Guitar World
Guitar World is a guitar-focused media brand publishing a print magazine, the GuitarWorld.com website, and the Backstage Pass premium membership, reaching 3.8 million monthly players. Owned by Future PLC, it monetizes through subscriptions, advertising, affiliate commerce, and memberships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Guitar World does
Guitar World is a specialized guitar media brand founded in July 1980 that publishes editorial content, gear reviews, technique lessons, and artist interviews across three product surfaces: a print magazine, the GuitarWorld.com website, and a premium Backstage Pass membership. GuitarWorld.com reaches approximately 3.8 million guitar players monthly and hosts 1,200+ product reviews and 200+ buying guides; the Backstage Pass program has 10.5K+ active paying members. The brand is wholly owned by Future PLC, a UK-listed international media group, and operates from a New York headquarters with editorial and commercial infrastructure linked to Future's London, Bath, and Sydney offices, plus integrated sister publications Guitarist, Total Guitar, Guitar Techniques, and Bass Player.
Guitar World firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Guitar World
- Legal name
- Future US, Inc.
- Website
- https://guitarworld.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Guitar World is a guitar-focused media brand publishing a print magazine, the GuitarWorld.com website, and the Backstage Pass premium membership, reaching 3.8 million monthly players. Owned by Future PLC, it monetizes through subscriptions, advertising, affiliate commerce, and memberships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Guitar World industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric) (MPAIAJAA)
Keywords
Where Guitar World is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Guitar World business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions offered through Magazines Direct and other channels, with pricing starting from $28.49
- Advertising: Display advertising on GuitarWorld.com and sponsored content placements
- Affiliate Commerce: Commission revenue from affiliate links to retailers (Sweetwater, Amazon, Guitar Center, etc.) through the Hawk software platform that displays product and price information
- Membership (Backstage Pass): Premium membership program offering exclusive content, lessons, newsletters, early access, achievements, and community features
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Magazine Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Guitar World product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Guitar World is a multi-platform guitar media brand that publishes editorial content for guitarists via a print magazine (Guitar World, since 1980), a digital website (GuitarWorld.com reaching 3.8 million monthly players), and a paid Backstage Pass membership offering exclusive lessons, interviews, and curated newsletters. The brand monetizes its audience through subscriptions, display and sponsored advertising, affiliate referral commissions to gear retailers, and a premium membership tier.
Product overview
Guitar World is a multi-platform guitar media company offering a unified portfolio of print magazine, digital website (GuitarWorld.com), and premium membership (Backstage Pass). The core offering centers on guitar-related editorial content including news, gear reviews, buying guides, and lessons, supplemented by sister publications Guitarist and Bass Player. GuitarWorld.com reaches 3.8 million players monthly and features 200+ buyer's guides and 1,200+ reviews. The Backstage Pass premium tier adds exclusive content, early access, curated newsletters, and community features for 10.5K+ active members.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Backstage Pass: Premium membership program offering exclusive lessons, interviews, presales, features from the GW archive, curated newsletters, early access to stories, achievement badges, and community access. Priced from $28.49 with 10.5K+ active members.
Products and services
- GuitarWorld.com The online counterpart to Guitar World magazine, serving as the primary digital platform delivering expert articles, gear reviews (1,200+), buying guides (200+), lessons, artist interviews, and breaking news to approximately 3.8 million guitar players monthly worldwide.
- Guitar World Magazine The original print magazine published by Guitar World since July 1980, featuring artist interviews, lessons, gear reviews, and buying advice for guitarists of all skill levels; sold through subscriptions (print and digital, starting from $28.49) via Magazines Direct.
- Backstage Pass
Companies that use Guitar World
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Guitar World technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Guitar World partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Future PLC (Parent Company)coreGuitar World is owned and operated by Future PLC, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Guitar World is part of Future US Inc.
