Music

Performances, interviews, and docos across Aotearoa's rich musical landscape.

Music series and films

  • Michal Bush, in all pink, plays a guitar in her music room. The text above reads: "Music with Michal."

    Music with Michal

    Learn Music with Michal -- sing, dance, laugh, and play.
    5 episodes
    9m
  • Against a black background, a group of opera singers sing. The green text reads: "Toiere."

    Toiere

    Toiere reimagines opera through the lense of Aotearoa's rich cultural tapestry.
    Film
    1h 21m
  • Six seperate images arranged in two rows of three, content of the photos include, a man playing a trumpet, graffiti, a group shot of four men. Text across the middle reads, "Marauders".

    MARAUDERS

    Glorious handycam footage from the Fat Freddy's Drop 2003 debut European tour.
    4 seasons/28 episodes
    9m
  • A man standing with his arms crossed looking at the camera, he has visible tattoos on both forearms. He's highlighted with a blue light. Text reads, "NZ Hip Hop Stand Up" in neon green and pink.

    NZ Hip Hop Stand Up

    The stories behind some of the most influential tracks in Aotearoa hip hop.
    2 seasons/14 episodes
    9m
  • Three figures from different original images have been edited so that they're all standing next to each other and are of varying sizes. All three people are in the midst of performing. The background in a flat bright red colour. Text in the style of graffiti reads, "The Collective". A spray painted illustration of a crown appears above the 'e' in 'Collective'.

    The Collective

    Six young musicians on a powerful journey of self-discovery.
    8 episodes
    16m
  • Person on purple background resting their head in their hand. Only their head and chest is visible. Purple text along bottom of image reads, "AMPLIFIED".

    Amplified

    Spotlights artists who use music to embrace and explore their cultural roots.
    5 episodes
    15m
  • The back of a woman walking down a path, she's wearing white pants and a silver shiny top with silver tassels coming off the back and arms. Her arms are outstretched. Text reads, "Inside Splore".

    Inside Splore

    We meet five local acts as they take centre stage at Splore Festival.
    5 episodes
    5m
  • Two people holding microphones and singing into them, another person stands behind playing a keyboard piano. The scene is lit with a purple hued light. Text reads, "The Barber Shop Sessions".

    The Barber Shop Sessions

    Celebrating waiata Māori & the talented new wave of grassroots musical artists.
    6 episodes
    6m
  • The side profile of a man holding a guitar with a microphone on a stand in front of him. Text reads, "Legacy: Katchafire" and has a boarder around the perimeter of the frame.

    Katchafire: Legacy

    Katchafire's journey through creative differences & a changing music landscape.
    Film
    53m
  • A bagpipe band stand in a field ready to perform. The text reads: "12,000 Miles from NZ to the Green."

    12,000 Miles

    Follow the Kiwis taking on the world at the World Pipe Band Champs in Scotland.
    3 episodes
    36m
  • A person sitting on a stool, they're looking down. The image has been edited so that there's a strong orange toned light covering the image, obscuring the figures face. The text reads, "The Outliers".

    The Outliers

    Youth from minority communities who are standing out from their peers.
    24 episodes
    7m
  • Side profile of a persons face, silhouetted against a setting sun out of frame. Text reads, "Imposter".

    Imposter

    Māori musicians growing in their confidence, music, culture, and identity.
    5 episodes
    9m

More to watch

If you are interested in Music you might also want to check out some of our other series and films.

  • Comedy13

    Docos and drama with a healthy dose of humour.

    Jordan a.k.a. How to DAD looks quizzically into the camera. The orange text on the left reads: "OUT OF MY LEAGUE."
    Against a yellow-and-orange background, the cyan-coloured text reads: "the All Goods Race."
    A woman sitting on a chair next to a desk and coffee table. She's smiling at the camera. Text reads, "Aotearoa's Most Bizarre Conspiracies".

  • Hidden gems10

    A collection of some of the best bits you might have missed on RNZ Video.

    One young woman sits on another who is in a wheelchair in a zany candid moment. Text reads "This is Wheel Life with Soph and Indy"
    Whitney Steel & Nathan Taare sit at a table and smell samples of a perfume. White text below them reads: "JOURNEY OF SCENT."
    Eight seperate images edited into two rows of four, each showing different images of people and art. Text reads, "Marauders".

  • Tamariki6

    Series for children, featuring some very well-known New Zealanders.

