Rolling Stone Deutschland
Rolling Stone Deutschland is a Berlin-based licensed edition of Rolling Stone magazine, publishing music, film, TV, and culture journalism for German-speaking audiences via rollingstone.de, a monthly print title, podcasts, video, live events, and vinyl specials.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Rolling Stone Deutschland does
Rolling Stone Deutschland is the German licensed edition of the global Rolling Stone music and culture magazine, operated by Mediahouse Berlin GmbH under license from Rolling Stone LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. The company is headquartered at Mehringdamm 33 in Berlin-Kreuzberg and operates as a 11-50 employee private media business embedded within the Axel Springer SE portfolio alongside sister titles such as Musikexpress and Metal Hammer. Its core product is rollingstone.de, a WordPress-based digital publishing platform covering music, film, television, culture, and politics for German-speaking readers in the DACH region, supplemented by a monthly German-language print magazine, a video section, an audio/podcast section (including the 'FFK / Plastik im Ohr' film podcast), the ROLLING STONE Beach festival brand, an email newsletter, and periodic vinyl special issues bundled with exclusive records.
The business model blends five revenue streams. Print revenue comes from subscriptions and single-copy sales processed through Musik-Magazine (€9.95 for a 3-issue mini-subscription, regular price ~€28.70) and physical distribution managed by DMV Der Medienvertrieb. Advertising is sold in two channels: digital display and programmatic through iq digital media marketing gmbH, and print advertising through iq media marketing gmbH plus direct sales to labels, concert promoters, film studios, and gaming companies via Mediahouse Berlin. Affiliate income is generated through the Amazon EU partner program, and a baseline licensing fee flows from the use of the Rolling Stone trademark, which is registered to Rolling Stone LLC and licensed to Mediahouse Berlin. Content distribution is extended through embedded Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram players, and concert ticketing is handled via a Reservix-powered ticket shop.
Rolling Stone Deutschland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rolling Stone Deutschland
- Legal name
- Mediahouse Berlin GmbH
- Website
- https://rollingstone.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rolling Stone Deutschland is a Berlin-based licensed edition of Rolling Stone magazine, publishing music, film, TV, and culture journalism for German-speaking audiences via rollingstone.de, a monthly print title, podcasts, video, live events, and vinyl specials.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rolling Stone Deutschland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music & Entertainment Journalism
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
Keywords
Where Rolling Stone Deutschland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rolling Stone Deutschland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Print Magazine Subscriptions: Rolling Stone Deutschland generates revenue through print magazine subscriptions sold via musik-magazine.de, offering mini-subscriptions (3 issues for €9.95) and regular subscriptions.
- Digital Advertising: The website generates advertising revenue through display ads and sponsored content. Digital advertising is managed by iq digital media marketing gmbH for media agencies and brands.
- Print Advertising: Print magazine advertising is sold through iq media marketing gmbH for media agencies and companies, as well as directly to labels, concert promoters, film studios, and gaming companies through Mediahouse Berlin GmbH.
- Affiliate Marketing: Rolling Stone participates in Amazon EU's affiliate partner program and integrates other affiliate marketing relationships, earning commissions for referred sales.
- Licensing Revenue: Rolling Stone Germany is published by Mediahouse Berlin GmbH under license from Rolling Stone LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. This licensing arrangement represents a core business relationship.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time | Mini-Abo: 3 issues of Rolling Stone magazine |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rolling Stone Deutschland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rolling Stone Deutschland is a German-language entertainment media brand that publishes a monthly print magazine and the rollingstone.de digital platform, delivering music journalism, album reviews, artist interviews, film/TV coverage, and cultural commentary. The brand also produces video and audio/podcast content, operates the ROLLING STONE Beach festival and RS präsentiert concert series, and sells special vinyl-themed print issues bundled with exclusive vinyl records.
Product overview
Rolling Stone Deutschland, operated by Mediahouse Berlin GmbH under license from Rolling Stone LLC (Penske Media Cooperation), is a digital-first entertainment and culture media brand producing music, film, TV, politics, and cultural journalism. Its portfolio consists of the primary digital platform rollingstone.de (offering news, features, reviews, rankings, video, and audio content), the monthly ROLLING STONE print magazine, a video content section, an audio/podcast section including the 'FFK / Plastik im Ohr' film podcast, the ROLLING STONE Beach event/festival brand, a newsletter subscription product, and periodic vinyl special issues bundled with exclusive vinyl singles. The brand is distributed across multiple Axel Springer SE digital properties alongside titles such as Musikexpress and Metal Hammer.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RS präsentiert: Concert and festival promotion series featuring live music events
- RS Beach
Products and services
- rollingstone.de (Website) Digital news and entertainment platform covering music, film, TV, culture, and politics, with news articles, features, reviews, rankings, video, and audio content. Targeted at German-speaking music and entertainment enthusiasts.
- ROLLING STONE Magazin (Print) Monthly German-language print magazine with cover stories, interviews, reviews, and features on music, film, culture, and politics; sold via subscription and newsstand.
- Video Content Video section on rollingstone.de featuring exclusive featurettes, interviews, trailers, video reports, and original video series with embedded YouTube content.
- Audio / Podcast Audio and podcast section on rollingstone.de, including the FFK / Plastik im Ohr film review podcast, embedded Spotify audio content, and audio reports.
- ROLLING STONE Beach Beach festival brand featuring music events, concert presentations, and curated festivals in Germany, including the RS präsentiert concert series.
