NME hits a new low in print sales

Music magazine New Musical Express has suffered another slump in its print sales, falling more than a quarter to fewer than 15,000 in the first half of this year.

The 62-year-old IPC Media title had an average weekly sale of 14,312 in the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published on Thursday, down 28.5% on the same period in 2013. Including digital sales, its circulation rose to 15,830.

More than a decade after the closure of its sister title, Melody Maker, NME trailed last in the music magazine sector where all five paid-for titles suffered double digit sales losses.

Q magazine suffered almost as badly, the Bauer Media monthly down 21.8% year on year to 46,096, dipping below the 50,000 barrier. Including digital, its sales rose to 48,353.

Bauer sister title Mojo remained top of the sector with sales of 70,667, down 10.9% year on year, ahead of IPC’s Uncut, which sold 50,022, down 12.1%.

Another Bauer title, Kerrang!, was down 12.2% year on year to 33,024.

Bauer’s film magazine Empire also saw its print sales fall, in the first half of its 25th anniversary year.

The movie magazine, which lost long-serving editor Mark Dinning in July, was down 15.7% to 134,907, rising to 147,980 including its digital edition.

But it still sold nearly three times the 46,912 circulation of Future Publishing rival, Total Film. Including its digital edition, Total Film’s sale stood at 61,003.

NME’s further circulation slide comes after the magazine’s weekly sale fell below 20,000 for the first time in the second half of last year.

Jo Smalley, publishing director of IPC’s music brands, said NME’s total reach across all platforms was now 3.6 million, “bigger than it has ever been” despite its decline in print. In its print heyday, the magazine sold more than 300,000.

Traffic on the NME mobile website grew 85% year on year, with nearly 40% of its total online audience now reading on mobile.

Smalley said: “We are also continuing to explore how NME can further expand its international footprint. This builds upon the launch of NME.com in India and Club NME in Brazil.

“These are just a few of many examples revealing how the NME business model is changing to pursue new opportunities and grow new revenues.”

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