Philip Arps, 44, faces two charges of distributing a live stream of the killings, with each charge carrying a maximum 14-year prison sentence.

Heavily tattooed and dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants, Arps did not enter a plea and was denied bail by Judge Stephen O'Driscoll.

Charging documents allege Arps distributed the video on Saturday, one day after the massacre.

The attacker himself live-streamed the shootings that killed 50 Muslim worshippers. Facebook has since deleted more than 1.5 million posts of the video.

In Masterton, north of Wellington, a woman will be charged with inciting racial disharmony after posting a message about the mosque murders.

Police did not name the 28-year-old, but said she had been reported for publishing an "upsetting message".

"It was related to the events in Christchurch and the person's views on what happened," a spokeswoman said.

Australian Associated Press