The rapid growth of newer distribution and services companies highlights how the NZ music industry has diversified. Rather than replacing traditional structures, these models are expanding the ecosystem – offering alternative pathways for artists at different stages of their careers. Damian Vaughan explains the Precise Digital model.

Precise Digital represents artists like Te Wehi, Hori Shaw and Son & Water – gifted songwriters, driven by making music they genuinely believe in. Te Wehi only started performing live last year, yet in a that very short space of time, their recordings have come to dominate the Aotearoa charts, with every new release generating strong streaming numbers locally.

It’s not just a moment. Over the last 12-18 months Precise has been behind a significant portion of the NZ Top 20 songs in any given week. Established in 2017, Precise has only been operating as a music distributor for around five years. The business growth in that short time points to a broader shift in how the local industry is evolving, particularly in how artists are choosing to partner and build their careers.

Artists today are increasingly looking for partners who believe in their vision, while also offering transparency and commercial understanding. There’s a growing preference for models that combine creative support with clear data, rights management, and flexible deal structures. At its core, this reflects a wider move toward artist autonomy – where control, ownership, and clarity are as important as reach.

Precise Digital Ltd was founded by Michael Giles, who recognised that many artists were not maximising their royalties across digital platforms. Some had little or no online presence, while others had music available online, but lacked control, or were seeing little return. In the early years the focus was simple – fix those gaps and make sure artists were being rewarded properly for their work. 

It also became clear that many musicians across the Pacific were being overlooked by the wider industry. Precise has helped build meaningful revenue streams for artists in the region, while supporting many to reach new audiences beyond their home markets. Over time the company has uncovered millions in previously unclaimed royalties.

Precise remains closely connected to those business origins and its commitment to artists across the Pacific. In 2026 the company employs 16 staff, primarily based in Tāmaki Makaurau, with additional team members in Australia and South Africa.

Ten years ago the industry was just beginning to feel the emergence of streaming as a dominant force. While Spotify understandably gets most of the attention locally, YouTube remains one of the most powerful and often understated platforms in the global music ecosystem. In many markets, particularly outside traditional Western territories, it functions not just as a promotional tool, but as a primary consumption platform and a meaningful revenue stream.

When combined with short-form platforms and streaming services, YouTube creates a layered ecosystem where audiences discover, engage with, and share music in different ways. Understanding how those layers interact is becoming increasingly important for artists and their teams.

At the same time as this digital expansion, physical formats such as vinyl and CDs have found renewed relevance as meaningful touchpoints for fans. (Acknowledging I am also involved with physical distribution business Collective Distribution, so there is a degree of bias here.) Despite the shift in the overall market toward digital, physical releases continue to play an important role in how audiences connect with music in a tangible way.

Community is the real algorithm

If there’s one overarching theme that ties all of this together, it’s community. The artists who are succeeding today are often those who understand where their audiences exist – geographically, culturally, and digitally – and who can engage with those communities in an authentic way.

For NZ artists one of the most powerful but often under-appreciated dynamics is the Pacific diaspora. Across Australia, the US, and throughout the Pacific Islands there are deeply connected, highly engaged communities that actively support and amplify artists they believe in. They listen, share, and advocate.

This dynamic has had a significant influence on how music travels, particularly for artists with strong cultural connections across these regions. Platforms such as YouTube, which are widely accessible across the Pacific, have played a key role in that growth, often acting as a primary discovery and engagement channel.

Alongside this, there has been a noticeable shift toward more holistic support across the release cycle. Distribution is no longer just about delivering music to platforms, it increasingly includes areas like channel development, metadata optimisation, audience strategy, and rights management.

One of the less visible but critical aspects of this evolution is the focus on ensuring that artists are properly collecting all revenue owed to them. Catalogue audits, user-generated content tracking, and global rights collection have become essential components of a sustainable music career. For many artists, this level of detail can make a meaningful difference over time, particularly as their music reaches audiences across multiple platforms and territories.

Where to next?

One of the most compelling aspects of the current landscape is how often success emerges from unexpected places. Tracks gain traction in markets that weren’t part of the original strategy. Genres that were once considered niche find broader audiences. While this can appear unpredictable, there are often underlying patterns – strong community engagement, consistent output, and the ability to respond quickly when momentum builds.

If the past decade has been about breaking down barriers, the next phase is about building sustainable careers within a more complex and competitive environment. The opportunity for NZ artists remains significant. With a distinct cultural identity and growing infrastructure, there is increasing capacity to support artists in reaching global audiences.

For artists, success will continue to come from great songwriting and recording, but also from having clarity – understanding who they are, who they’re speaking to, and how to reach them.

For the wider industry the challenge, and opportunity, lies in continuing to evolve in a way that supports that clarity, while building systems and partnerships that allow artists to grow on their own terms.

Damian Vaughan is the Chief Operating Officer at Precise Digital and co-owner of physical distributor Collective Distribution. Previously CEO of Recorded Music NZ, Damian has also worked in senior positions at APRA AMCOS NZ, IMNZ and PRS for Music in the UK. He serves on the board of the Digital Media Trust (AudioCulture and NZ on Screen), and is a former board member of music charities Crescendo and MusicHelps.