A background music platform needs to do more than play the right songs. For businesses operating throughout the day, the system must remain reliable, secure and largely invisible to the people using it.
That is why an important part of developing Fair Play Aotearoa involves testing how our dedicated in-store media players perform over extended periods, including continuous overnight operation.
The purpose of this testing is not simply to confirm that music plays. It is to ensure that the complete system continues working as intended: the player remains operational, approved music is delivered consistently, and every playback event is accurately recorded in the background.
Designed to be left running
Fair Play Aotearoa integrates directly with dedicated media player boxes installed at each business location. Once connected to the existing audio system, the player is designed to provide a “turn it on and leave it” solution.
Staff do not need to select playlists, log into streaming accounts or manage the player throughout the day. The approved programming is protected from casual changes at store level, while HMG can manage music and updates remotely.
This is particularly important for enterprise customers. A business with multiple locations needs to know that each player will continue operating consistently without creating additional work for individual store teams.
Testing the complete licensing pathway
Our testing also examines what happens behind the music.
As each track plays, Fair Play Aotearoa records what was played, when it was played, where it was played and the licensing category associated with it. This allows HMG to distinguish between directly licensed HMG repertoire and music covered through other licensing arrangements.
Extended playback testing helps us confirm that this information continues to be captured correctly over time. That reporting can then provide evidence of the proportion of directly licensed music used by a business and support its eligibility for a corresponding adjustment to its OneMusic licence fee, subject to OneMusic’s applicable requirements and processes.
Turning playback data into artist royalties
This information also supports the direct royalty pathway at the centre of Fair Play Aotearoa.
Because HMG directly represents participating artists and rights holders, we can use playback information to understand whose music has been played and where. This allows royalties collected through HMG’s direct licences to be distributed with greater connection to actual music use.
The player therefore forms part of a much broader system. It delivers the music, protects the approved rotation, records the licensing category and provides the information required to account back to creators.
As the platform develops, this testing is helping us refine a dependable “set and forget” experience for businesses while building a more transparent connection between commercial music use and the New Zealand artists whose work creates that value.
It is an exciting example of how practical technology can support greater licensing choice, increased New Zealand music rotation and a more direct flow of royalties to local creators.