NME offers free digital copies of weekly mag

by Sarah Crawley-Boevey, Brand Republic 11-Feb-09, 12:05

LONDON - NME is giving out free copies of its weekly issue in digital form for three months in a bid to reach more readers in the run-up to the festival season.

The music weekly mag has teamed up with John Menzies Digital and will deliver a free copy of the magazine to thousands of people who already interact with NME.com.

The free offer, which begins with the next issue, will last for around three months as readers gear up for this summer's festivals after which the magazine will be available digitally at the same cost as the print edition.

Publishing director Paul Cheal said the move "perfectly complements our multi-platform strategy".

He said: "It allows us to use our huge success online to communicate what the magazine does best – and what can't be replicated online, even by NME.COM – to an audience that is currently missing out."

The sampling campaign will coincide with an increase in the size of NME's Tracks section, which has doubled, and the number of bands in Radar, its recommendations section.