What Crack Magazine does

Crack Magazine is an independent music and culture publication operating under the legal entity Crack Industries Ltd., headquartered in London with roots in Bristol, and structured as a private limited company founded in 2009. Its core product is a monthly editorial platform spanning album reviews, live reviews, long reads, artist profiles, festival guides, and curated audio, distributed through a flagship website (crackmagazine.net), a print magazine printed on recycled paper, and a dedicated streaming/playlist sub-brand (crackaud.io). Distribution extends across owned email (Mailchimp newsletter) and major third-party social and audio platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Mixcloud.

The business model is a diversified multi-stream operation. Recurring revenue is anchored by a tiered Supporter membership (£4/month digital, £6/month print, £9/month digital+print) billed through a Chargebee subscription portal and fulfilled via Shopify. Transactional revenue comes from a Shopify-backed online shop for merchandise and back-issue sales, Eventcube-powered event ticketing, and a bookable photo studio. Project-based revenue is generated through brand partnerships and sponsored events with advertisers including Johnnie Walker (Keep Walking Live festival programming), Fred Perry (Paris Fashion Week), and Nemiroff Vodka (World Cup parties).

The company serves three primary customer segments: music enthusiasts and culture consumers seeking independent journalism free from major-label influence; emerging and established artists seeking credible independent coverage; and paying Supporters/Patrons who fund the platform in exchange for exclusive content, merchandise discounts, and community access. Operationally, Crack Magazine runs with 11-50 employees, maintains GDPR compliance, and operates a 'Family' network of partner organizations including festivals (Simple Things), venues, and a technology partner (Plinth) that built and maintains its website. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company has no institutional funding history, indicating a bootstrap, founder-owned operating model.

Name

Crack Magazine

Legal name

Crack Industries Ltd.

Website

https://crackmagazine.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crack Magazine is an independent UK-based music and culture publication operating since 2009, offering editorial coverage, a monthly print magazine, curated audio via crackaud.io, and tiered Supporter subscriptions to music enthusiasts, artists, and paying community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Music Journalism & Culture Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Independent music journalism
• Music culture magazine
• Music subscription service
• Curated music playlists
• Music event ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription/Membership (Supporters): Monthly and annual subscriptions offering digital magazine, print magazine, exclusive content, playlists, giveaways, and merchandise discounts. Supporters receive BTS content, monthly offers, and access to cultural deep-dive essays.
2. Print Magazine Sales: Monthly print magazine sold individually and through subscriptions. Includes sustainably packaged and mailed issues printed on recycled paper.
3. Shop Merchandise: Online store selling magazine issues, merchandise, and exclusive items.
4. Advertising & Partnerships: Advertising opportunities for brands; brand collaborations and sponsored events (e.g., Nemiroff Vodka World Cup party, Fred Perry Paris Fashion Week event, Johnnie Walker events).
5. Event Ticketing: Tickets sold for events through Eventcube ticket platform.
6. Photo Studio Rental: Studio available for booking for photo shoots and creative work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Crack Magazine is an independent music and culture publication that produces editorial journalism (album reviews, live reviews, long reads, artist profiles, festival guides) and a monthly print magazine, distributed through its website, crackaud.io audio streaming platform, and subscription tiers. It monetizes via recurring Supporter memberships (digital £4/month, combined £9/month, print £6/month), an e-commerce shop for merchandise and back issues, advertising and brand partnerships, and ticketed events.

Product overview

Crack Magazine is an independent music and culture publication offering a multi-platform content ecosystem. The core offering consists of the Crack Magazine website/website platform providing music journalism (reviews, long reads, profiles, festival guides), and the crackaud.io music streaming platform with curated genre playlists and mix series. The business monetizes through three subscription tiers: Crack Supporter (digital-only at £4/month), Crack Supporter with Print (combined digital and print at £9/month), and Print Subscription (print-only at £6/month). Supporting revenue streams include an e-commerce shop for merchandise and a ticketing platform for events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• crackaud.io: Music streaming/listening platform featuring curated music content across various genres.

