What is an independent magazine?

Independent magazines tend to take on a different view of the world - though that view can become main stream over time. Unlike titles overseen by big publishers, independents have the creative freedom to explore niche topics and themes without interference. They are curated by like-minded journalists and creatives who share a genuine belief in the magazine's ethos. Some titles have had a profound effect on the industry and society at large as independent magazines are publications that are produced without any major funding from a larger organisation, they are individual and often unique. There are some exceptions, but the general idea is that the magazine is produced and funded without influence or restriction by a larger investor.

Independent magazines are able to tune into very specific markets because they are owned and developed by the same people: the founders, editors and art directors who share a similar creative vision. This is another distinction from mainstream, large-scale magazine publications alongside how independent magazines chose not to rely on advertising to drive revenue, preserving the integrity of their print product. A large number of people speak about magazines as being a great way of combining things on the simplest level that can be, the combination of words and pictures on a page, but there’s also the combination of ideas, opinions that wouldn’t ordinarily sit alongside each other and diverse perspectives that can be brought together under the banner of a magazine title.

“I love the fact that ideas are the currency of good magazines and that each one is packed with tons of them. You can bring together lots of totally disparate subjects in one place, united only by the fact that they’re fascinating. I also love how passionate people feel about magazines they identify with and respect.”
💬Rob Orchard, editor.

Ever since the rise of magazines in the 1800s, thinkers from Dickens to Orwell have written magazine articles to challenge the status quo and critically analyse the direction in which society is heading. We aim to continue that tradition by publishing essays from leading writers and philosophers, featuring prominent artists and photographers with something to say, and running interviews with the great thinkers of our time. 

Rock'n'Reel magazine: 

Published for over thirty years, and previously going by the name ‘R2 magazine’, Rock N Reel is a bi-monthly title dedicated to an eclectic range of music tastes. Run by an independent team, each new issue looks from the fringes to the mainstream to find the oft overlooked hidden gems of the music world. From rock to folk, world and blues, every genre gets its own expert coverage. The original RNR was a pocket-sized fanzine of modest ambitions. Since its relaunch in 2007 as an A4 format, full-colour glossy magazine, the magazine has greatly extended its scope and readership. RNR’s coverage of the music scene now encompasses both classic and contemporary rock plus established and emerging talents from the worlds of roots, blues, folk, Americana, singer-songwriter and world music.

A typical issue contains new CD and DVD release details, artist updates and festival news, alongside an extensive review section, articles and interview features. Each issue of RNR  includes an exclusive cover-mounted CD featuring a selection of tracks, mostly by emerging artists. Marketed as offering an alternative to what is available elsewhere from the ‘common herd’, these discs carry the series title UN-HERD. This adds to the attractiveness of the magazine and accustoms for its controversial price.

The Wire 

The Wire is an independent print and online music magazine covering a wide range of global alternative, underground and experimental music. The Wire celebrates visionary, inspiring, undervalued musicians, past and present. The British music magazine was first published in 1982 and wages war on the mundane and the mediocre. Its office is based in London, but it serves an international readership. Originally, The Wire covered the jazz scene with emphasis on avant-garde and free-jazz music. It was marketed as a more adventurous alternative to its conservative competitor magazines and went on to target younger readers. In the late 80s and 90s, the magazine expanded its scope until it included a broad range of musical genres under the umbrella of non-mainstream or "experimental" music. Since then, The Wire's coverage has included electronic music, hip hop, new jazz, improvised music, modern composition, traditional music and more. The magazine is run by a team of full-time staff based in its London office, plus a large international roster of freelance writers and photographers, stationed at points across the globe. There's no written constitution and no hardened editorial policy for inclusion or exclusion. The Wire seeks out the most galvanising current music in, and between, all genres; and is committed to investigating music's past as well as its present and future.