Post by Robbie on Feb 23, 2015 22:21:01 GMT 1
NME to become a freesheet?
Sales at the NME have continued to fall with average sales over the last six months of 2014 falling to 13,995 for the print edition (down by 23% when compared with the same period in 2013) and 1,389 for the digital edition (up 6.3% compared to the same period in 2013 but down 8.5% when compared with the first half of 2014). Its combined circulation of 15,384 was down 21.1% year on year.
www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/12/nme-magazine-back-on-the-rocks-with-another-fall-in-sales
The Guardian are reporting that discussions are ongoing with promoters and partners about the prospect of the magazine going free
www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/18/nme-free-time-inc-uk-marie-claire
A few weeks ago Music Week highlighted a mysterious advert that had suddenly appeared in a specialist business for sale publication. The advertisement was for the immediate sale of a 15 year old publishing business that included a music publication. The publisher wasn't named and any interested parties had to contact a specialist agent. I guessed then it must have been connected with the NME and it looks like this was the case. I assume that if a buyer can't be found then even adopting a freesheet model won't save the NME.
A final article on the NME. It looks like the author of the article is being somewhat cynical.
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/decline-of-nme-shows-danger-of-giving-readers-what-they-want-1.2111782
The simple fact is that music magazines no longer have mass appeal. The likes of the NME used to be a tastemaker - all a magazine can do these days is try to appeal to a niche market by reflecting what certain music fans (and usually older fans at that) already like. The NME will never capture that market.
So, I wonder if the NME will still be around by the end of 2015? It doesn't look too good at the moment...
Sales at the NME have continued to fall with average sales over the last six months of 2014 falling to 13,995 for the print edition (down by 23% when compared with the same period in 2013) and 1,389 for the digital edition (up 6.3% compared to the same period in 2013 but down 8.5% when compared with the first half of 2014). Its combined circulation of 15,384 was down 21.1% year on year.
www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/12/nme-magazine-back-on-the-rocks-with-another-fall-in-sales
The Guardian are reporting that discussions are ongoing with promoters and partners about the prospect of the magazine going free
www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/18/nme-free-time-inc-uk-marie-claire
A few weeks ago Music Week highlighted a mysterious advert that had suddenly appeared in a specialist business for sale publication. The advertisement was for the immediate sale of a 15 year old publishing business that included a music publication. The publisher wasn't named and any interested parties had to contact a specialist agent. I guessed then it must have been connected with the NME and it looks like this was the case. I assume that if a buyer can't be found then even adopting a freesheet model won't save the NME.
A final article on the NME. It looks like the author of the article is being somewhat cynical.
www.irishtimes.com/opinion/decline-of-nme-shows-danger-of-giving-readers-what-they-want-1.2111782
The simple fact is that music magazines no longer have mass appeal. The likes of the NME used to be a tastemaker - all a magazine can do these days is try to appeal to a niche market by reflecting what certain music fans (and usually older fans at that) already like. The NME will never capture that market.
So, I wonder if the NME will still be around by the end of 2015? It doesn't look too good at the moment...