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Jan Hellriegel

  • ABOUT JAN HELLRIEGEL
  • HOME /
  • Events /
  • Sportsman /
  • MEDIA & REVIEWS /
  • SHOP /
  • Words /
  • Videos /
  • Contact /

Thoughts bubbles on ordinary things 🌏💭…

🎨 THOUGHTS ON CREATIVE PROJECTS, DREAMS & THE ART OF KEEPING GOING... 💭✨

Nobody asked me to take on this project.

I don't have screeds of fans or people hanging out to see what I do next anymore. I know I'm not the next big thing... and you know what? That's OK. ❤️

But I had to do what I'm about to do anyway. Because it's my job.

My job, as a humble artist of sorts, is to make things and then send them off into the world. 🌏🎶

And then something might happen. Or nothing might happen. It doesn't really matter. Because my job continues to be to make things.

And the older I get, the more focused and determined I become to be the person I was designed to be.

The good news? I've got a few things on my side now that I didn't have when I started out.

✨ Experience
✨ Key learnings from the flops (and there have been a few!)
✨ Practice
✨ Patience
✨ And a fair bit of hard-earned rose tinted glasses.

All these things make what I'm about to do a little easier. Don't get me wrong. It's NOT easy.

Spending years working on something in relative isolation, simply because one day you woke up and thought, "I've got an idea... and I need to follow it through," is a peculiar way to spend your time. 😂

But when you've spent a lifetime honing your craft, you learn to trust the process a little more. You learn to keep going, even when nobody's watching. 🎨💪

And there's another big reason behind this particular project.

🇳🇿 I want to pay homage to this beautiful country I call home. The mountains, the sea, the extraordinary wildlife, the flora and fauna, and, of course, the amazing people who live here. 🏔️🌊🌿🐦

Anyway... there's a new chapter unfolding, and I'd love you to come along for the ride. 🚀

If you're interested in following the next stage of my creative journey, or you're someone who still believes that dreams can come true (even the long, slow-burning ones!), here's how you can join me:

🎵 Follow my creative page: Jan Hellriegel Music & Words

💌 Join my Circle of Friends via my website:
🌐 https://www.janhellriegel.com/

💭 Got a question or a thought bubble? Something you'd like me to explore through my particular lens on life, music and creativity? Send it through. I take a look.. and do a post 🫧

🛍️ Want to help in a practical way? I've got a few fun things in my shop. Every bit of support helps keep the creative wheels turning. 🎶

And to everyone who has followed along, encouraged me, listened, read, bought something, or simply quietly cheered from the sidelines... thank you. Truly. 🙏❤️

Here's to making things. To following ideas. To getting older and getting better. And to never giving up on the person you were designed to be. ✨

Onwards! 🚀🇳🇿

#JanHellriegel #MusicAndWords #CreativeLife #KeepMakingThings #IndependentArtist #NeverStopCreating #CreativeJourney #DreamsDontExpire

🎨 THOUGHTS ON CREATIVE PROJECTS, DREAMS and THE ART OF KEEPING GOING... 💭✨

October 12, 2026

🎨 THOUGHTS ON CREATIVE PROJECTS, DREAMS & THE ART OF KEEPING GOING... 💭✨

Nobody asked me to take on this project.

I don't have screeds of fans or people hanging out to see what I do next anymore. I know I'm not the next big thing... and you know what? That's OK. ❤️

But I had to do what I'm about to do anyway. Because it's my job.

Read More
In Social Post, Positive Blogs, Video Blog Tags Jan Hellriegel, New Zealand Music, Creativity, Independent Artist, Songwriting, Artistic Journey, Creative Projects, Aotearoa, Inspiration, Perseverance
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🎶 Trends in music licensing...and the good news! 🎶

It’s hard to ignore the difficult situation many musicians find themselves in today.

Streaming royalties make it increasingly difficult to generate a meaningful income. The investment required to make an album can sometimes make absolutely no financial sense. And now, with AI able to churn out any number of cheap, fast-food music options 🤖🍔, it’s understandable to wonder where the industry is heading.

Sometimes, you just want to give up.

But here’s something I’ve noticed that gives me a lot of hope. ❤️

It took me 25 years to get my first sync. When it finally happened, it was incredibly exciting and the income from that one placement was significantly more than I’d seen from streaming. When you’re a musician, sync income can be the BEST! 💰🎬🎵

Of course, it doesn’t happen every day. Production companies are dealing with shrinking budgets, and clients don’t always want to spend money on music licensing.

But here’s the good news… 🌟

Over the last 12 months, all of the international music licensing my company has been involved with has featured music made in the last century.

Think about that for a moment.

This was music made because people simply wanted to make music. 🎸🥁🎹

These artists weren’t sitting in the studio thinking:

“Is this going to work with the algorithm?”
“Will this go viral?”
“Is this commercially viable?”

