Modern Drummer

What Modern Drummer does

Modern Drummer Publications, Inc., operating as Modern Drummer, is a privately held specialty media and publishing company founded in 1977 and headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey (with a secondary mailing address in Boca Raton, Florida). The company produces the world's most widely read drum magazine, published monthly in print and digital formats, now in its 49th year and at Volume 50 / July 2026. Its core product is the Modern Drummer Magazine, supported by a content portfolio including gear reviews, drum lessons, the Tour Kit Rundowns video series, the Metal Sticks heavy-metal series (associated with Nicko McBrain's archive), the VIP Backstage series, and the Modern Drummer Podcast. The technology underlay is a content-publication platform with no proprietary AI/ML features and no public API.

The company makes money through three primary streams: (1) recurring magazine subscriptions offered directly via moderndrummer.com, with annual plans and promotional discounts (HOLIDAY10 for 10% off, a new-member 2-months-free annual offer); (2) direct-to-consumer e-commerce at shop.moderndrummer.com selling apparel (hoodies $52.00–$54.90, t-shirts $23.95–$34.90), the Legends Collection and other drum books, Artist Packs, Bundles, and magazine back issues; and (3) channel revenue via Guitar Center retail placement of selected/exclusive products (Adrian Young Signature OCDP Snare, Simmons Titan 90 electronic drum kit). Modern Drummer is incorporated in New Jersey, has 11–50 employees, has no disclosed institutional funding, and is led by CEO and Publisher David Frangioni (in role since 2020).

The customer base is segmented horizontally by skill level into amateur drummers, semi-professional drummers, professional drummers, and drum educators/instructors — all hobbyist, aspirational, or working percussionists seeking gear reviews, education, community recognition (Readers Poll, Hall of Fame), and industry visibility. Community initiatives include the annual Readers Poll, the Drummer Hall of Fame (inductees from 1979 onward including Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, John Bonham, Keith Moon), and the Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship. The company distributes through its own digital storefronts globally for digital products and through Guitar Center domestically for select physical products, with promotional presence at major drum events including the Chicago Drum Show, Music City Drum Show, NAMM, and Drum Fantasy Camp.

Name

Modern Drummer

Legal name

Modern Drummer Publications, Inc.

Website

https://moderndrummer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Modern Drummer Publications, Inc., founded in 1977 and headquartered in Fairfield, NJ, is the world's longest-running drum media brand, publishing a monthly print and digital magazine and operating subscription, e-commerce, video, podcast, and community-program offerings (Hall of Fame, Readers Poll, Neil Peart Scholarship) for amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Monthly digital and print magazine subscriptions providing exclusive interviews, gear reviews, education content, and drum community coverage. Offers annual plans with promotional discounts (HOLIDAY10 for 10% off, 2 months free for new annual members).
2. E-commerce Store: Sale of merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, back issues of magazines, drum books (Legends Collection), Artist Packs, and branded products. Operated through shop.moderndrummer.com.
3. Bundled Products: Bundle and save packages offering discounted combinations of books, magazines, and merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Modern Drummer publishes the world's most widely read drum magazine in print and digital formats on a monthly cadence, supported by exclusive artist interviews, gear reviews, educational drum lessons, video series (Metal Sticks, Tour Kit Rundowns, VIP Backstage), and a podcast. It also operates a direct e-commerce store selling branded merchandise, drum books (Legends Collection), Artist Packs, and subscription bundles, complemented by community programs including the Readers Poll, Drummer Hall of Fame, and Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship.

