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Is it game over for NME.


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Old 17-08-2012, 08:25
Adamsk
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I read a recent article on the Internet that NME sales fell last year and even more this year.So does anyone think NME the uk longest running music magazine has had it day.Or is there still a future for this weekly magazine and will it continue.
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Old 17-08-2012, 12:06
mevilhoney
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I read a recent article on the Internet that NME sales fell last year and even more this year.So does anyone think NME the uk longest running music magazine has had it day.Or is there still a future for this weekly magazine and will it continue.
I don`t see how any weekly magazine can compete with social media/internet alternatives. Everything NME can do can be done better online with podcasts,twitter,interactive,mobile camera footage. Make the NME online it`ll probably survive. Stay as a print edition I can`t see how it can survive. Unfortunately the NME would like to be `indie` (the last editions I`ve read did lean towards more mainstream acts imo) and there`s not gonna be enough money in that for advertisers to help make an online edition profitable.

The website Popjustice have some really good threads about the survival of weekly music magazines.
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Old 17-08-2012, 13:43
Eraserhead
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The Dandy is giving up so this comic will probably go under as well.

Shame, used to be pretty good about 25 years ago.
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Old 17-08-2012, 13:49
Semierotic
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The NME site is fairly popular, soon it'll be just that. They need to be more comprehensive like Pitchforkmedia if they're going to be web only, though.
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Old 17-08-2012, 14:56
mevilhoney
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I read a recent article on the Internet that NME sales fell last year and even more this year.So does anyone think NME the uk longest running music magazine has had it day.Or is there still a future for this weekly magazine and will it continue.
BIB pretty much answers your question. After reading the post mentioning Pitchfork I visited their site,browsed around,got some info on them on Wiki,then I went to the NME site,read an article, will probably buy something if they have a single I`ve been meaning to get. I can download the magazine (haven`t checked if you need to subscribe but will revisit site and find out) ,all this in less than two minutes. I can buy the magazine after work,but reckon I`d probably have to visit two shops in a busy town centre before I`d get one with a copy. Weekly magazines can`t compete.

Last edited by mevilhoney : 17-08-2012 at 15:04. Reason: clarity
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Old 17-08-2012, 16:50
JB86
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Fingers crossed cos it's so far up its own arse
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Old 17-08-2012, 19:08
Scratchy7929
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The NME site is fairly popular, soon it'll be just that
Yes, it get's a fair amount of 'traffic' for a left of centre Smash Hit's doesn't it
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Old 17-08-2012, 21:59
Microkorg
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Fingers crossed cos it's so far up its own arse
QFT.
Long past its sell by date
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Old 17-08-2012, 22:51
unique
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it's been a long time since i bought it, but it has a number of options. it could move to fortnightly or monthly from weekly, and then as with most printed publications make the online version the main version. there was many magazines already published online for ipads etc, but usually as pdf type fixed publications. in future i think we will see a move to something like a cross between an updated website and fixed pdf

whilst i stopped buying nme i check the website a few times a day and have done so since around the 90s. they can still make money from online advertising and commision from ticket sales etc
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Old 17-08-2012, 22:55
TCD1975
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It might as well merge with Uncut or Word magazine.

I've noticed laterly that cover stars have included ...

The Rolling Stones
David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust era)
The Sex Pistols
Robert Smith (The Cure)
The Stone Roses
Blur

... and I wonder how exactly the "New" part of "New Musical Express" is relevant.

In fairness, there isn't a lot of decent new musicfor them to cover. In my opinion that music scene is an an all time low at the moment and the NME can only rely on what's available to generate interest.

The fact that Rianna managed to get a number one album with 10,000 sales is pretty inidicative of the qualiy of, and interest in, new music in recent times.

