Ver kids don’t need no paper no more. The New Musical Express will become a free 300,000 copies a week publication that currently sells less than 15,000. So Londoners expect to see copies of this strewn across yer tube stations from September next to the Metro etc
Bet the site gets a paywall
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/06/nme-to-go-free-with-larger-circulation?CMP=share_btn_tw
Inevitable but a shame
The NME statement adds “NME will dramatically increase its content output and range, with new original as well as curated content appearing across all platforms, including print. Other highlights will include an expansion in live events, more video franchises and greater engagement with users on new social platforms.”
Whatever – the days of it having an opionated personality are long gone, replaced by ‘original as well as curated’ content.
Does this mean an end to the fortnightly Noel Gallagher interview and bi-annual Richey Edwards career retrospective?
When spotting it on the shelves of late, more often than not, the cover would feature the kind of MOJO cover star – Bowie / Ian Curtis / Beatles Band/ Rolling Bones / The Clash rather than the latest indie pop sensations or wasted poster boy/girl.
They seem to be trying to grab the older market rather than yoof who just aren’t interested in a weekly inkie.
The young folk are all skint. The only person with the disposable income to spend on magazines (and the wares advertised within) is £50 man. Hence all the old duffers on the cover.
Selling advertising space regarding products of interest to those who liked the inkies is about all it can do to monetise now apart from a decent gigs-listing. The US has all sorts of free music sheets doled out in the remaining music-related shops. If FNME are able to print old interviews/ classic album reviews, they might even have a readership unsatisfied by the Metro’s music page.
Must we fling this filth at our commuters?
A bundle of press releases wrapped in a photo of Florence Welch.
I’ll give it 4 months. BTW do Development Hell still own Mixmag? It seems to be more than thriving in the current marketplace looking at the Youtube videos from the old Word offices.
If it’s free I’ll pick it up (see also ‘Time Out’). Terrific time to buy magazines!
A strange policy to go the way of older acts, said from the viewpoint of someone who buys mainly 50s/60s stuff, why did they do that?
It’s not as though they’re likely to be any good at it or enthusiastic about it.
Bizarre.
Print as a medium for any kind of news and views in any given topic area is dying. The financial support of advertisers is diminishing rapidly. The sole exceptions are micro-targeted publications or selected high end niche titles like Vogue. Where the advertisers court each other’s gaze rather than that of the reader.
“Freemium” is a route that many titles will try and few will succeed in developing. Make that very few. The NME is unlikely to be one of those, in my opinion.
Haven’t bought or even looked at a copy for many many years now, but used to be an avid reader in the early – late 70’s.
There’s a photo on Danny Baker’s twitter (sorry don’t know how to show it here) taken yesterday of a gathering of ex journos – was only able to identify CSM of the now aged gents – any other names?