Product overview

Modern Drummer is a media and publishing company operating a portfolio of interconnected products centered on drumming content and community. The core offering is the monthly Modern Drummer Magazine (print and digital), which has been published since 1977 and serves as the world's most widely read drum publication. Around this core magazine, the company offers multiple content verticals including the Tour Kit Rundowns, Metal Sticks, and VIP Backstage video series; an educational Drum Lessons platform; a Drummers Archive; and the Modern Drummer Podcast. The company also operates an e-commerce store (Modern Drummer Shop) selling merchandise (hoodies, t-shirts), drum books (including the Legends Collection), Artist Packs, Bundles, and magazine back issues/subscriptions. Community initiatives include the annual Readers Poll, the Drummer Hall of Fame, and the Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship. The portfolio functions as an integrated drumming ecosystem serving amateur, semi-professional, and professional drummers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Metal Sticks: A video series dedicated to interviewing iconic heavy metal artists, educating drummers of all styles and genres, and showcasing Nicko McBrain's archive of iconic gear and memorabilia.
• Tour Kit Rundowns
• Give The Drummer Some VIP

Products and services

• Modern Drummer Magazine Subscription Monthly print and digital subscription to the world's most widely read drum magazine, providing exclusive artist interviews, gear reviews, education content, and community coverage for amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
• Modern Drummer Shop - Merchandise Branded apparel and merchandise store selling hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, and other branded products directly to drummers and fans via shop.moderndrummer.com.
• Drum Books / Legends Collection Print and digital books about drumming technique, history, and education, including the Legends Collection, sold through the Modern Drummer Shop.
• Artist Packs

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Guitar CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGuitar Center serves as a primary retail distribution partner for select Modern Drummer featured products, including exclusive product launches such as the Adrian Young Signature OCDP Snare and Simmons Titan 90 electronic drum kits available only at Guitar Center.
• DrumeominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative content relationship featuring drummer content including Nic Collins learning and performing RUSH's '2112' Suite. Drumeo challenges featured drummers and Modern Drummer covers the resulting content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Premier Guitar: Premier Guitar is a print, digital, and video media brand covering guitars, gear, and players. It shares Modern Drummer's playbook of print magazine + website + YouTube + gear reviews and is a structural analogue in the adjacent guitar vertical.
• Bass Player Magazine: Bass Player is a long-running print and digital publication serving bassists with gear reviews, lessons, and artist interviews. It mirrors Modern Drummer's content model in an adjacent instrument vertical and is useful as a peer for understanding niche-instrument publishing economics.
• Guitar World: Guitar World is the largest guitar-focused magazine and digital media property, operating the same editorial-plus-subscription model Modern Drummer uses, but for guitarists. Its scale and digital pivot provide a useful benchmark for how a print-anchored music media brand can extend into digital subscriptions and video.
• Reverb.com: Reverb is the largest global marketplace for new, used, and vintage music gear, including drums. While not a publisher, it competes for the gear-review and gear-discovery attention that Modern Drummer monetizes, and overlaps on artist signature and exclusive product launches.
• Sweetwater: Sweetwater is the largest U.S. online music instrument retailer and a major producer of gear-review video content. It competes with Modern Drummer for gear-review mindshare and for exclusive product launch opportunities, while also being a potential channel partner.

Regional players

• Rhythm Magazine: Rhythm is a long-running UK-based drum publication covering gear reviews, lessons, and artist interviews. It is structurally identical to Modern Drummer but operates primarily in the UK/European market rather than North America.

Direct peers

• Drumeo: Drumeo is the leading online drum education platform, producing high-quality video lessons, artist interviews, and gear content for drummers. It directly competes for the same drummer audience Modern Drummer serves, while also being a listed Modern Drummer content partner — making it both a peer and a collaborator.
• Percussive Notes (Percussive Arts Society): The Percussive Arts Society publishes Percussive Notes, a periodical serving drummers and percussionists with educational content, research, and gear coverage. It competes with Modern Drummer for the same percussion-focused readership, with a slightly more academic slant.
• DRUM! Magazine: DRUM! Magazine is a direct competitor print and digital publication covering drumming news, gear reviews, lessons, and artist interviews. It targets the same amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummer segments as Modern Drummer in the U.S. market.

Emerging players

• Tape Op Magazine: Tape Op is an independent, niche print and digital publication covering recording and music production. It is structurally similar to Modern Drummer — small team, subscription-supported, niche vertical — and serves as a peer for how a focused niche music publication can sustain itself at small scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Modern_Drummer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChdBw0Hg_27aS88DiG4p5qw/join
• Facebookfacebook.com/ModernDrummer
• Instagraminstagram.com/modern_drummer

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Modern Drummer