- Magazines DirectcoreOfficial subscription fulfillment partner for Guitar World magazine print and digital subscriptions
- SweetwaterminorAffiliate retail partner for guitar gear sales with commission-based partnership
- AmazonminorAffiliate retail partner for guitar gear sales with commission-based partnership
- Guitar CenterminorAffiliate retail partner for guitar gear sales with commission-based partnership
- IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)minorGuitar World is a member of IPSO which regulates the UK print and digital news industry, abiding by the Editors' Code of Practice
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Guitar World competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Guitar Center: The largest US brick-and-mortar music retailer, with a substantial affiliate relationship and proprietary content/lesson offerings (GC Live, Lessons). Operates as both a retail partner and a competitor for lessons and gear research audience.
- Sweetwater: The largest US online music instrument retailer, operating an extensive in-house content operation (buying guides, videos, in-store experts) and serving as Guitar World's largest affiliate partner. Competes with Guitar World content for gear research traffic while also being a key revenue source.
- Fender: World's largest guitar manufacturer with a significant media, content, and education presence (Fender Play, Fender Songs). As a manufacturer with owned content channels, it competes for both gear purchase attribution and lessons audience while also being a major advertiser on guitar media.
- Gibson: Major guitar manufacturer with growing owned media and brand content operations. Competes with Guitar World for gear review mindshare and has historically been a major advertiser; recent strategic shifts (new CEO transitions) make its media posture a competitive variable.
Direct peers
- TrueFire: Premium online guitar lessons platform with a deep catalog of video courses from professional instructors. Competes directly with Guitar World's lessons and Backstage Pass offerings in the paid guitar education category.
- Ultimate Guitar: The largest guitar tabs, lessons, and community platform globally, with a heavy user-generated content model. Competes with Guitar World for guitar player attention, particularly around lessons and technique content, though with a different content model.
- Reverb: Online guitar and music gear marketplace that also operates substantial editorial content, video reviews, and artist interviews. Directly competes for affiliate-driven gear purchase intent and audience attention, combining marketplace and media.
- Guitar Player: The leading US competitor to Guitar World in dedicated guitar magazine publishing, also covering gear reviews, lessons, and artist interviews. Published by Madavor Media and serves a substantially overlapping audience of guitar enthusiasts.
- Premier Guitar: Direct competitor in the guitar media category, with strong print and digital presence covering gear reviews, artist features, and lessons. Operates a similar content-led, affiliate-supported model targeting the same enthusiast demographic.
- MusicRadar: Sister publication within Future PLC that covers a broader music gear category (guitars, synths, drums, DJ gear). Operates with a similar affiliate-driven gear review model and shares editorial talent, making it a close functional peer despite wider scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Guitar World social profiles
Digital presenceGuitar World compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Guitar World financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Guitar World leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Guitar World funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Guitar World M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Guitar World
What does Guitar World do?
Guitar World is a multi-platform guitar media brand that publishes editorial content for guitarists via a print magazine (Guitar World, since 1980), a digital website (GuitarWorld.com reaching 3.8 million monthly players), and a paid Backstage Pass membership offering exclusive lessons, interviews, and curated newsletters. The brand monetizes its audience through subscriptions, display and sponsored advertising, affiliate referral commissions to gear retailers, and a premium membership tier.
Is Guitar World a public or private company?
Guitar World is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Guitar World founded?
Guitar World was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Guitar World based?
Guitar World is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Guitar World make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising, affiliate Commerce and membership (Backstage Pass).
Who are Guitar World's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Guitar Center, Sweetwater, Fender and Gibson. Direct peers are TrueFire, Ultimate Guitar, Reverb, Guitar Player, Premier Guitar and MusicRadar.
Does Guitar World have an API?
No public API is recorded for Guitar World.
What industry is Guitar World in?
Guitar World's product category is Music Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAEAA, Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra), with a secondary code of MPAIAJAA, Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric). Its NAICS code is 459140 and its SIC code is 2731.