New Zealand Music, Sound, Audio-visual Collection
The New Zealand Music, Sound & Audio Visual Collection forms part of the New Zealand and Pacific Collection of the Alexander Turnbull Library. New items are added through legal deposit, purchase and donation.
The New Zealand Music, Sound & Audio-visual Collection numbers
As of 2020, the New Zealand Music, Sound & Audio-visual Collection includes approximately:
50,000+ music recordings
8,500 scores and sheet music items
5,100 videos and DVDs.
Access to the New Zealand Music, Sound & Audio-visual Collection
Unpublished recordings, scores and papers are held in the Archive of New Zealand Music.
Unpublished oral histories are held in the Alexander Turnbull Library’s Oral History Collection.
You can find collection items using the National Library Catalogue.
You can order items from anywhere, and access them in the Katherine Mansfield Reading Room at the National Library in Wellington.
Some digitised items are available to view online. You can find them is by searching our website.
L-R: Rotorua Māori Choir, Hoea Ra Te Waka (1930); Les Wilson, The Otago Rambler (1957); Ross Harris, The Hills of Time (1983)
Get copies from items in this collection
You can get copies of items in this collection if copyright allows. You can write a letter, phone or email to order audio-visual copies and photocopies of scores.
More about copyright and privacy
Detail, HMV record factory, Wellington (1957). Ref: 1/2-177238-F
Highlights of the New Zealand Music, Sound, Audio-visual Collection
The highlights of the New Zealand Music, Sound, Audio-visual Collection include: music records, printed music, readio documentaries, historical recordings, talking books, and videos and dvds.
Music recordings
In the Collection you will find a vast array of music recordings made in New Zealand from the 1920s through to the present, together with overseas recordings made by New Zealanders. All music genres and styles are represented. Audio media range from shellac discs through to CDs and digital files. The Collection includes:
Early 78 rpm discs by New Zealand artists
TANZA, Kiwi, Viking, Flying Nun, Ode, Rattle and other local labels
Overseas pressings, promos, limited editions and rarities
L-R: Wellington South Salvation Army Brass Quartet (ca 1961) ; Dinah Lee, Introducing Dinah Lee (1964) ; Rhombus, Babylon Retreat (2008).
Printed music
We hold an extensive range of printed music. Publications range from sheet music of popular songs and piano music, through to orchestral and chamber music scores. The Collection includes:
A copy of the first New Zealand edition of God Defend New Zealand (ca 1879)
Patriotic sheet music, including nearly 150 digitised examples from World War I
Begg’s, Wai-te-ata Music Press, Price Milburn Music and other publishers
Detail, Thomas Bracken and John J. Woods, God Defend New Zealand (ca 1879).
Radio documentaries, historical recordings and talking books
We also hold published radio documentaries, historical recordings and talking books. Highlights include:
Wax cylinder of My South Polar Expedition (ca 1909) by Ernest Shackleton
Over 400 Replay Radio documentaries and feature programmes
Audiobooks of works by New Zealand writers
Videos and DVDs
We have a comprehensive collection of videos and DVDs relating to New Zealand and the Pacific. Some older formats have been digitised and can be accessed from our reading room.
Highlights include:
Local histories and documentaries
Films relating to Māori and Pacific culture
Performing and visual arts and artists.
L-R: Native Birds of New Zealand (2006); Rapa Iti, The Tahitian Choir (1994); Len Lye Talks About Art