    Michal Bush, in all pink, plays a guitar in her music room. The text above reads: "Music with Michal."
    A yellow graphic with two blue penguins dancing. Below them is the text: "Bigsies and Littles."
    In an animated graphic, the top of a man's face is seen in front of fence, above which are a collection of native New Zealand birds. In the middle of the image, in the middle of the birds, is the text: "BIRD'S EYE VIEW 2."

  • Rangatahi30

    Series made by young people, for young people.

    Against a yellow-and-orange background, the cyan-coloured text reads: "the All Goods Race."
    A vertical poster showing three young men sitting in front of a dark wall, with the title 'Rū ANA TE WHENUA: Alien Weaponry Shake Europe' displayed.
    A hand with red-painted nails exits through a small, curtained hole in a red wall. The text reads: "DAY ONE SHORTS."
Text reads, "Matangireia with Morgan Godfery". Background is beige with an out of focus letter M in fancy script.
A man wearing sunglasses and a tartan hat is looking out to the left. Text reads, "Our Other Islands".
A Muslim man in a blue shirt stands in a mosque. The text reads "This Is Us"
A sharp yellow pencil is placed in the center of a tile with a light grey background. The title 'Recovering' is above the pencil, with an underscore after 'Re'.
Eight seperate images edited into two rows of four, each showing different images of people and art. Text reads, "Marauders".
Side profile of a persons face, silhouetted against a setting sun out of frame. Text reads, "Imposter".
A large group of smiling young performers in traditional Polynesian attire pose together outdoors. They wear orange and yellow garments, necklaces made of white spikes, and have black markings on their faces. Above them, on a yellow banner, bold black text reads “SEVEN WEEKS,” with the subtitle “JOURNEY TO POLYFEST” in italics.
A sepia toned image of a family photograph depicting a woman holding the hands of two young children. The photo is deteriorating and the child on the left is almost obscured by the damage. The text reads, "Farewell Guangdong" there are also four Chinese characters, or 'Hanzi', above the text.
Six people standing in a row wearing indoor netball bibs. The person in the centre is holding a netball and smiling that the camera, everyone else looks curious or fed up. Text reads, "Here If You Need".
A man in traditional Māori dress and a full face tā moko is standing in the forest. He is holding a wooden pole object. Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Wairau".
A man standing in front of a mural of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag (Māori flag). Text reads, "Hori on a Hīkoi".
Whitney Steel & Nathan Taare sit at a table and smell samples of a perfume. White text below them reads: "JOURNEY OF SCENT."
The silhouette of a man against a sun either rising or setting, the sky is mostly green with a thin bank of orange light along the horizon. Text reads, "Meng".
Young man with soot on his face looking into the camera, in his left hand he's holding a Patu (weapon). Text reads, "NZ Wars: Stories of Tauranga Moana".
Two people holding microphones and singing into them, another person stands behind playing a keyboard piano. The scene is lit with a purple hued light. Text reads, "The Barber Shop Sessions".
Text reads, "House Talk" on a white brick wall background.
A Little Blue Penguin sits in a rocky landscape. Text reads "Kororā, little blue penguin".
A hillside is draped with a large Māori flag, on the ridge line stands a single figure and another Māori flag. Text in a painted font reads "Ake Ake Ake"
A transparent figure of the back of a man, overlayed with another transparent image of the same figure but just his shoulders and back of his head. Text reads, "Duality". it's written in transparent white block letters and yellow cursive overlapped.
Woman looking into the camera, standing side on. She has a staunch expression and Is wearing a bright pink blouse. Text reads, "Breaking Silence". Text and woman stand against a dark, almost black background.
A portrait of a child looking into the camera. On their head is a collection of blue and green strips of ribbon that intertwine with their long braided hair. They are wearing a blue shirt, a jacket and a bow tie. Text reads, "Loading Docs". Beside the text is a simple graphic circle meant to look like a roll of film.
A multi-media illustration of four different figures in different art styles. Text reads, "Our Aotearoa".
A half light purple and half yellow background with host, Josh Thomson, in the centre. Behind him are black and white images of six historical figures from various time periods. They have been superimposed so that they appear in a staggered star burst sort of pattern. Yellow text reads, "My Favourite Dead Person".
A man wearing a kākahu (clothing garment) and holding a hīrau (waka paddle). Text reads, "Te Kawau ki Tai. The Story of a Waka".