Dunedin Launches Spotify Channel

Dunedin Launches Spotify Channel in New Zealand Music Month
A first for city marketing and branding in New Zealand

Dunedin, New Zealand, 7 May, 2018: In a first for New Zealand, DunedinNZ has launched its own Spotify channel as a new city marketing and branding tactic to highlight Dunedin’s identity as a vibrant music city.

With playlists named after key Dunedin locations, experiences and events, the channel aims to evoke nostalgia, and stimulate curiosity about the destination, including the people and the place behind the music.

In a two-pronged approach, the Spotify channel will be embedded into DunedinNZ online assets including the website and social media feeds, to encourage streaming of curated playlists by users from all over the globe.

The Dunedin City Council have committed to working with background music providers AMS and with APRA (the Australasian Performing Rights Organisation) to play Dunedin music duplicated from the Spotify channel across Council infrastructure such as venues, outdoor stages and on-hold music.

John Christie, Director of Enterprise Dunedin said, “This is a project our team has been working on for some time, and with both New Zealand Music Month and TRENZ happening in May, it seemed like the perfect moment to launch.

“We’re looking forward to profiling Dunedin’s fantastic music scene to the world and telling the story of our city through a different medium.”

Dunedin has long music traditions, from classical to rock, folk to experimental, electronic to choral. Home of the Dunedin Sound, music from the city enjoys a loyal following from both local and global music fans, with artists like Aldous Harding, Nadia Reid and Six60 growing their craft in a lively and diverse local music scene over the last decade.

Chair of the Creative Dunedin Partnership, Cr. Aaron Hawkins said, “What better way to move through Dunedin than with your very own soundtrack? Whether you’re stalking around City Rise listening to The Futurians, or having Nadia Reid ring out as you descend into Port Chalmers, this puts local musicians at the heart of the Dunedin experience”.

Local or national businesses wanting to support Dunedin music and musicians are encouraged to sign up with a background music provider and with APRA as part of this initiative, to ensure that royalty money reaches the repertoire owners, including artists.

As a marketing tool, the channel will feature topical or events-based playlists and invited guest curators, reaching out to the Dunedin diaspora all over the world, including a huge student alumni body who associate their days here with the soundtrack of the city.

The launch playlists were compiled in association Scott Muir, a local music industry specialist, and the channel will continually add new content once on the Spotify platform. DunedinNZ is encouraging Dunedin musicians who have a Spotify presence to get in touch, to be considered for the featured playlists: spotifydunedin@dcc.govt.nz

ENDS

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