- Vinyl Sonderheft (Special Issue) Special print issues focused on vinyl music culture, sold as premium collectible editions, often bundled with exclusive vinyl singles such as the Udo Lindenberg edition.
Companies that use Rolling Stone Deutschland
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rolling Stone Deutschland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Rolling Stone Deutschland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rolling Stone LLC / Penske Media CorporationcoreRolling Stone Germany is published by Mediahouse Berlin GmbH under license from Rolling Stone LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. This licensing arrangement grants Mediahouse Berlin the rights to publish the Rolling Stone magazine and website in Germany. Published under license of Rolling Stone Licensing, LLC.
- Mediahouse Berlin GmbHcoreMediahouse Berlin GmbH is the publisher of Rolling Stone Germany, with management including Petra Kalb (Sprecherin) and Michael Reiner (Geschäftsführung). The company also publishes other Axel Springer SE digital products including Musikexpress, Metal Hammer, and various other media brands.
- iq digital media marketing gmbHcoreiq digital media marketing gmbH handles digital advertising sales for rollingstone.de and all digital offerings. They also handle print advertising sales for Rolling Stone magazine. Located at Toulouser Allee 27, 40211 Düsseldorf.
- Musik-MagazinecoreMusik-Magazine handles subscription service and single issue delivery for Rolling Stone magazine. Located in Bad Schwartau, Germany. They manage the Abo-Service and Einzelheftversand (subscription service and single issue delivery).
- Amazon EUminorRolling Stone Germany participates in the Amazon EU partner program, earning commissions for referred sales through affiliate links on the website.
- DMV Der Medienvertrieb GmbH & Co. KGminorDMV Der Medienvertrieb GmbH & Co. KG handles magazine distribution (Objektvertriebsleitung). Located at Meßberg 1, 20086 Hamburg.
- Axel Springer SEcoreMediahouse Berlin GmbH is part of Axel Springer SE, one of Germany's largest digital publishing companies. Under the Axel Springer umbrella, Rolling Stone joins other entertainment and media brands including Musikexpress, Metal Hammer, WELT, Business Insider, BILD, AUTO BILD, and others.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rolling Stone Deutschland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pitchfork: Digital-native music journalism outlet covering reviews, features, and news. Closest digital competitor in music editorial authority and audience demographic, though US-focused.
- Spex: Long-running German music and pop culture magazine. Comparable in covering indie, alternative, and pop music with cultural commentary for German-speaking readers.
- Rolling Stone (US edition): The original US edition of the same brand, also owned by Penske Media. Direct peer in music, film, and culture journalism; the master licensor whose brand equity Rolling Stone Deutschland commercializes in German-speaking markets.
- NME: Historic UK music and pop culture magazine that has transitioned to digital-first. Comparable in brand legacy, music editorial focus, and global entertainment coverage.
- Metal Hammer (Germany): Sister heavy metal music magazine also under Mediahouse Berlin / Axel Springer. Direct peer in German-language music magazine publishing, sharing the same publisher and operational backbone.
- Musikexpress: Sister German music magazine published by Mediahouse Berlin GmbH under Axel Springer. Direct peer covering similar music journalism territory for German-speaking audiences, sharing subscription and advertising infrastructure.
- Visions: German alternative/indie music magazine. Direct peer in the German-language music magazine category, competing for similar reader demographics and advertising budgets.
Broad incumbents
- Billboard: Major global music industry trade and consumer publication under Penske Media. Overlaps in music news, charts, and industry coverage; broader in scope and significantly larger in scale.
Emerging players
- Stereogum: Independent digital music publication focused on indie, pop, and alternative music coverage. Comparable in digital music editorial but with a narrower genre focus and US-centric audience.
Regional players
- Intro (Magazin): German pop culture and music magazine covering music, film, and lifestyle for younger German-speaking audiences. Comparable in regional music/culture publishing focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Rolling Stone Deutschland social profiles
Digital presenceRolling Stone Deutschland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rolling Stone Deutschland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Rolling Stone Deutschland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rolling Stone Deutschland 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 Rolling Stone Deutschland
What does Rolling Stone Deutschland do?
Rolling Stone Deutschland is a German-language entertainment media brand that publishes a monthly print magazine and the rollingstone.de digital platform, delivering music journalism, album reviews, artist interviews, film/TV coverage, and cultural commentary. The brand also produces video and audio/podcast content, operates the ROLLING STONE Beach festival and RS präsentiert concert series, and sells special vinyl-themed print issues bundled with exclusive vinyl records.
Is Rolling Stone Deutschland a public or private company?
Rolling Stone Deutschland is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Rolling Stone Deutschland founded?
Rolling Stone Deutschland was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rolling Stone Deutschland based?
Rolling Stone Deutschland is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Rolling Stone Deutschland make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Print Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising, print Advertising, affiliate Marketing and licensing Revenue.
Who are Rolling Stone Deutschland's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pitchfork, Spex, Rolling Stone (US edition), NME, Metal Hammer (Germany), Musikexpress and Visions. Billboard is listed as a broad incumbent. Stereogum is listed as an emerging player. Intro (Magazin) is listed as a regional player.
Does Rolling Stone Deutschland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rolling Stone Deutschland.
What industry is Rolling Stone Deutschland in?
Rolling Stone Deutschland's product category is Music & Entertainment Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.