The Music & Sound Retailer

Overview
The Music & Sound Retailer is the pulse of the music instrument industry. We have the most subscribers among music trade magazines. We are the magazine who breaks the news stories first, and we provide the news in an easy-to-read format.

The Retailer was the one who predicted Guitar Center would become a private company three months before it took place!

The Retailer celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008. We’re the only magazine with MI Spy, the most talked about feature in the industry. And in 2007, we launched the Music & Sound Independent Retailer, a two-page special section devoted exclusively to news about independent retailers.

To top that, we’re the only magazine with a video newsletter, called VNewsletter, which provides all of the latest news read by New York City TV newswoman Jill Nicolini twice a month.

Editorial
Departments
Buzz: At the front of the magazine, the “Buzz” news sections include “The Latest,” “Industry,” “Dealer,” “People,” and “Products.”

Retailer Review: We get a famous end-user to review a product and describe what he/she thinks about it. Retailers use this information to help sell products even better.

MI Spy: This may very well be the most popular read in any trade magazine, as it follows the antics of the Spy who reports on his covert visits to MI stores and tell all — good and bad!

Five Minutes With…: Here, we post interviews with the top executives in the business.

Birth of a Product: Our newest department interviews the person behind a product and describes challenges faced when bringing it to market, as well as the overall process behind it.

Sales Guru: Looking for sales advice? You came to the right place! Industry veteran Gene Fresco knows everything there is to know about sales, and he provides tips every month to amp up sales at retail stores.

Veddatorial: The trusty and knowledgeable retail veteran Dan Vedda gives us his highly touted column, shedding light on the day’s pressing subjects in the way that only he can, with a smart and studious bid to offer readers solutions to problems and concerns.

Business & Marketing: Our readers have spoken and have said repeatedly that they most need advice to help them do better at their stores. Well, Business & Marketing is a one-stop source to provide the info retailers need.

Formidable Females: Each month we take a look at the women who make the industry so great.

Circulation
We have the highest audited circulation of any MI trade magazine—period. In contrast to our competitors, only 4% of The Retailer’s circulation comes from manufacturers. No other magazine gets your advertisement in front of so many key people that affect your bottom line.

Music & Sound Awards
For the past 20 years, The Retailer has been tops in rewarding industry leaders. At every Winter NAMM in Anaheim, we host the Music & Sound Awards. Dealers, manufacturers, and reps vote for their favorite retail locations and the best new products.

Value Added
Highest Visibility: Balanced ad-to-edit ratio combined
with the best layout of any trade magazine assures your ad gets a great location with high visibility.

Tabloid Size: Tabloid magazines, like newspapers, convey a sense of immediacy that
compels readers to “read me now.”

Proven Results: Since 1995, advertisers that track dealer response have consistently and overwhelmingly cited The Retailer as their #1 source for dealer inquiries and sales.

ConventionTV at NAMM: Produced live on-site each convention day, ConventionTV brings attendees all the hottest product news, as well as MI retrospectives. Transmitted to convention hotel rooms, plus monitors and videowalls throughout the exhibit floor, ConventionTV is the ultimate “Must See TV.”

MI’s Most Read Trade Magazine! #1 in circulation
since 1996
• Highest circulation of any MI trade publication
• Every ad positioned for maximum impact
• The most visually appealing magazine in MI
• A magazine that people enjoy reading