Nick Matzukis

Nick is a highly respected educator in the South African music industry and as an Advocate of the High Court, specializes in institutional, legal, business and educational aspects relating to the music industry. His clients and referrers are drawn from attorneys, major royalty collection societies, publishers, labels, recording artists, industry associations, aggregators, music retailers and the Department of Trade and Industry itself (CIPC’s Copyright Department.) In 2004, he founded the country’s top music production college, Academy of Sound Engineering, and is also a director of AVL Productions, a premier entertainment production company and supplier of technologies to the music industry.

Last year, Nick became chairman of the soon to be launched CAPASSO (Composers’, Authors’ and Publishers’ Association), South Africa’s new Mechanical Rights Society. Nick is a sought-after key-note speaker at local and international industry conferences and seminars and has provided pivotal advice regarding the restructuring of South Africa’s music royalty collection system. Most notable was the proposed settlement of the current Needletime Royalties impasse and pending litigation.

Having started his education career as a lecturer/senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Law School, Nick has won many prestigious awards including the Convocation Distinguished Teacher’s Award, following on from his numerous Top Student awards and the only Lifetime Award for contribution to education (APPETD).

Nick is the author of the best-selling Music Industry book "South African Music Law, Contracts and Business – the smart musician’s guide to how the South African music industry works, how to negotiate the best possible contracts, and how to make money from music in South Africa and overseas."