The short list for the Merdury album of the year award is awful this year as well in my humble opinion.
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Old 17-08-2012, 22:58
DANCE OF DEATH
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Kerrang is a weekly magazine and it seems to be doing all right at the moment.
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Old 17-08-2012, 23:55
Scratchy7929
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It might as well merge with Uncut or Word magazine.
Just googled this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012...?newsfeed=true

NME only 23,924 (17.6 % year on year down).The Word printed it's last copy this month http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Word_(magazine) .It was part of independant publishing group Development Hell Ltd anyway which only seems to be in the Dance music market now - Mixmag.

NME is part of IPC group (Time Inc. /Time Warner).Interestingly Uncut (also mens mag Nuts) is part of IPC group - perhaps a merger is on the cards.IPC sells 350 million copies from it's large portfolio BTW - NME (printed copy) is of little consequence to them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPC_Media
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Old 17-08-2012, 23:58
m06een00
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The short list for the Merdury album of the year award is awful this year as well in my humble opinion.
It hasn't been announced yet.
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Old 18-08-2012, 00:02
Hav_mor91
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I still like it even though it can be pretentious but it has some genuinely decent articles but i myself tend to go to the webpage it needs to be more accessible and have less a high sense of self importance of its own opinions and values of what they deem good music nobody likes a music snob.
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Old 18-08-2012, 00:15
bspace
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It might as well merge with Uncut or Word magazine.

I've noticed laterly that cover stars have included ...

The Rolling Stones
David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust era)
The Sex Pistols
Robert Smith (The Cure)
The Stone Roses
Blur

... and I wonder how exactly the "New" part of "New Musical Express" is relevant.

In fairness, there isn't a lot of decent new musicfor them to cover. In my opinion that music scene is an an all time low at the moment and the NME can only rely on what's available to generate interest.

The fact that Rianna managed to get a number one album with 10,000 sales is pretty inidicative of the qualiy of, and interest in, new music in recent times.

The short list for the Merdury album of the year award is awful this year as well in my humble opinion.
since john peel died they don't have anyone who knows the slightest about music to crib off anymore
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Old 18-08-2012, 00:23
Scratchy7929
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The Dandy is giving up so this comic will probably go under as well.

Shame, used to be pretty good about 25 years ago.
Entirely different set-up now though.It's just a small part of Time Warner now, with little independance.NME as we knew it died years ago - IPC just play off on it's former repitation now - it's entirely pointless publication to me.Why the general media (some music fans) still seem to rely on it's point of view I have absolutely no idea.I bet you will still get people defending it here even

To add (edit)
Also have big issues with the BBC & it's link's to NME - BBC / NME stage at 4 different festivals etc.If I had my way I'd stop that link up straight away.How can such a link up be impartial with a magazine which is part of such media power such as Time Warner
Yes - Time Warner which owns CNN i.e. Piers Morgan Tonight
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Old 18-08-2012, 01:22
CABLEDUDE
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As a teenager, probably in their target market, the NME is awful, never bought a copy. It's turned into a wannabe hipster rag that loves unknown obscure bands (that are alternately bloody pretentious and miserable or too sunny and over-produced) then trashes them when they hit the big time.

They also have a bizarre obsession with David Bowie as he's the current 'in vogue' classic rockstar as he hasn't been seen for 10 years and hipster teens can listen to Hunky Dory or Low and think they're the only ones in the world.

The magazine itself looked (im not sure if it still does) like some kind of punk magazine like Kerrang, when it isn't.
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Old 18-08-2012, 02:44
RaiseItUp
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I buy it occasionally, if the cover star is someone I care about, otherwise all of the features in the magazine are easily available on their website for free. It makes no sense.
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Old 18-08-2012, 11:45
mevilhoney
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[quote=DANCE OF DEATH;60508680]Kerrang is a weekly magazine and it seems to be doing all right at the moment.[/QUOTE]

Fans of that kind of music are fiercely loyal,and it doesn`t feel like there`s an `age` cut -off point,you can probably still enjoy and read that magazine and go to gigs over 40. Plus the live scene is stronger.

