JazzTimes
JazzTimes is a privately held digital jazz magazine founded in 1970 and operated by BGFG, delivering in-depth editorial coverage, reviews, interviews, and festival reporting to jazz enthusiasts, musicians, industry professionals, and scholars through a subscription membership and advertising model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersSilver Spring, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What JazzTimes does
JazzTimes is a privately held digital jazz publication founded in 1970 and operated under the BGFG parent entity, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. It brands itself as "America's Jazz Magazine" and produces comprehensive editorial coverage of the jazz scene, including features (interviews, profiles, columns, tributes, galleries, lists), reviews (albums, books, live events, videos, products and gear), festival and event coverage, audio and video content, and news. The publication's platform is a WordPress-based content management system, and its content is distributed through a website (jazztimes.com), an email newsletter, and social media channels on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
JazzTimes monetizes primarily through a recurring subscription/membership product priced at $5.99 per month or $49.00 per year, which provides subscribers with full digital archive access, every new digital issue, an ad-light reading experience, early access to selected features, and members-only editorial updates. A secondary revenue stream is display advertising on the website and newsletter, targeted at a niche audience of jazz enthusiasts, professional musicians, and industry professionals. The publication is currently positioning itself as an independent operation "rebuilding for a new era" and has signaled plans for a future print relaunch in a bookazine format, while continuing to expand into festival partnerships (e.g., the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the Blue Note Jazz Festival 2026 at the Hollywood Bowl) and complimentary livestreams as engagement channels.
The company serves a horizontal, persona-based customer set of three main segments: jazz enthusiasts and fans seeking in-depth coverage and reviews; professional musicians and industry insiders relying on JazzTimes for career coverage, festival announcements, and industry news; and jazz scholars, music historians, and researchers who leverage the 50+ year archive for long-form journalism and historical research. JazzTimes employs between 11 and 50 people and operates on a global digital footprint with no disclosed geographic restrictions.
JazzTimes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JazzTimes
- Legal name
- BGFG
- Website
- https://jazztimes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- JazzTimes is a privately held digital jazz magazine founded in 1970 and operated by BGFG, delivering in-depth editorial coverage, reviews, interviews, and festival reporting to jazz enthusiasts, musicians, industry professionals, and scholars through a subscription membership and advertising model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where JazzTimes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Silver Spring
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
JazzTimes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription/Membership: Monthly and annual subscription plans providing full digital archive access, every new digital issue, ad-light reading experience, early access to selected features, and members-only editorial updates.
- Advertising: Display advertising on the website and newsletter, targeting a niche jazz audience of musicians, enthusiasts, and industry professionals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly membership - $5.99/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership - $49.00/year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
JazzTimes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JazzTimes publishes comprehensive jazz journalism online, offering album, book, live, video, and product reviews; artist interviews, profiles, and tributes; festival and event coverage; and audio/video premieres. Its primary commercial product is the JazzTimes Membership, a subscription providing full access to a 50-plus-year digital archive, every new digital issue, an ad-light reading experience, early access to selected features, and members-only editorial updates. The publication is positioned as "America's Jazz Magazine" and generates revenue through subscription fees and display advertising.
Product overview
JazzTimes is a digital publication offering a membership-based subscription model. The primary product is the JazzTimes Membership subscription, which provides access to digital content including full archive access, new digital issues, and an ad-light reading experience. The publication covers jazz music through multiple content channels including Features (Columns, Interviews, Profiles, Tributes, Galleries, Lists), Reviews (Albums, Books, Live, Videos, Products & Gear), Festivals & Events coverage, Audio & Video content, and News. The membership is available at $5.99/month or $49.00/year, with plans for future print relaunch in bookazine format.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- JazzTimes Membership
Companies that use JazzTimes
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
JazzTimes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
JazzTimes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Los Angeles PhilharmoniccoreJazzTimes covered the Blue Note Jazz Festival 2026 at the Hollywood Bowl, presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The festival is described as one of Southern California's most anticipated summer traditions.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
JazzTimes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Wire: The Wire is a long-running experimental and avant-garde music magazine covering jazz alongside other genres. It overlaps with JazzTimes in jazz criticism and is comparable as a subscription-based niche music publication serving serious music listeners.
- Billboard: Billboard is a mainstream music industry publication covering charts, business, and artist coverage. While not jazz-focused, it competes for music advertising and overlapping professional audience segments (industry, musicians) that JazzTimes also targets.
- Pitchfork: Pitchfork is a major digital music publication covering reviews, news, and features across genres including jazz. It competes with JazzTimes for music-journalism advertising dollars and audience attention, though it is not jazz-specific.
- Rolling Stone: Rolling Stone is a mainstream music and culture magazine with broad editorial coverage that occasionally includes jazz. It is comparable as an established music-journalism subscription brand with multi-decade legacy competing for advertising and membership dollars.
Direct peers
- All About Jazz: All About Jazz is one of the largest jazz-focused digital publications, with reviews, interviews, and a community of jazz listeners. It directly overlaps with JazzTimes in editorial coverage, audience, and ad-supported plus membership-based monetization.
- DownBeat: DownBeat is the most direct competitor to JazzTimes, a long-running print and digital jazz publication covering reviews, interviews, and jazz culture. Both compete for the same enthusiast, musician, and professional jazz audience with overlapping subscription and advertising revenue models.
- Jazzwise: Jazzwise is the UK's leading jazz magazine and website, covering reviews, interviews, and features for a global jazz audience. It is comparable to JazzTimes in scope, format, and audience, with a regional UK anchor but global digital distribution.
- Jazziz: Jazziz is a dedicated jazz magazine and digital publisher offering album reviews, artist features, and lifestyle coverage. It competes directly with JazzTimes for the same niche jazz audience and advertising sponsorships.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
JazzTimes social profiles
Digital presenceJazzTimes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JazzTimes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
JazzTimes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JazzTimes 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 JazzTimes
What does JazzTimes do?
JazzTimes publishes comprehensive jazz journalism online, offering album, book, live, video, and product reviews; artist interviews, profiles, and tributes; festival and event coverage; and audio/video premieres. Its primary commercial product is the JazzTimes Membership, a subscription providing full access to a 50-plus-year digital archive, every new digital issue, an ad-light reading experience, early access to selected features, and members-only editorial updates. The publication is positioned as "America's Jazz Magazine" and generates revenue through subscription fees and display advertising.
Is JazzTimes a public or private company?
JazzTimes is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was JazzTimes founded?
JazzTimes was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is JazzTimes based?
JazzTimes is headquartered in Silver Spring, United States, in the North America region.
How does JazzTimes make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription/Membership is the primary driver. The others are advertising.
Who are JazzTimes's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Wire, Billboard, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Direct peers are All About Jazz, DownBeat, Jazzwise and Jazziz.
Does JazzTimes have an API?
No public API is recorded for JazzTimes.