"It's very hard for a young artist to break through into that mainstream," he says. "You've got a whole infrastructure that exists once things get to a point, but there's never been anything that fills the gap below there.
"This is just a tool that will help them, line them up and give them a chance to break through."
The site is open to all New Zealand artists, but only unreleased songs are open to public voting and grants. Artists can decide whether or not to allow their songs to be downloaded, but they can't charge for them.
Hocquard says today's release is just a soft launch, with around 200 bands signed up so far - including well-known acts like rapper King Kapisi and scuzz-rockers Die!Die!Die! through to lesser known acts Five Mile Town and The Lears.
The site should be "changing and refreshing" all the time, he says.
"It is for fans of New Zealand music to find something they've never heard before, to get behind it, to vote for it, support them and encourage them in the hope that it lifts them up so they get more experience.
"The hope is the next Ladyhawke will have come through The Audience".
When the idea was first announced via social media, it attracted criticism from Phoenix Foundation founder Samuel Flynn Scott.
"I don't want to be a total cynic but there is no shortage of bands' online profile type things out there," Scott said. "What is it actually for?"
But in a subsequent tweet, even Scott admitted he would sign up.
"I think it's just a 'get people's music out there' type thing, I guess. Which is good," he said.
-TimeOut
