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Spin Magazine Sold To Buzzmedia, But Not Going All Digital (Yet)
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 10, 2012
Modified Jul 10, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 10, 2012
Modified Jul 10, 2012
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word came that Spin magazine would be shifting focus to its online presence, and cutting down its annual print issues to 6 (from the regular 12). Now Ben Sisario of the NY Times reports that some more big changes have just arrived at Spin Media—the company was sold to Buzzmedia, which owns websites like Stereogum and Hype Machine, and also runs the websites of celebrities like Kim Kardashian.
Buzzmedia will get Spin’s 27-year-old print magazine as well as its Web site, iPad app and live event business, the two companies are expected to announce on Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed. The last time Spin was sold, to the publisher McEvoy Group in 2006, the price was reportedly less than $5 million.
Buzzmedia plans to expand Spin's digital staff, and the company's Tyler Goldman told the Times, "Spin to us is more than a print magazine. It’s a great media company for storytelling around music and music culture. People are using multiple platforms to consume more content and context from the brands they believe in, and we see the ability for Spin to bring more storytelling to digital platforms.” If words like "believe" and "storytelling" weren't sprinkled in there, that would all sound a bit soulless! For now the print magazine will stay alive, though it may have an expiration date.
For rock journalism nostalgists: the first issue of Spin came out in May of 1985. That one featured Madonna on the cover, along with stories about U2, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, RUN-DMC, and the Replacements—many of those names went on to become legends, but at the time they were still starting out ("Where the Streets Have No Name" wasn't even written yet).
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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