Products and services

• Crack Magazine (Website/Editorial Platform) Independent online platform publishing contemporary music and culture journalism including album reviews, live reviews, long reads, artist profiles, festival guides, and curated playlists for music enthusiasts and the independent culture community.
• Crack Supporter (Digital Membership) Digital-only membership priced from £4/month providing monthly digital magazine delivery, BTS content, cover artist playlists, monthly tickets and signed vinyl giveaways, 20% shop discount, and free access to all volumes of The Collections, for fans supporting independent music journalism.
• Crack Supporter with Print Combined digital and print membership priced from £9/month including all Crack Supporter digital benefits plus the monthly print magazine delivered to door.
• Print Subscription Print-only annual subscription (from £6/month) delivering the monthly Crack Magazine print issue, sustainably packaged on recycled paper, with a free A2 print of choice included.
• crackaud.io Music streaming and playlist platform branded as a Crack Magazine sub-brand, featuring curated genre playlists (Techno, House, Pop, Jazz and more), shows and mix series for listeners of independent music.
• Crack Magazine Shop Online store selling merchandise, magazine issues, and Supporter-exclusive items, fulfilled via Shopify, serving Supporters and music culture consumers globally.
• Tickets Platform Event ticketing service administering tickets (free and paid) for Crack Magazine hosted events including festival partnerships, album launches, and brand partnership events.
• ⏣R: The Best New Music Playlist Rolling curated playlist of the best new music, regularly refreshed by the Crack Magazine editorial team, distributing new track discoveries to readers and listeners.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CC co (CCCO)minorOthersListed as part of Crack Magazine's 'Family' network of partner organizations in the independent music and cultural space.
• Ground WorkminorOthersListed as part of Crack Magazine's 'Family' network. Ground Work is a partner organization in music/cultural space.
• Simple Things FestivalminorOthersListed as part of Crack Magazine's 'Family' network. Simple Things is a UK music festival.
• PlinthminorOthersListed as part of Crack Magazine's 'Family' network. Plinth is a digital/media company that also designed and built Crack Magazine's website.
• Good MeasureminorOthersListed as part of Crack Magazine's 'Family' network. Good Measure appears to be a partner organization.
• The Christmas StepsminorOthersListed as part of Crack Magazine's 'Family' network. The Christmas Steps appears to be a partner venue/organization.
• Nemiroff VodkaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership for 'Beyond 90' World Cup party events in Manchester. Crack Magazine hosted the event in collaboration with Nemiroff Vodka.
• Fred PerryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partnership for Paris Fashion Week event. Crack Magazine hosted an event during Paris Fashion Week in collaboration with Fred Perry.
• Johnnie WalkerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 'Keep Walking Live' events. Crack Magazine collaborated with Johnnie Walker Black Label for festival season programming including GALA festival coverage.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce fulfillment provider for print subscriptions, Supporter memberships, and shop orders. Crack Magazine stores customer data within Shopify per their Privacy Policy.
• Eventcube (Ticket Mechanic)coreTechnology or IntegrationTicketing platform used to administer tickets (free or paid) for Crack Magazine events.

Scale indicators1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mixmag: UK-based dance/electronic music magazine with print, digital, events, and ticketing operations. Comparable as a UK music-culture publication operating across print, online, and live event verticals with sponsor-driven revenue.
• The FADER: US-based independent music and culture magazine with digital, print, and event programming. Closely comparable to Crack as a similarly positioned indie music publication covering emerging artists across genres with a strong editorial voice.
• Resident Advisor (RA): Global electronic music platform combining journalism, event listings, and ticketing. Comparable to Crack's crackaud.io plus editorial model and its event-driven community approach in the music-discovery space.
• The Quietus: UK independent music and culture publication focused on long-form journalism and reviews. Comparable as an independent editorial voice in UK music media, with overlapping audience of dedicated music enthusiasts.
• Loud and Quiet: UK independent music magazine offering free digital content and a print subscription tier. Closely comparable as a UK-based indie music publication with similar print-plus-digital subscription monetization approach.
• Stereogum: US digital-first music publication covering indie, alternative, and emerging artists. Comparable to Crack as an independent music editorial outlet competing for the same global music-curious audience.
• Dazed: UK independent culture magazine covering music, fashion, and youth culture with print and digital editions. Comparable to Crack as a London-based indie culture publication operating across editorial, brand partnerships, and events.

Broad incumbents

• i-D Magazine: Iconic UK fashion/culture/music magazine. Comparable to Crack as an independent-leaning culture publication serving overlapping audiences with editorial, brand collaboration, and event programming.
• NME: Historic UK music publication now digital-only after ending print in 2018. Comparable to Crack as a UK music-media brand targeting similar audiences, though NME has significantly larger legacy reach and operates primarily as a free ad-supported site.
• Pitchfork: Major US music publication now part of Condé Nast/GQ. Comparable as a digital-first music journalism platform with reviews, features, and editorial authority, but operates at significantly larger scale and resource base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/crackmagazine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEFN4Uz7L1821TbvJ_bmCGA
• Facebookfacebook.com/crackmagazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/crackmagazine
• TikToktiktok.com/@crackmagazine

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 Crack Magazine