World music magazine Songlines has been bought by Gramophone and Jazzwise publisher the Mark Allen Group, resolving a mystery that has puzzled the industry since an advert appeared online offering an unnamed UK-based music magazine publisher for quick sale.
The advert, posted to the website of international asset consultant Charterfields a month ago, touted “a long-established business with good subscriber, advertiser and retail base, excellent reputation and strong international brand”, established over 15 years, with annual turnover in excess of £500,000 and “associated income streams from advertising, concert promotion, event sponsorship and similar”.
Metal Hammer UK and Songlines were among the names mentioned in music industry circles as news of the advert circulated. But there was no confirmation until Songlines publisher Paul Geoghegan revealed on Monday that his magazine had been sold. The move reunites Songlines with Gramophone, which originally launched the world music title as a supplement.
Geoghegan said the Mark Allen Group was “the perfect home for Songlines, where the magazine and all its various offshoots will be able to flourish”. All Songlines’ full-time staff will transfer to the new company, as will editor-in-chief Simon Broughton. Mark Allen, who said Songlines “adds immensely to our music stable and gives us additional clout in the music industry”, is expected to outline his vision for the title soon.
Geoghegan did not explain why Songlines had been offered for sale by Charterfields at short notice. The future seems reasonably bright for the title, despite the ongoing crisis in print music magazines that has seen The Word and Stool Pigeon close and the circulation of other magazines fall dramatically. Songlines is not ABC audited but it claims to have an international readership of 20,000 and more than 5,000 subscribers, figures unchanged since it celebrated its 50th issue in 2008.
The title has also established revenue streams beyond advertising and print sales. Its website, songlines.co.uk, includes a CD shop and Songlines Music Travel, offering “world music holidays and tours”, and the magazine promotes both the Songlines Music Awards and the Songlines Encounters Festival.
Songlines was previously owned by Songlines Publishing Ltd, the directors of which were Geoghegan, Broughton, Rough Guides founder Mark Ellingham, Lyn Hughes, editor-in-chief of travel magazine Wanderlust, and Chris Pollard, who owned Gramophone before it was sold to Haymarket.
Songlines is published eight times a year. Each issue comes with a covermount CD featuring tracks from new album releases and a guest playlist.
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