Who Inherits the Bangers? Why Every Kiwi Musician Needs a Will
You’ve laid down tracks, played sold-out gigs, poured your soul into lyrics, and maybe even scored some streaming royalties. But have you ever stopped to think about what happens to all of that if you suddenly exit stage left?
It’s a topic no one wants to talk about over a beer but for musicians in Aotearoa, getting a Will sorted is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your legacy (and your gear).
Music Royalties Don’t Die With You
Whether you're a one-hit wonder or an underground legend, those royalty payments don't just stop when you do. Royalties are classed as intellectual property, which means they’re part of your estate. That means someone - your partner, your kids, your bandmate or your mum, needs to be named to inherit them.
Without a Will? It’s anyone’s guess who’ll get the rights to your music, and it may not be the person you'd have chosen to carry on your creative legacy or be associated with something you’d typically want your music to be associated with.
Real-Life: Don’t Be Like Prince…
When Prince passed away in 2016, it shocked the world - not just because he was gone too soon, but because he didn’t have a Will. His estate, including an enormous music catalogue and valuable unreleased recordings, was left in legal limbo for six years.
Or Bob Marley…
Reggae legend Bob Marley also died without a Will, and his estate - now worth hundreds of millions - was tangled in decades of family disputes. It's the kind of chaos no one wants to leave behind.
Instruments Can Be Worth Thousands
It’s not just your songs you need to think about… think about your drum kit just collecting dust in the garage? Vintage guitars, limited-edition synths, custom-made pedals… music gear can be incredibly valuable, financially and sentimentally.
A Will lets you:
Say who gets what
Avoid family arguments over the Fender
Protect your collection from ending up in a weekend garage sale
What About Unreleased Tracks?
Got demos, voice memos, or an album sitting in Dropbox? A Will lets you decide what happens to your unreleased music. Want it released after you're gone? Or buried forever with your backup hard drive? You get to choose.
Not Just for the Famous
You don’t have to be Lorde or Six60 to need a Will. Any artist can generate digital income from Spotify, YouTube, and Bandcamp - and that all adds up.
Whether you’re full-time, part-time, or just jamming for love, your music deserves a say in what happens next.
Your Final Verse
Footprint’s Will builder lets you leave your royalties in the gifting section. If you're gifting all your music and instruments to your main beneficiary, then there is no need to add them to the gifting section as they’ll automatically get the lot. You only need add specifics in the gifting section if you want specific items i.e that vintage Strat, a portion of your royalties for a specific song to go to someone else, a charity, or another cause.
Getting a Will isn’t about being morbid - it’s about protecting your mahi. It’s about making sure the things (and people) you love are looked after when you’re not around to do it yourself. So, if you’ve written songs that mean something to people (or even just to you), protect them. Your Will is your final verse - make sure it’s a good one.
If you are a Aotearoa Musician, you can contact MusicHelps to get a Will to protect your legacy.