They made it because it was fun. Because it was art. Because something inside them said: this has to be made.

And decades later, people still want it.

Why?

I believe a big part of it is authenticity.

It’s analogue. It’s imperfect. It’s human. ❤️

It was made by people with beating hearts, ideas, personalities, limitations, weirdness, passion and something they wanted to say.

And in a world increasingly filled with the artificial, the manufactured and the fake, I believe authenticity and realness are going to become more valuable, not less.

So if I could give one piece of advice to an up-and-coming composer or musician, it would be this:

🎵 Make music because you want to.
❤️ Make it because you love it.
🔥 Be authentic.
🙉 Stop worrying about what everybody else is doing.

Because ultimately, being genuinely yourself is how you cut through.

And even if nothing happens after you release your music – no sync, no playlist, no viral moment – at least you’ll know you made something you’re proud of.

And then?

Go and make more. 🎶❤️

#MusicLicensing #SyncLicensing #MusicIndustry #IndependentMusic #MusicPublishing #Authenticity #Songwriters #MusicSupervision #SyncMusic #NewZealandMusic

🎶 Trends in music licensing...and the good news! 🎶

September 29, 2026

🎶 Trends in music licensing...and the good news! 🎶

It’s hard to ignore the difficult situation many musicians find themselves in today.

Read More
In Social Post Tags Music Licensing, Sync Licensing, Music Industry, Independent Music, Music Publishing, Authenticity, Songwriters, Music Supervision, Sync Music, New Zealand Music
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Thoughts on Ordinary Days & Global Affairs 🌏💭

I have a lot of thought bubbles coming…

The world is in a state of flux, and being a layman’s social commentator and wannabe artist, I feel like part of my job is to observe, reflect, and somehow condense it all into bite-sized morsels for an audience to digest. 🎶🫧

But not all days need to be big philosophical days.

Some days you just have to sit back and think:

“This life… I am grateful for it every day, both good and bad. Still breathing is a good sign.” ❤️

Sometimes it’s the little things...a job, a phone call, or a chat with someone in a café while getting coffee. And sometimes it’s doing something for someone else…

One of my other jobs is licensing NZ music through Songbroker Music Publishing, and today I’ll be drawing up agreements for film productions and commercials in the Czech Republic + Slovakia 🇨🇿🇸🇰, via the Netherlands 🇳🇱, the UK 🇬🇧, Australia 🇦🇺 and New Zealand 🇳🇿.

Which sounds rather international and glamorous from a desk in my office 😂, but what it actually means is that local artists will benefit through licensing fees and ongoing royalties.

And that makes me very happy.

Then I think to myself… how lucky am I to work in the industry I love AND still make music myself? 🎸🎹🎶

If I’d asked my younger self whether this life was possible, I probably would have said:

“Unlikely.” 😂

But now I realise something. If you just keep at it, even when it feels like you’re getting nowhere, even when the path makes absolutely no sense at all...somehow, eventually, you get somewhere.

Maybe not exactly where you thought you were going. But somewhere pretty good.

Maybe even better. ❤️

Anyway… those are today’s thoughts from my little corner of a rather bonkers world. 🌏

Have a great day, everyone. x

Thoughts on Ordinary Days & Global Affairs 🌏💭

September 2, 2026

I have a lot of thought bubbles coming…

The world is in a state of flux, and being a layman’s social commentator and wannabe artist, I feel like part of my job is to observe, reflect, and somehow condense it all into bite-sized morsels for an audience to digest. 🎶🫧

But not all days need to be big philosophical days.

Some days you just have to sit back and think:

Read More
In Social Post Tags NZ Music, New Zealand Music, Music Licensing, Music Publishing, Sync Licensing, Songbroker, NZ Artists, Support Local Music, Music Industry, Songwriter, Artist Life, Creative Life, Gratitude, Ordinary Days, Global Affairs, New Zealand Artists, Music Royalties, Independent Artists, Creative Industry, Jan Hellriegel
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Jan Hellriegel

Jan Hellriegel is a multifaceted artist who seamlessly blends her roles as a musician, author, and philosopher. With a profound understanding of the human experience, she approaches life through the lens of a layman’s sociologist, sharing insights that resonate deeply. Jan embodies the principles of Stoicism, emphasising resilience and mindfulness in the chaotic world. Her expertise as a music rights specialist and copyright expert further underscores her commitment to artistic integrity and advocacy for fellow creators. Jan's unique perspective is enriched by a hint of the mystical, embracing the "woo woo" elements of life that spark curiosity and inspire creativity. In every endeavor, she invites listeners and readers alike to explore the interconnectedness of art, philosophy, and everyday life.

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