In a story published on its website today (20 July), the brand said the print relaunch this summer will be a new bi-monthly global magazine.
Starting with the July/August issue, the print title will be exclusively available worldwide through music retailer Dawsons, alongside limited issues made available via artists, record stores, and other select partners. The first issue will be available to order online at Dawsons from 9 August.
It will be printed by South Wales magazine specialist Stephens & George Print Group.
Having first launched in 1952, NME printed its last weekly edition in 2018, although the brand said it has since reached its largest ever readership as an online publication, alongside producing one-off printed specials, and a title in Australia.
NME said the new print edition will showcase new artists and bands alongside exclusive new franchises, features, industry insight, and music, TV, film, and games reviews.
The magazine will have a new design “and content refresh” and each issue will be fronted by an edition of The Cover – NME’s existing flagship editorial property that champions emerging talent.
NME Networks’ chief operating and commercial officer Holly Bishop said: “Print has always been a cornerstone of the NME brand, and we are thrilled to announce the return of an icon.
“Our new global magazine will curate the very best of NME; championing emerging artists and bands and serving as the definitive voice in pop culture.”
NME announces return of iconic print magazine – the new bi-monthly bible for music and pop culture will be available this summer https://t.co/oCgollv0Z4
— NME (@NME) July 20, 2023
NME Networks is a division of BandLab Technologies’ parent company Caldecott Music Group. BandLab, based in Singapore, acquired NME from TI Media in 2019. Caldecott also owns NME retailer Dawsons.
When it closed in 2018, NME was printed by Wyndeham. It had previously been printed by Polestar.
It was unclear at the time of writing what the typical run length would be, but a spokesperson described it as "a limited print run".
In an interview with Variety about the print return, Bishop described the relaunch as a “high-hype model”.
She said: “We believe there’s value in scarcity, and you really see this in the hype and buzz that’s created in the fashion world, particularly around sneaker drops.
“We’re taking a similar approach to the magazine. Of course, we want the brand to be accessible … but there really is something valuable in delivering a product that’s hard to get your hands on.”
She added the aim of the relaunch was not to build an audience of hundreds of thousands of print readers or “drive substantial newsstand revenues”, but would instead be about serving its super fans through the physical medium “and creating a pop-culture bible to capture a moment in time”.
Separately, earlier this week the Evening Standard reported that Air Mail, former Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter’s weekly digital newsletter, is now big enough to support “a large-scale print magazine”, which is expected to launch later this year.
