Kia ora koutou,
Just a little update from your APRA Writer Board Representative: 2025 has been an eventful year for me, still on a high from hearing the incredible songs written on our most recent SongHubs - curated by Grammy Award winning producer 9th Wonder.
Every SongHubs is inspiring and we recently celebrated our 100th of these songwriting camps - initiatives that have generated over 7 million dollars in royalties, not to mention the many invaluable creative connections they've helped make.
I've recently been appointed to represent APRA on the Executive Committee of CIAM, a French-based organisation that began in 1968 to give voice to the songwriter community under the collective management organisation CISAC. The rights of creatives have never seen so much upheaval, particularly in what seems to be AI's quest to undermine privacy and copyright.
This topic has been dizzying, and at times outlandish, but I want to emphasise that the many treaties and laws built over 200 years of copyright do cover and protect our rights still, and if we're living through a massive paradigm shift then we need to bring with us strong copyright laws that protect human creativity. I will be attending the CISAC general assembly in Sofia, Bulgaria next month, where I'm sure this will be a fast-evolving issue.
As well as fulfilling my APRA Board duties, I've been working hard to keep writing my own music. After a lot of focus-switching and late nights, I've finally finished a new album. It's my first original release in fourteen years, and I've been reminded just how challenging it is to gather your thoughts and put yourself out there as a songwriter.
So, to those of you who have been consistently creating and releasing music all this time, I salute you. It's not easy - but our local releases are always so strong. The world needs good music now more than ever. Keep going - you’ll be amazed at where your music can take you.
Ngā mihi nui,
Bic Runga