ABOUT THE SOUND
ON SOUND USA / INTERNATIONAL EDITION
The Sound On Sound USA / International edition is
a monthly Publication sharing the same editorial
content as Sound On Sound, the number one selling
recording magazine in Europe and the UK. The Sound
On Sound USA / International edition is distributed
completely separately from Sound On Sound UK/Europe.
SOUND ON SOUND has consistently remained at the
forefront of music technology since it was launched
in 1985 by the visionary SOS Publications Group,
championing the convergence of MIDI, computer technology
and recording equipment that continues to revolutionize
the music production industry today. With probably
the most experienced editorial team to grace any
music magazine's staff list, our editorial integrity
and professional reputation are highly-prized and
internationally respected.
The Sound On Sound USA / International edition,
launched in 2001, brought a new look to project-
and pro-audio publishing in the USA. More color,
more content, more style and above all, more editorial
depth, written and edited not by journalists, but
by experienced studio practitioners who use the
gear they are writing about on a day to day basis.
This content is the cornerstone of the publication,
resonating with an informed readership hungry for
real user insight rather than recycled marketing
hype, and has seen the Sound On Sound USA / International
edition grow into a successful and influential
title in just four years.
About our Distribution
Our primary newsstand distributor is COMAG (www.comag.co.uk)
and they have been working with us to continually
improve our visibility in the marketplace. Newsstand
copies of the Sound On Sound USA / International
edition are now being distributed to Barnes and
Noble, Borders, Hastings, as well as leading record
and specialty stores nationwide. We're also a member
of the MMPA (Music Magazine Publishers Association)
which gives us access to RetailVision, a specialty
magazine distributor with more than 1300 music
stores in their distribution network (including
all Guitar Center stores coast to coast). The magazine
is selling through quite well - better than 50%
of the per store draw in most cases. We also have
an ongoing telemarketing program with RetailVision
which is adding to our dealer base on a regular
basis. We are continually adding new and qualified
names to our comp subscription list both on a one-on-one
basis and also by adding complete lists of names
of recording studios, engineers and producers and
the like from various music centers (i.e New York,
Chicago, Nashville) around the US. We also conduct
regular and successful paid subscription drives
in conjunction with retailers and manufacturers
and we are continually working to increase the
Sound On Sound USA / International edition's distribution
internationally.
About our Demographics
Sound On Sound USA's target audience, like its
European counterpart, is comprised of recording
musicians, engineers and producers, with the majority
of the readership now using a PC or Mac as a core
component of the recording process. Although software
is rapidly replacing many elements of the traditional
recording studio, Sound On Sound recognizes that
some aspects of the recording process will remain
hardware based, such as microphones, monitors and
control surfaces, and continues to give these important
aspects of the modern studio their fair share of
coverage.
The Sound On Sound readership is predominantly
male (97.2%), with an average age of 34.1. A quarter
of all SOS readers (24.9%) derive their main income
from music or music-related activities, while the
remaining group displays a majority of middle-
to high-income professionals (teacher, doctor,
dentist, lawyer etc). With 73.2% of the SOS readership
now using virtual instruments, it is no great surprise
to see that the top purchases over the last 12
months are a computer (35%) and soundcard/audio
interface (34%). Although PC ownership remains
in the majority, Apple have increased their market
share, but when asked which computer platform they
were likely to adopt next, 57.6% of readers suggested
they would choose a PC. Looking behind these figures
reveals that only 1.8% of the Sound On Sound readership
now does not own a computer of any sort.
Sound On Sound in the past may have been regarded
as primarily a keyboard player's magazine, due
to its extensive MIDI and synthesizer heritage.
However, given the wider appeal of the magazine
since its merger with sister publication Recording
Musician in 1993, only 35.9% of readers now claim
their main instrument to be keyboards, with the
majority (64.1%) falling into the 'recording musician'
category. Indeed, while those who cite the guitar
as their main instrument accounts for 34.1%, almost
three-quarters of the readers (71.3%) actually
own a guitar. The remainder of the 'main instrument'
category in the survey breaks down as follows:
bassists 7.9%, vocalists 3.7%, drummers 5.5% and "other
instruments" 12.6%. A healthy percentage of
the readership are in a band (49.8%), indeed only
46.8% did not play a gig in the past year, with
some 23.6% gigging regularly and 29% performing
live at least a few times.
An impressive 97% of the readership state that
Sound On Sound reviews influence their purchasing
decisions, with a 89.1% approval rating for the
content of those reviews. Product reviews also
top the list of reasons for buying the magazine.
SOS readers tend to be loyal to the title, with
64.8% buying all 12 issues either from a newsagent
or on subscription, and a further 13.1% reading
between 7 and 11 issues per year. Some 84% also
keep their copy of the magazine after reading it
each month, with just 5.6% passing it on to a friend,
and only 6% disposing of it.
For more information contact Creative Sales Resource
Inc.
(626) 836-3106 X100, or