Like someone esle said,NME can only be as good as the music scene,and its readers are,helped by NME itself,pretty fickle.

It also seems to have an uncomfortable relationship with urban music,which is probably the biggest underground scene,and they need to really know it,but it`s not their bag.

The once cutting edge (would-be) is now stuck in the past.
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Old 18-08-2012, 11:51
hallowxmas448
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I used to read it many moons ago it just went far to one-sided for my liking. if a new band was the flavour of the month the NME would rattle on about them constantly untill you got fed up reading about them. Cant comment on what its like now i just always found that publication stuck up its own arse.. Not to far removed from Q magazine. I mean christ they give 5 stars to the crappest albums and argue the case when readers disagree! i find them all in cahoots with bands/record companies myself..
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Old 18-08-2012, 12:03
Semierotic
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I haven't read the magazine for years but I think its best bet is to shift its focus entirely on the underground and promoting new bands. There's no shortage of untapped potential in the UK live scene, if it devoted itself to becoming the a sort of bible for that subculture it could find its niche. At the moment it's no good focusing on 'successful' rock bands because there aren't any. The bloody Vaccines just sum up how desperate the situation is.
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Old 18-08-2012, 12:06
Richard1960
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[quote=mevilhoney;60515779]
Kerrang is a weekly magazine and it seems to be doing all right at the moment.[/QUOTE]

Fans of that kind of music are fiercely loyal,and it doesn`t feel like there`s an `age` cut -off point,you can probably still enjoy and read that magazine and go to gigs over 40. Plus the live scene is stronger.

Like someone esle said,NME can only be as good as the music scene,and its readers are,helped by NME itself,pretty fickle.

It also seems to have an uncomfortable relationship with urban music,which is probably the biggest underground scene,and they need to really know it,but it`s not their bag.

The once cutting edge (would-be) is now stuck in the past.
Quite right i go to gigs and still am a fan of Heavy Metal/Rock at 52 and do not see an age where i would dislike live exciting music.

I still read Kerrang.

Never really was into NME though,even though it was hugely successful.
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Old 18-08-2012, 13:20
DRAGON LANCE
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The NME is wonderfully good and hopelessly awful in equal measure, always has been and as long as it runs always will be.

I don't like everything they say, indeed I've hated them at times because they've slated people I like and there stuck up opinions seem to have stuck like particularly sticky mud and ruined those bands reputations. Some of their articles aren't even factually correct. But they are the biggest voice for the Indie/Alternative scene in the UK and if they go I think it would be extremely damaging for that scene. I also like their interviews, they are often a bit different to what other magazines do.

Ultra pretentious Indie fans can get on their own high horses about how they don't do this, that and the other. I'd probably agree to an extent. I don’t think the magazine is as good as it used to be. But they do get cross media support for Indie music. Someone slates them for their links with the BBC (you can add C4 to that too), but that is getting a lot of bands noticed by the BBC and C4 that wouldn't get noticed otherwise.

The NME has probably suffered because of a combo of the internet and the fact that Indie is currently not that popular. A good Indie band come along-that changes things for them.

The magazine will probably go out of print eventually, but the web page will go on. I hope whatever form it takes it manages to be something meaningful.
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Old 18-08-2012, 14:31
Glenn A
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Fingers crossed cos it's so far up its own arse
Since the late seventies it's always been contemptuous of anything that doesn't fit into its post punk/indie world, same as how Melody Maker fell, it couldn't accept anything that didn't fall within its indie biased world and when Britpop fell, it fell as well. Also the student union left wing politics leave a lot of people cold as firstly, this is a music magazine, and secondly, most people don't care.
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Old 18-08-2012, 14:47
J6ngo1977
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NME is a joke. Just like Radio 1. Awful so called 'music' journalists who write reviews. Here is my tip to a music journalist...actualy pick up an instrument, try to write a song and then judge. I cannot stand music journalists.
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