoring Program (one-on-one sessions with specialists), Back to Basics Seminar (free foundational training), Festival Bookers Speed Networking (direct access to festival bookers), and NZ Music Month Summit (annual industry gathering). Premium offerings include the Elevate Workshop (intensive two-day professional development for mid-career managers) and the Co-Pilot Program (in partnership with AAM Australia and Spotify). The organization also runs advocacy initiatives such as Spotlight Aotearoa to promote local artists on international tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Back to Basics: Free seminar series for early-stage artist managers and self-managed artists covering music industry fundamentals
• Festival Bookers Speed Networking
• Elevate
• Co-Pilot
• Spotlight Aotearoa

Products and services

• MMF Annual Membership Annual subscription at $100/year providing music managers and self-managed artists access to one-on-one mentoring with industry experts, networking with NZ music professionals, member-only resources, professional development seminars and panels, and opportunities to pitch directly to NZ festivals.
• Mentoring Program One-on-one confidential mentoring sessions for members with music industry specialists covering touring, bookings, contracts, marketing, publicity, company structure, and general artist management.
• Back to Basics Seminar Free in-person seminar series for those in early stages of artist management and self-managed artists, exploring fundamentals of the music industry including planning a release, artist development, and the business of music, held across NZ cities.
• Festival Bookers Speed Networking Exclusive speed networking sessions where MMF members pitch their acts directly to festival bookers from major NZ festivals including Rhythm and Vines, Laneway, WOMAD, SoundSplash, and Electric Avenue.
• NZ Music Month Summit Annual intensive day of themed panel discussions and networking opportunities held during the last week of May, in conjunction with the NZ Music Commission.
• Elevate Workshop Two-day in-person professional development workshop for mid-career music managers and self-managing career artists, featuring industry experts, career insights, and networking opportunities.
• Co-Pilot Program Flagship mentoring and professional development program delivered in partnership with the Association of Artist Managers (AAM) Australia and Spotify, supporting early to mid-career music artist managers with one-on-one guidance, workshops, and networking.
• Members-Only Online Seminars Exclusive monthly online seminar sessions for MMF members covering topics such as AI integration, planning, social media, music funding, sync and music licensing, self-management, and mastering the art of pitching.

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Spotlight Aotearoa Supporters CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2024Coalition supporting Spotlight Aotearoa initiative including: APRA AMCOS, Auckland UNESCO City of Music, Big Fan, E TŪ Musicians Union, Independent Music NZ (IMNZ), Independent Music Venues Aotearoa (IMVA), Māori Music Industry Collective (MMIC), MusicHelps, Music Production Guild Aotearoa (MPG), NZ Music Commission, NZ On Air, OneMusic New Zealand, Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ), and SoundCheck Aotearoa.
• International Music Managers Forum (IMMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMF Aotearoa is part of the International Music Managers Forum, connecting New Zealand music managers with global industry networks and resources.
• European Music Managers Association (EMMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMF Aotearoa is part of EMMA, providing European connections and collaboration opportunities for New Zealand music managers.
• Association of Artist Managers (AAM) AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint delivery of Co-Pilot program - Australia's flagship mentoring and professional development program for music managers, extended to include one NZ participant from MMF Aotearoa.
• NZ On AircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funding partner supporting programs including Back to Basics seminars, Elevate workshop, How to Market and Promote Your Music seminars, and various member sessions.
• Recorded Music New ZealandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Back to Basics seminars and general industry support, representing recording artists and right holders in Aotearoa.
• NZ Music CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment-funded organization promoting NZ music, major partner of NZ Music Month Summit and various MMF programs.
• APRA AMCOSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic rights organization, partner for Back to Basics seminars and NZ Music Month Summit collaboration.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC): Canadian non-profit association supporting songwriters and music creators through education, advocacy, and networking. Comparable in operating model (membership-based non-profit providing professional development, networking events, and advocacy) and serves an adjacent creator-management constituency in a similar-sized national market.

Regional players

• NZ Music Commission: Government-funded organization promoting New Zealand music domestically and internationally. Comparable as a strategic partner of MMF Aotearoa (NZ Music Month Summit, advocacy coalitions) and serves overlapping constituencies of NZ music professionals and artists.
• Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ): New Zealand trade association representing independent record labels and artists. Comparable as a fellow NZ non-profit music industry body that partners with MMF Aotearoa through the Spotlight Aotearoa coalition, serving overlapping member communities with education and advocacy.
• Music Managers Club Germany (MMV): German trade association for music managers and producers, member of EMMA. Comparable as a European national music manager forum with similar member-based services (education, networking, advocacy) serving the German market.

Direct peers

• International Music Managers Forum (IMMF): Global umbrella body of national music manager forums, of which MMF Aotearoa is a member. Directly comparable because IMMF sets international standards, provides resources to national MMFs, and convenes the global community of music manager associations including MMF Aotearoa.
• Association of Artist Managers (AAM) Australia: Australian counterpart trade association for music managers, run as a non-profit member organization. Directly comparable because AAM co-delivers the Co-Pilot Program with MMF Aotearoa and Spotify, operates on a similar membership model, and serves the same professional manager and self-managed artist segments in Australia.
• European Music Managers Association (EMMA): European federation of music manager organizations, part of MMF Aotearoa's international network. Comparable as the parallel regional body to IMMF, coordinating European music manager associations and sharing best practices, advocacy, and resources with member forums including MMF Aotearoa.
• Canadian Music Managers Forum: Canadian trade association for music managers and self-managed artists. Comparable as a national MMF operating in a similarly-sized English-speaking music market outside the US/UK, offering mentoring, advocacy, and networking to Canadian music managers.
• Music Managers Forum (MMF) UK: UK-based trade association for music managers, part of the same global IMMF network. Directly comparable as the original Music Managers Forum that informed MMF Aotearoa's establishment, serving music managers through education, advocacy, and networking with the same membership-based operating model.

Others

• APRA AMCOS New Zealand: New Zealand music rights organization representing songwriters, composers, and publishers. Comparable as a strategic partner of MMF Aotearoa (Back to Basics seminars, NZ Music Month Summit) and serves overlapping music industry constituencies with professional development resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/music-managers-forum-new-zealand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Music Managers Forum New Zealand