Amplifier Website To Shut Down At End Of Year

Long-standing New Zealand music website Amplifier is closing down at the end of the month. The site, which was established in 1999, is the country's longest running legal music download site. Over the last 16 years the site has been a resource for people to learn about New Zealand music - enabling users to listen to tracks by local acts, watch homegrown videos, and purchase CDs and legal MP3 music downloads. Some of the artists who have been with Amplifier since the early days include Scribe, P-Money, Fat Freddy's Drop, Goodnight Nurse, Fast Crew, Goldenhorse, Steriogram and The Datsuns.

In a statement, the site's shut down has been attributed to the significant shift in the way fans now consume music, and the closure will see a renewed focus on partner company DRM NZ (formerly known as Amplifier Digital). The statement goes on to explain: "As the country’s preferred iTunes aggregator and YouTube Multi-Channel Network, DRM NZ has expanded upon the foundation built by Amplifier to become the leading digital distribution and content management outfit in New Zealand."

DRM NZ also works with Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, and Amazon. Moving beyond strictly music into the realms of audio and visual content, DRM NZ has launched a revamped website.

Amplifier.co.nz will remain active and open for business until 31st December after which the site will cease sales. Royalty reports for artists and stock-returns will commence across a three-month period until 31st March 2016.