Masses

What Masses does

Masses is a privately-held Malaysian digital media company founded in 2013 that operates masses.com.my, a content platform covering local streetwear, sneakers, lifestyle, arts, music, and culture. The company's stated thesis is that other outlets cover international content at the expense of Malaysian brands and culture, and it positions itself as the dedicated home for "homegrown" coverage targeted at Malaysian urban youth. Its product surface comprises an editorial website organized into Sneakers, Fashion, Lifestyle, Music, Design, and TV categories; the periodic themed print magazine MASSESzine (with at least ten issues, including the December 2017 "Sunset Issue"); MASSES TV, a video and podcast channel hosting the interview series "Cool Story Bro" and the sneaker review series "WDHANFTSY"; and a Shop Directory mapping Malaysian streetwear and sneaker retailers. The underlying technology is a standard content management and online publishing platform, with no proprietary AI or platform infrastructure disclosed.

Revenue is generated through two streams: digital advertising (inquiries handled via [email protected]) and one-time print magazine sales through roughly fifteen-plus third-party stockists across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and planned Johor and Penang locations. The company follows a community-led go-to-market built on content marketing, organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletter capture, and the podcast; the latest visible content dates to April 2020, after which no product launches, hires, or distribution expansions are documented. Masses is headquartered at Masses Studio in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, employs 11–50 staff, has not raised institutional funding or disclosed any ownership outside founder operations, and currently shows no public or partner-facing API, mobile app, or AI-driven product layer.

Name

Masses

Legal name

Masses

Website

https://masses.com.my

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Masses is a Malaysian digital media company founded in 2013 that operates a content platform, print magazine (MASSESzine), and video/podcast series (MASSES TV) covering local streetwear, sneakers, lifestyle, arts, and music for Malaysian urban youth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media & Lifestyle Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Online News & Magazine Publishing Platforms (CMS & Hosting) (MPAJAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subscription & Fulfillment Services (Print & Digital) (MPAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Lifestyle media publishing
• Streetwear culture content
• Online magazine platform
• Podcast video series
• Digital advertising publication

Headquarters

HQ city

Petaling

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The company generates revenue through advertising on its website and digital platforms. Businesses and brands can advertise on Masses to reach their target audience of Malaysian youth interested in streetwear, sneakers, and lifestyle content.
2. Magazine Sales: Masses publishes MASSESzine, a print magazine covering local Malaysian culture, traditions, arts, and streetwear. The magazine is sold at various retail locations across Malaysia and can be ordered online. Issue 10 'The Sunset Issue' featured Malaysian traditions and cultural content.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Masses operates a Malaysian digital media platform (masses.com.my) that publishes editorial content covering streetwear, sneakers, fashion, lifestyle, arts, music, and design, targeting Malaysian urban youth. It complements this with a periodic print magazine (MASSESzine) sold at retail locations, a video/podcast channel (MASSES TV / 'Cool Story Bro'), and a streetwear shop directory. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising on digital channels and magazine sales.

Product overview

Masses operates as a Malaysian media company offering a lifestyle content platform (masses.com.my) covering streetwear, sneakers, fashion, music, and local culture, alongside its print magazine MASSESzine and video content series under MASSES TV. The platform also features a shop directory service. The portfolio consists of digital editorial content, print publications, video/podcast content, and a retail directory tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MASSESzine: The company's print magazine publication featuring Malaysian culture, traditions, and local content. Issue 10 'The Sunset Issue' focused on disappearing Malaysian traditions and cultures.

Products and services

• Masses Website (masses.com.my) Malaysian online media platform covering streetwear, sneakers, fashion, lifestyle, arts, music, design, and local culture. Features editorial content across Sneakers, Fashion, Lifestyle, Music, Design, TV, and Directory categories for Malaysian urban youth readers.
• MASSESzine Print Magazine Periodic themed print magazine featuring Malaysian culture, traditions, music, lifestyle, and streetwear content. Sold at retailers across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, and Penang, and orderable online.
• MASSES TV (Cool Story Bro Podcast & WDHANFTSY Sneaker Reviews)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Complex Networks: US-based youth-culture media giant covering sneakers, streetwear, music, and pop culture across web, video, and print. Broader incumbent in the same categories Masses covers, with vastly larger scale and global brand partnerships.

Direct peers

• Dazed Media: UK-based youth culture magazine and digital platform covering fashion, music, art, and subculture. Comparable as an independent youth-culture publication that blends editorial credibility with brand collaborations and a print product.
• Juice Magazine: Malaysia's long-running youth and street culture print and digital magazine. Directly comparable in geography and target audience (Malaysian youth interested in fashion, music, lifestyle), competing for the same readers and advertisers.
• Hypebeast: Hong Kong-based global digital media platform covering streetwear, sneakers, fashion, music, and lifestyle. Direct competitor to Masses in the same content categories, though at significantly larger scale and global reach.
• Sneaker Freaker: Australia-founded print and digital sneaker culture magazine. Highly comparable niche (sneakers) with a similar print + digital publishing model that Masses emulates at a Malaysian scale.
• Highsnobiety: Berlin-based streetwear, sneakers, and youth culture media platform with a print magazine, podcast, and commerce shop. Closely comparable to Masses in both content focus and multi-format (digital + print) strategy.
• i-D Magazine: Vice Media-owned youth culture and streetwear-leaning publication with both digital and print heritage. Comparable as an editorial-led platform serving the same streetwear/fashion/lifestyle content verticals.

Regional players

• Vogue Singapore / CLEO Malaysia: Regional Southeast Asian fashion/lifestyle publications. Adjacent peers operating in similar geographies and verticals with overlapping youth and lifestyle advertiser pools.
• Augustman Malaysia: Malaysian edition of the men's lifestyle magazine covering fashion, watches, and lifestyle. Regional peer with overlapping Malaysian male audience and similar magazine + digital media model.
• Esquire Malaysia: Malaysian edition of the men's lifestyle magazine. Comparable in geography and adjacent in target demographic (Malaysian male lifestyle audience), competing for some of the same advertisers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/massesmy
• Instagraminstagram.com/massesmy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/massesmy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Masses