Publishers fleeing printed editions is no longer news. If readers want and expect their favorites available on digital platforms why bother with expensive paper and ink? The accountants have spoken, let nobody disagree. Some publishers have resisted dispensing with the printed page, fashion magazines in particular. Kiosks and newsstands still attract casual readers.
Iconic UK music and pop culture magazine NME, formerly New Musical Express, announced it is coming back to print, said publisher Caldecott Music Group chief executive Meng Ru Kuok, quoted by Medium (July 21). NME returns to a bi-monthly print edition August 9, on sale at Dawsons Music and other music and record shops. “NME has never reached more people than it does today, and we’re excited to embrace our legacy, giving emerging artists the recognition and exposure they truly deserve while creating new synergies and opportunities for both talent and fans,” said a statement from NME Networks, which also publishes guitar.com, Uncut and MusicTech.
NME launched in the UK in 1952 and grew through the British pop music explosion. The same year NME published the first UK single chart. At one point it had a circulation of nearly 250,000. In 2018 the print edition ended. An Asian edition NME Asia is published from Singapore.
This print edition “really serves as yet another tangible gateway to the brand and really enriches that connection between NME and its follower base,” said chief operating officer Holly Bishop, to Press Gazette (July 20). “We’re also inspired by the resurgence we’ve seen in vinyl and cassette tapes, which we’ve also seen find their way back into our world, particularly when it comes to the music superfan. This really demonstrates that despite there being this resounding feeling that we are talking to an audience that are digital natives, actually it really demonstrates that this audience is not 100% digital natives, they still really care about the quality of experience and that’s something that only physical media can bring.”