Guitar World

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.

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

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

• Guitar media publishing
• Music magazine subscriptions
• Gear reviews and buying guides
• Guitar lessons content
• Premium membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions offered through Magazines Direct and other channels, with pricing starting from $28.49
2. Advertising: Display advertising on GuitarWorld.com and sponsored content placements
3. 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
4. Membership (Backstage Pass): Premium membership program offering exclusive content, lessons, newsletters, early access, achievements, and community features

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Future PLC (Parent Company)coreOthersGuitar 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 DirectcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial subscription fulfillment partner for Guitar World magazine print and digital subscriptions
• SweetwaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate retail partner for guitar gear sales with commission-based partnership
• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate retail partner for guitar gear sales with commission-based partnership
• Guitar CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate retail partner for guitar gear sales with commission-based partnership
• IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation)minorOthersGuitar 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/GuitarWorld
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/guitarworld
• Facebookfacebook.com/guitarworld
• Instagraminstagram.com/guitarworldmagazine

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guitar World